Amanda Foreman (biographer)
Encyclopedia
Amanda Lucy Foreman is a British/American biographer and historian.
(1914–1984) who had to move to England in order to work after being blacklisted
by the Hollywood movie studios during the McCarthyism
of the 1950s. Her brother, Jonathan Foreman
, is a widely respected international correspondent and film critic.
, a girls' junior independent school
in Blandford Forum in Dorset
in south west England, followed by a girls' boarding school and then Sarah Lawrence College
in Yonkers, New York
then at Columbia University
before returning to England when she was awarded the 1993 “Henrietta Jex Blake Senior Scholarship” at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford
. At Oxford she completed an MPhil
thesis Politics or providence?: Why the Houses of Parliament voted to abolish the slave trade in 1807 (1993) and a DPhil
with her thesis The political life of Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, 1757-1806 (1998).
, she published her first book, Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire
, based on her doctoral thesis. Published by HarperCollins
in the UK and Random House
in the U.S., the book received wide critical acclaim and won the 1998 Whitbread Prize for Best Biography
. The book has been the subject of a television documentary
, a highly successful radio play, starring Judi Dench
, and a film, The Duchess
, starring Ralph Fiennes
and Keira Knightley
.
Foreman has dual citizenship, maintains homes in New York City and London and writes regularly for newspapers and magazines in both countries. Since marrying Jonathan Barton in 2000, she has given birth to five children: Helena (2002), Theodore (2003), Halcyon (2005), Xanthe (2007) and Hero (2007). Her history of British-American relations in the American Civil War
, A World on Fire was published in 2011.
Contrary to popular myth, Foreman did not pose naked for Tatler
Magazine to publicize the launch of her first book. In 1999, almost a year after the book's publication, Foreman appeared in an article "50 notable people under 40". The subjects were photographed nude in order to reveal their essential talents. Foreman was placed behind a tall column built of copies of her book.
Family
Her father was the renowned screenwriter and film producer Carl ForemanCarl Foreman
Carl Foreman, CBE was an American screenwriter and film producer who wrote the notable film High Noon. He was blacklisted by the Hollywood movie studio bosses in the 1950s.-Biography:...
(1914–1984) who had to move to England in order to work after being blacklisted
Hollywood blacklist
The Hollywood blacklist—as the broader entertainment industry blacklist is generally known—was the mid-twentieth-century list of screenwriters, actors, directors, musicians, and other U.S. entertainment professionals who were denied employment in the field because of their political beliefs or...
by the Hollywood movie studios during the McCarthyism
McCarthyism
McCarthyism is the practice of making accusations of disloyalty, subversion, or treason without proper regard for evidence. The term has its origins in the period in the United States known as the Second Red Scare, lasting roughly from the late 1940s to the late 1950s and characterized by...
of the 1950s. Her brother, Jonathan Foreman
Jonathan Foreman (journalist)
Jonathan Foreman is an Anglo-American journalist and film critic.He is the son of Academy-Award winning screenwriter and film producer Carl Foreman , who moved to England in order to work after being blacklisted by Hollywood movie studio bosses during the hysteria of the McCarthy era...
, is a widely respected international correspondent and film critic.
Education
Amanda Foreman was initially educated at Hanford SchoolHanford School
Hanford School is a girls' boarding preparatory school located in Hanford, near Shillingstone, Child Okeford, Dorset, England, established in 1947 and located in a grade II* listed house built in 1604 by Sir Robert Seymer.-Background:...
, a girls' junior independent school
Independent school
An independent school is a school that is independent in its finances and governance; it is not dependent upon national or local government for financing its operations, nor reliant on taxpayer contributions, and is instead funded by a combination of tuition charges, gifts, and in some cases the...
in Blandford Forum in Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
in south west England, followed by a girls' boarding school and then Sarah Lawrence College
Sarah Lawrence College
Sarah Lawrence College is a private liberal arts college in the United States, and a leader in progressive education since its founding in 1926. Located just 30 minutes north of Midtown Manhattan in southern Westchester County, New York, in the city of Yonkers, this coeducational college offers...
in Yonkers, New York
Yonkers, New York
Yonkers is the fourth most populous city in the state of New York , and the most populous city in Westchester County, with a population of 195,976...
then at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
before returning to England when she was awarded the 1993 “Henrietta Jex Blake Senior Scholarship” at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford
Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford
Lady Margaret Hall is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England, located at the end of Norham Gardens in north Oxford. As of 2006 the college had an estimated financial endowment of £34m....
. At Oxford she completed an MPhil
Master of Philosophy
The Master of Philosophy is a postgraduate research degree.An M.Phil. is a lesser degree than a Doctor of Philosophy , but in many cases it is considered to be a more senior degree than a taught Master's degree, as it is often a thesis-only degree. In some instances, an M.Phil...
thesis Politics or providence?: Why the Houses of Parliament voted to abolish the slave trade in 1807 (1993) and a DPhil
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
with her thesis The political life of Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, 1757-1806 (1998).
Life and career
After having completed her university education, Foreman remained at Oxford as a researcher, and in 19981998 in literature
The year 1998 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*March 5 - Tennessee Williams' 1938 play, Not About Nightingales, receives its stage première....
, she published her first book, Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire
Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire
Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire , formerly Lady Georgiana Spencer, was the first wife of the 5th Duke of Devonshire, and mother of the 6th Duke of Devonshire. Her father, the 1st Earl Spencer, was a great-grandson of the 1st Duke of Marlborough. Her niece was Lady Caroline Lamb...
, based on her doctoral thesis. Published by HarperCollins
HarperCollins
HarperCollins is a publishing company owned by News Corporation. It is the combination of the publishers William Collins, Sons and Co Ltd, a British company, and Harper & Row, an American company, itself the result of an earlier merger of Harper & Brothers and Row, Peterson & Company. The worldwide...
in the UK and Random House
Random House
Random House, Inc. is the largest general-interest trade book publisher in the world. It has been owned since 1998 by the German private media corporation Bertelsmann and has become the umbrella brand for Bertelsmann book publishing. Random House also has a movie production arm, Random House Films,...
in the U.S., the book received wide critical acclaim and won the 1998 Whitbread Prize for Best Biography
1998 Whitbread Awards
-Children's Book:Winner:*David Almond, SkelligShortlist:*Robert Swindells, Abomination*J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets*James Riordan, Sweet Clarinet-First Novel:Winner:*Giles Foden, The Last King of Scotland...
. The book has been the subject of a television documentary
Television documentary
Documentary television is a genre of television programming that broadcasts documentaries.* Documentary television series, a television series which is made up of documentary episodes....
, a highly successful radio play, starring Judi Dench
Judi Dench
Dame Judith Olivia "Judi" Dench, CH, DBE, FRSA is an English film, stage and television actress.Dench made her professional debut in 1957 with the Old Vic Company. Over the following few years she played in several of William Shakespeare's plays in such roles as Ophelia in Hamlet, Juliet in Romeo...
, and a film, The Duchess
The Duchess (film)
The Duchess is a 2008 British drama film based on Amanda Foreman's biography of the 18th-century English aristocrat Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire. It was released in September 2008 in the UK...
, starring Ralph Fiennes
Ralph Fiennes
Ralph Nathaniel Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes is an English actor and film director. He has appeared in such films as The English Patient, In Bruges, The Constant Gardener, Strange Days, The Duchess and Schindler's List....
and Keira Knightley
Keira Knightley
Keira Christina Knightley born 26 March 1985) is an English actress and model. She began acting as a child and came to international notice in 2002 after co-starring in the film Bend It Like Beckham...
.
Foreman has dual citizenship, maintains homes in New York City and London and writes regularly for newspapers and magazines in both countries. Since marrying Jonathan Barton in 2000, she has given birth to five children: Helena (2002), Theodore (2003), Halcyon (2005), Xanthe (2007) and Hero (2007). Her history of British-American relations in the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, A World on Fire was published in 2011.
Contrary to popular myth, Foreman did not pose naked for Tatler
Tatler
Tatler has been the name of several British journals and magazines, each of which has viewed itself as the successor of the original literary and society journal founded by Richard Steele in 1709. The current incarnation, founded in 1901, is a glossy magazine published by Condé Nast Publications...
Magazine to publicize the launch of her first book. In 1999, almost a year after the book's publication, Foreman appeared in an article "50 notable people under 40". The subjects were photographed nude in order to reveal their essential talents. Foreman was placed behind a tall column built of copies of her book.
Sources
- 'Reassessing Geogiana a decade later', Sunday Times, August, 2008
- 'Life as working mother of Five - what happens to sleep?', Sunday Times, February, 2007
External links
- Amanda Foreman's Official Website
- Interview on A World on Fire at the Pritzker Military LibraryPritzker Military LibraryThe Pritzker Military Library is a research library for the study of military history in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded in 2003 by COL James N. Pritzker, IL ARNG to be a non-partisan institution for the study of "the citizen soldier as an essential element for the preservation of...
- BookTv Interview