Alexander Larman

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Alexander Larman
Born (1981-11-29) November 29, 1981 (age 44)
Alma mater Regent's Park College, Oxford
OccupationsAuthor, journalist, historian

Alexander Larman (born 29 November 1981) is a British author and journalist. His books are largely historical biographies. He has written for a range of British newspapers and magazines and is the books editor of The Spectator World .

Contents

Education

Larman attended Winchester College and Regent's Park College, Oxford, where he read English. [1]

Career

Larman’s first book was published in 2014 entitled Blazing Star: The Life and Times of John Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester , a biography of the Restoration poet and courtier. [2] [3] This was followed in 2016 by Restoration: 1666: A Year in Britain, a social history focusing on the events of 1666. [4] [5] That same year, Larman published Byron’s Women, a study of Lord Byron’s life through the perspectives of the women who knew him. [6] [7] The work was subsequently shortlisted for the Elma Dangerfield Prize.

Larman's next book published in 2020 was The Crown in Crisis: Countdown to the Abdication, which provides a detailed account of Edward VIII abdication crisis. [8] [9] The book drew international media attention due to Larman's discovery of new archival documents relating to an assassination attempt on the King by George McMahon. [10]

Larman expanded his focus on the House of Windsor with two follow-up volumes: The Windsors at War: The Nazi Threat to the Crown (2023) and Power and Glory: Elizabeth II and the Rebirth of Royalty (2024). These works examine the Royal Family’s trajectory from the onset of World War II through the coronation of Elizabeth II. [11] His writing in this series is noted for blending political history with personal narratives and utilizing previously unreleased archival materials.

Larman previously served as literary editor of The Chap magazine. [12]

Personal life

Larman's father-in-law was the Stirling Prize award-winning architect Will Alsop. [13] [14]

Works

References

  1. Lownie, Andrew Authors: Alexander Larman
  2. Dennison, Matthew (28 June 2014). "Blazing Star by Alexander Larman". The Times.
  3. Thomson, Ian (20 July 2014). "Blazing Star: The Life and Times of John Wilmot, Earl of Rochester review – the wild man of the Restoration". The Guardian.
  4. East, Ben (8 May 2016). "Restoration: The Year of the Great Fire by Alexander Larman – review". The Guardian.
  5. DeGroot, Gerard (9 April 2016). "Books: Restoration: The Year of the Great Fire by Alexander Larman". The Times.
  6. Kohda, Claire (18 December 2016). "Byron's Women by Alexander Larman – review". The Observer.
  7. Lewis, Roger (27 August 2016). "Byron's Women by Alexander Larman". The Times.
  8. Cowdray, Katherine (13 March 2020). "W&N signs 'painstakingly researched' story of Edward VIII's abdication". The Bookseller.
  9. Alberge, Dalya (28 June 2020). "British state 'covered up plot to assassinate King Edward VIII'". The Guardian.
  10. Francheschini, Enrico (29 June 2020). "Regno Unito, quando l'Italia fascista voleva uccidere re Edoardo VIII" [United Kingdom, when fascist Italian wanted to kill King Edward VIII]. La Repubblica (in Italian).
  11. Fraser, Katie (6 December 2022). "Weidenfeld & Nicolson lands two books to complete Windsor trilogy from Larman". The Bookseller.
  12. Larman, Alexander (3 September 2020). "Super Thursday". The Critic.
  13. Mairs, Jessic Architecture industry pays tribute to "true free spirit" Will Alsop, De Zeen, 14 May 2018
  14. Hopkirk, Elizabeth Will Alsop Dies Aged 70, Building, 14 May 2018