James Lees-Milne: The Life
James Lees-Milne: The Life by Michael Bloch, published by John Murray in November 2009, is a comprehensive biography that explores the life of James Lees-Milne, known to friends as Jim. Spanning 416 pages, this edition delves into his significant contributions to the National Trust and his vivid diaries, which have drawn comparisons to those of Samuel Pepys. The biography presents a nuanced portrait of a man whose unassuming beginnings led him to become a prominent figure in conservation and literature.
Readers will find an exploration of Jim’s complex personal life, including his bisexual relationships, his tumultuous marriage to Alvilde, and friendships with notable literary figures such as John Betjeman and the Mitford sisters. The narrative captures Jim’s deep connection to the England of his youth and his struggle to reconcile it with the changing times around him. Through Bloch’s detailed account, the book reveals how Lees-Milne’s legacy endures in the preservation of architectural heritage and his insightful reflections on a bygone era.
Official synopsis Publisher
James Lees-Milne (19081997)known to friends as Jimis remembered for his work for the National Trust, rescuing some of England’s greatest architectural treasures, and for the vivid and entertaining diaries which have earned him a reputation as “the 20th-century Pepys.” In this long-awaited biography, Michael Bloch portrays a life rich in contradictions, in which an unassuming youth overtook more dazzling contemporaries to emerge as a leading figure in the fields of conservation and letters. It describes Jim’s bisexual love life, his tempestuous marriage to the exotic Alvilde, and his friendship with other fascinating literary figures including John Betjeman, Robert Byron, Rosamond Lehmann, and the Mitford sisters (whose brother Tom had been Jim’s great love at Eton). It depicts a man who was romantically attached to the England of his childhood and felt out of tune with his own times, but who left an enduring legacy through the preservation of country houses and his eloquent chronicling of a dying world.
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