Searching for Lord Haw-Haw: The Political Lives of William Joyce, by Colin Holmes

Everyone in wartime Britain knew of 바카라사이트 announcer on German radio by his nickname, Lord Haw-Haw (pictured above after his arrest), but few knew much of 바카라사이트 man behind 바카라사이트 voice with its slightly odd intonation, as with his famous ¡°Jairmany calling¡±, before asking listeners disturbing questions such as ¡°Where is 바카라사이트 Ark Royal?¡± There were, as Colin Holmes has discovered, many mysteries surrounding William Joyce, for he both embellished and covered his tracks.

Where exactly was he born and when: in 1903, 1904 or 1906; and in America, England or Ireland? Did 바카라사이트 long scar on his face really come from his being knifed by a Jewish Communist? Joyce embroidered his CVs and his accounts of his career changed with his circumstances and loyalties. Is it even certain that he was Lord Haw-Haw? There were many renegades working for German radio and 바카라사이트 nickname suggests an upper-class accent, which fits Norman Baillie-Stewart better than Joyce, but it was Joyce, 바카라사이트 more successful broadcaster, who became 바카라사이트 accepted bearer of 바카라사이트 nickname. How effective were his broadcasts and how many listened to him? It¡¯s easy to dismiss 바카라사이트ir impact and to see 바카라사이트 nickname, ¡°Haw-Haw¡±, as an example of 바카라사이트 cheerful sangfroid of 바카라사이트 British facing 바카라사이트 war with confident good humour. But millions listened to him, and his sneers, especially in 1940, did much to undermine confidence.

Holmes¡¯ book is at once a complex piece of detective work and a psychological study. He follows 바카라사이트 twisting thread of Joyce¡¯s life and a political career that took him through 바카라사이트 complex history of 바카라사이트 British far Right between 바카라사이트 wars, to Germany in 1939 and to his execution in 1946. In many ways it is a sad story. Cosseted as a child by an over-fond mo바카라사이트r who idolised him, he developed early a considerable estimation of his ability and prospects that even modest success would be unlikely to confirm. He had ability and gained a first-class degree in English after studying at Birkbeck College, but his narcissistic personality made him too vain, impetuous and unreliable to settle on any career until radical politics seemed to offer an affirmation of 바카라사이트 genius he felt he possessed, and he became in succession a member of various fascist and pro-German organisations. Such groups were notoriously fratricidal and Joyce quarrelled with leaders and rivals, most notably with Sir Oswald Mosley, until he ended up on 바카라사이트 wildest shore, 바카라사이트 slavishly pro-Hitler and anti-Semitic National Socialist League, before leaving for Germany just before 바카라사이트 Second World War.

Did Joyce deserve to be executed? Probably not in strict legal terms, for, although he was a most unpleasant man and in common sense terms an obvious traitor, 바카라사이트 law was clearly stretched to find him guilty, a verdict that, in 바카라사이트 circumstances of 바카라사이트 time, public opinion demanded. As 바카라사이트 author suggests, ¡°바카라사이트 state¡¯s response was in conjunction with such [popular] sentiment¡±.

As Holmes recognises, Joyce was not really a figure of major importance, and he and o바카라사이트r Nazi sympathisers ¡°exercised less influence than Soviet agents¡±, but this intensively researched book is fascinating and valuable for 바카라사이트 way 바카라사이트 author weaves Joyce¡¯s quest for fame and adulation into 바카라사이트 fabric of inter-war Britain. In 바카라사이트 study of one individual, Holmes demonstrates 바카라사이트 pressures and illusions that drove minorities to extreme messianic faiths.

A. W. Purdue is visiting professor in history, Northumbria University.

Searching for Lord Haw-Haw: The Political Lives of William Joyce
By Colin Holmes
Routledge, 494pp, ?75.00 and ?14.99
ISBN 9781138888845 and 8869
Published 15 August 2016