Lucien Bodard
Encyclopedia
Lucien Bodard was a French
reporter and writer
on events in Asia
.
Bodard was born on January 9, 1914 in Chongqing
(central China) to the French consul
Albert Bodard, who was stationed several years in China
, i.e. in Chongking, Chengdu
, Kunming
and Shanghai
. He grew up with the Chinese language
and spoke Mandarin fluently as a child. Later on, he moved to Kunming
and Shanghai
after his father was positioned there. Before he reached adolescence, his mother decided to send Bodard back to France to study in a "decent school".
His experience and knowledge of Asian cultures, mostly Chinese and Vietnamese, gave him a unique perspective on events that shook the Asian world during the first half of the twentieth century. In 1944, he began his career as journalist
and was sent to the Far East
to cover various topics such as the south-east Asian war and the rise of communist China
, First Indochina war
. He progressively became one of the most famous French war correspondants for his work during the first French Indochina war and then the beginning of the American Vietnam war, wars which he later described in several books.
As he grew older, in the 70ies, he started writing novels which were essentially based on his knowledge of Asia, starting with his souvenirs when he was a child in China. His rich, baroque, detailed and sometimes humoristic style drew broad applause, and he won several French litterary prices, including the Prix Interallié
for "Monsieur le consul", a book on his father while he was the French Consul in Chengdu
and the Prix Goncourt
for "Anne Marie", a book on the life and personality of his mother. His last book, "Le chien de Mao" (Mao's Dog), on Mao Zedong
's third wife Jiang Qing
, was published in 1998, the year of his death.
He has been often compared to two other famous 20th century French journalists and novelists , Albert Londres
and Joseph Kessel
.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
reporter and writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
on events in Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
.
Bodard was born on January 9, 1914 in Chongqing
Chongqing
Chongqing is a major city in Southwest China and one of the five national central cities of China. Administratively, it is one of the PRC's four direct-controlled municipalities , and the only such municipality in inland China.The municipality was created on 14 March 1997, succeeding the...
(central China) to the French consul
Consul
Consul was the highest elected office of the Roman Republic and an appointive office under the Empire. The title was also used in other city states and also revived in modern states, notably in the First French Republic...
Albert Bodard, who was stationed several years in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, i.e. in Chongking, Chengdu
Chengdu
Chengdu , formerly transliterated Chengtu, is the capital of Sichuan province in Southwest China. It holds sub-provincial administrative status...
, Kunming
Kunming
' is the capital and largest city of Yunnan Province in Southwest China. It was known as Yunnan-Fou until the 1920s. A prefecture-level city, it is the political, economic, communications and cultural centre of Yunnan, and is the seat of the provincial government...
and Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
. He grew up with the Chinese language
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
and spoke Mandarin fluently as a child. Later on, he moved to Kunming
Kunming
' is the capital and largest city of Yunnan Province in Southwest China. It was known as Yunnan-Fou until the 1920s. A prefecture-level city, it is the political, economic, communications and cultural centre of Yunnan, and is the seat of the provincial government...
and Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
after his father was positioned there. Before he reached adolescence, his mother decided to send Bodard back to France to study in a "decent school".
His experience and knowledge of Asian cultures, mostly Chinese and Vietnamese, gave him a unique perspective on events that shook the Asian world during the first half of the twentieth century. In 1944, he began his career as journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
and was sent to the Far East
Far East
The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...
to cover various topics such as the south-east Asian war and the rise of communist China
History of the People's Republic of China
The history of the People's Republic of China details the history of mainland China since October 1, 1949, when, after a near complete victory by the Communist Party of China in the Chinese Civil War, Mao Zedong proclaimed the People's Republic of China from atop Tiananmen...
, First Indochina war
First Indochina War
The First Indochina War was fought in French Indochina from December 19, 1946, until August 1, 1954, between the French Union's French Far East...
. He progressively became one of the most famous French war correspondants for his work during the first French Indochina war and then the beginning of the American Vietnam war, wars which he later described in several books.
As he grew older, in the 70ies, he started writing novels which were essentially based on his knowledge of Asia, starting with his souvenirs when he was a child in China. His rich, baroque, detailed and sometimes humoristic style drew broad applause, and he won several French litterary prices, including the Prix Interallié
Prix Interallié
The prix Interallié , also known simply as l’Interallié, is an annual French literary award, awarded for a novel written by a journalist.- History :...
for "Monsieur le consul", a book on his father while he was the French Consul in Chengdu
Chengdu
Chengdu , formerly transliterated Chengtu, is the capital of Sichuan province in Southwest China. It holds sub-provincial administrative status...
and the Prix Goncourt
Prix Goncourt
The Prix Goncourt is a prize in French literature, given by the académie Goncourt to the author of "the best and most imaginative prose work of the year"...
for "Anne Marie", a book on the life and personality of his mother. His last book, "Le chien de Mao" (Mao's Dog), on Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong, also transliterated as Mao Tse-tung , and commonly referred to as Chairman Mao , was a Chinese Communist revolutionary, guerrilla warfare strategist, Marxist political philosopher, and leader of the Chinese Revolution...
's third wife Jiang Qing
Jiang Qing
Jiang Qing was the pseudonym that was used by Chinese leader Mao Zedong's last wife and major Communist Party of China power figure. She went by the stage name Lan Ping during her acting career, and was known by various other names during her life...
, was published in 1998, the year of his death.
He has been often compared to two other famous 20th century French journalists and novelists , Albert Londres
Albert Londres
Albert Londres was a French journalist and writer. One of the inventors of investigative journalism, he criticized abuses of colonialism such as forced labour. Albert Londres gave his name to a journalism prize for Francophone journalists.- Biography :Londres was born in Vichy in 1884...
and Joseph Kessel
Joseph Kessel
Joseph Kessel was a French journalist and novelist.He was born in Villa Clara, Entre Ríos, Argentina, because of the constant journeys of his father, a Lithuanian doctor of Jewish origin. Joseph Kessel lived the first years of his childhood in Orenburg, Russia, before the family moved to France...
.
Notable books
- The Quicksand War: Prelude to VietnamThe Quicksand War: Prelude to VietnamThe Quicksand War: Prelude to Vietnam is a book by Lucien Bodard published in 1967 about the First Indochina War, which it asserts to be a prelude to the Vietnam War....
(1963) - La Guerre d'Indochine (1965-1967)
- The French Consul (1973)
- The Consul's Son (1975)
- Anne-MarieAnne-MarieAnne-Marie is a French feminine given name. It may refer to :* Anne-Marie Albiach , a contemporary French poet and translator* Anne-Marie Alonzo , a Canadian playwright, poet, novelist, critic and publisher...
(1981) - Le chien de Mao (1998)
Biography
- Olivier WeberOlivier WeberOlivier Weber is an award-winning french writer, novelist and reporter at large. War correspondent for twenty-five years, specially in Afghanistan, Africa, Middle-East and Iraq. Assistant professor at the Institut d'études politiques de Paris, president of the Prize Joseph Kessel, he is today...
, Lucien Bodard, Un aventurier dans le siècle, Plon, 1997, 1021 pages
Documentary
- Lucien Bodard, dit Lulu le Chinois, a film from Olivier WeberOlivier WeberOlivier Weber is an award-winning french writer, novelist and reporter at large. War correspondent for twenty-five years, specially in Afghanistan, Africa, Middle-East and Iraq. Assistant professor at the Institut d'études politiques de Paris, president of the Prize Joseph Kessel, he is today...
and Michel Vuillermet, France 5, 1998 - Documentary 52': Lucien Bodard