Macdonald Hastings
Encyclopedia
Douglas Edward Macdonald Hastings (1909 – 4 October 1982) was a British journalist
, author
and war correspondent
.
Macdonald Hastings was born in London, and educated at Stonyhurst College
, a Roman Catholic Jesuit school in Lancashire
. He became war correspondent for Picture Post
during the Second World War, sending dispatches from north-west Europe
. He married Anne Scott-James
, distinguished columnist
and later magazine
editor
(they later divorced), and was father of Sir Max Hastings
, journalist and newspaper editor.
Hastings was an occasional contributor of fiction to Lilliput
, the literary magazine, under the pseudonym of Lemuel Gulliver. He was editor of the Strand Magazine
between 1946 and 1950, after which he was recruited by Rev Marcus Morris to write for a new boys' comic, The Eagle
. He joined in 1951, and filed reports from far-flung parts of the world under the title of Eagle Special Correspondent. He was also co-founder and editor of the fortnightly Country Fair magazine.
He also wrote around thirty books, on subjects such as game shooting
, was author of a series of detective novels and appeared on television
as a weekly correspondent on the BBC
programme Tonight in the late 1950s and early 1960s.
He died at his home in Basingstoke
, Hampshire
in 1982.
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...
, author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
and war correspondent
War correspondent
A war correspondent is a journalist who covers stories firsthand from a war zone. In the 19th century they were also called Special Correspondents.-Methods:...
.
Macdonald Hastings was born in London, and educated at Stonyhurst College
Stonyhurst College
Stonyhurst College is a Roman Catholic independent school, adhering to the Jesuit tradition. It is located on the Stonyhurst Estate near the village of Hurst Green in the Ribble Valley area of Lancashire, England, and occupies a Grade I listed building...
, a Roman Catholic Jesuit school in Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
. He became war correspondent for Picture Post
Picture Post
Picture Post was a prominent photojournalistic magazine published in the United Kingdom from 1938 to 1957. It is considered a pioneering example of photojournalism and was an immediate success, selling 1,700,000 copies a week after only two months...
during the Second World War, sending dispatches from north-west Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. He married Anne Scott-James
Anne Scott-James
Anne Eleanor Scott-James, Lady Lancaster was an English journalist and author. She was one of Britain's first women career journalists, editors and columnists, and latterly author of a series of gardening books....
, distinguished columnist
Columnist
A columnist is a journalist who writes for publication in a series, creating an article that usually offers commentary and opinions. Columns appear in newspapers, magazines and other publications, including blogs....
and later magazine
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
editor
Editing
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, and film media used to convey information through the processes of correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications performed with an intention of producing a correct, consistent, accurate, and complete...
(they later divorced), and was father of Sir Max Hastings
Max Hastings
Sir Max Hugh Macdonald Hastings, FRSL is a British journalist, editor, historian and author. He is the son of Macdonald Hastings, the noted British journalist and war correspondent and Anne Scott-James, sometime editor of Harper's Bazaar.-Life and career:Hastings was educated at Charterhouse...
, journalist and newspaper editor.
Hastings was an occasional contributor of fiction to Lilliput
Lilliput (magazine)
Lilliput was a small-format British monthly magazine of humour, short stories, photographs and the arts, founded in 1937 by the photojournalist Stefan Lorant. The first issue came out in July and it was sold shortly after to Edward Hulton, when editorship was taken over by Tom Hopkinson in 1940....
, the literary magazine, under the pseudonym of Lemuel Gulliver. He was editor of the Strand Magazine
Strand Magazine
The Strand Magazine was a monthly magazine composed of fictional stories and factual articles founded by George Newnes. It was first published in the United Kingdom from January 1891 to March 1950 running to 711 issues, though the first issue was on sale well before Christmas 1890.Its immediate...
between 1946 and 1950, after which he was recruited by Rev Marcus Morris to write for a new boys' comic, The Eagle
The Eagle
-Athletes:* Eddie Belfour, the Canadian ice-hockey goalkeeper in the NHL* Michael Edwards, better known as Eddie "The Eagle" Edwards, the British ski jumper-Entertainment:* The Eagle , a silent film starring Rudolph Valentino...
. He joined in 1951, and filed reports from far-flung parts of the world under the title of Eagle Special Correspondent. He was also co-founder and editor of the fortnightly Country Fair magazine.
He also wrote around thirty books, on subjects such as game shooting
Clay pigeon shooting
Clay pigeon shooting, also known as clay target shooting, and formally known as Inanimate Bird Shooting, is the art of shooting at special flying targets, known as clay pigeons or clay targets, with a shotgun or any type of firearm....
, was author of a series of detective novels and appeared on television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
as a weekly correspondent on the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
programme Tonight in the late 1950s and early 1960s.
He died at his home in Basingstoke
Basingstoke
Basingstoke is a town in northeast Hampshire, in south central England. It lies across a valley at the source of the River Loddon. It is southwest of London, northeast of Southampton, southwest of Reading and northeast of the county town, Winchester. In 2008 it had an estimated population of...
, Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
in 1982.