SKU: 58119343971

"Brian Howard: Portrait Of A Failure" 1968 LANCASTER, Marie-Jaqueline

Sale price$100.32 Regular price$111.47
Save 10%

Pay in installments of $27.87 with ShopPay, AfterPay and Klarna

Shipping Estimate
USA
  • USA
  • CAN

Ships within 48 hours · Estimated delivery Aug 16 - Aug 21

Promo Codes Available:

For Your Every Summer RSVP, with Code: SUMMER15

Description

"Brian Howard: Portrait Of A Failure" 1968 LANCASTER, Marie-Jaqueline[639] pp. LANCASTER, Marie Jaqueline [edited by] Anthony Blond Ltd 1968 9 1 4" x 6 1 2" The jacket illustration is from a portrait by John Banting Fine Fine Scroll Down for (19) Additional Scans: Brian Christian de Claiborne Howard (13 March 1905 15 January 1958) was an English poet and later a writer for the New Statesman. Biography Howard was born to American parents in Hascombe, Surrey, of Protestant descent, a descendant of Benjamin Franklin, and

[639] pp.

LANCASTER, Marie-Jaqueline [edited by]

Anthony Blond Ltd

1968

9 1/4" x 6 1/2"

The jacket illustration is from a portrait by John Banting

Fine/ Fine

Scroll Down for (19) Additional Scans:

Brian Christian de Claiborne Howard (13 March 1905 – 15 January 1958) was an English poet and later a writer for the New Statesman.

Biography
Howard was born to American parents in Hascombe, Surrey, of Protestant descent, a descendant of Benjamin Franklin, and brought up in London; his father Francis Gassaway Howard - son of the writer Frank Gassaway, known as 'Derrick Dodd' - was an associate of James Whistler.

He was educated at Eton College, where he was one of the Eton Arts Society group including Robert Byron, Harold Acton, Oliver Messel, Anthony Powell and Henry Yorke. He entered Christ Church, Oxford in 1923, not without difficulty. He was prominent in the group later known as the Oxford Wits. He was part of the Hypocrites' Club that included Harold Acton, Lord David Cecil, L.P. Hartley and Evelyn Waugh.


Railway Club at Oxford, conceived by John Sutro, dominated by Harold Acton. Left to right, back: Henry Yorke, Roy Harrod, Henry Weymouth, David Plunket Greene, Harry Stavordale, Brian Howard. Middle row: Michael Rosse, John Sutro, Hugh Lygon, Harold Acton, Bryan Guinness, Patrick Balfour, Mark Ogilvie-Grant, Johnny Drury-Lowe; front: porters.
At Oxford Howard was part of the Railway Club, which included: Henry Yorke, Roy Harrod, Henry Thynne, 6th Marquess of Bath, David Plunket Greene, Edward Henry Charles James Fox-Strangways, 7th Earl of Ilchester, Brian Howard, Michael Parsons, 6th Earl of Rosse, John Sutro, Hugh Lygon, Harold Acton, Bryan Guinness, 2nd Baron Moyne, Patrick Balfour, 3rd Baron Kinross, Mark Ogilvie-Grant, John Drury-Lowe.

It has been suggested that Howard was Waugh's model for Anthony Blanche in Brideshead Revisited. But Waugh wrote, to Lord Baldwin, "There is an aesthetic bugger who sometimes turns up in my novels under various names—that was 2/3 Brian [Howard] and 1/3 Harold Acton. People think it was all Harold, who is a much sweeter and saner man [than Howard]."

At this time he had already been published as a poet, in A. R. Orage's The New Age, and the final Sitwell Wheels anthology. He used the pseudonyms "Jasper Proude" and "Charles Orange." His verse also was in Oxford Poetry 1924. His poetry was admired and promoted by Edith Sitwell in the late 1920s.

In the late 1920s, he was a key figure among London's "Bright Young Things"—a privileged, fashionable and bohemian set of relentless party-goers, satirised in such novels as Evelyn Waugh's 1930 Vile Bodies where the character of Miles Malpractice owes something to Howard. Apart from Waugh, Howard knew all this circle, including Nancy Mitford, Henry Yorke, Harold Acton, and especially Allanah Harper and Nancy Cunard. He maintained contact with both throughout his life.

In 1929 he was famously involved in the "Bruno Hat" hoax when the fashionable Hon Mr. & Mrs. Bryan Guinness promoted a spoof London art exhibition by an apparently unknown German painter Bruno Hat (impersonated by the German-speaking Tom Mitford, brother of Nancy and Diana Mitford—the latter at the time Mrs. Guinness, a socialite, arts' patron and friend of Howard, Lytton Strachey, Evelyn Waugh, Boris Anrep, Dora Carrington, John Betjeman and other artistic and literary figures, before her second marriage to British fascist leader Sir Oswald Mosley). Bruno Hat's paintings were the work of Brian Howard.

Howard is credited with coining the phrase, "Anybody over the age of 30 seen in a bus has been a failure in life", often wrongly attributed to Margaret Thatcher. According to Daily Telegraph correspondent and historian, Hugo Vickers, (writing in November 2006), the author was Brian Howard. The phrase came into wider use when used by Loelia, Duchess of Westminster, in her memoir Grace and Favour (1961).

Subsequently he led a very active social life, tried to come to terms with his homosexuality, and published only one substantial poetry collection God Save the King (1930, Hours Press). He was active as a poet during the Spanish Civil War, but did not ultimately invest in his work with seriousness. He drank heavily and used drugs.

He had a long affair with Sandy Baird, whom he knew from Eton. Baird was killed in action in 1943 at 33 years old.

During World War II Howard took part in the Dunkirk evacuation and later worked for MI5 but was dismissed from the War Office in June 1942, after which he was conscripted to the Royal Air Force and given a low-level clerk's job at Bomber Command, High Wycombe. An Air Ministry note on his file says he should never be given a commission. Transferred to another posting, where he referred to his commanding officer as "Colonel Cutie" (an appellation Evelyn Waugh gave his rebellious rogue Basil Seal in the novel Put Out More Flags), Howard was dismissed in December 1944, by which time he had formed a longstanding open relationship with Sam Langford, an Irishman serving in the Air Sea Rescue.

After the war, Howard drifted around Europe with Sam, continuing to write occasional articles and reviews for the New Statesman, the BBC and others, fitfully working on an uncompleted biography of the gay English writer Norman Douglas (author of the novel South Wind) and doing no substantial work. Indiscreetly promiscuous, drinking heavily, taking drugs and behaving outrageously, they were expelled in turn from Monaco, France, Italy and Spain, the French authorities noting their "moralité douteuse" (dubious morality).

Not surprisingly, he suffered from bad health in the 1950s, and committed suicide by taking an overdose of sedatives after the accidental death of his lover, Sam Langford (1926–1958), who died suddenly but naturally in Howard's bath. They were buried alongside each other at Russian Orthodox Cemetery, Nice.

Evelyn Waugh wrote: "I used to know Brian Howard well—a dazzling young man to my innocent eyes. In later life he became very dangerous—constantly attacking people with his fists in public places—so I kept clear of him. He was consumptive but the immediate cause of his death was a broken heart."

Marie-Jaqueline Lancaster wrote a biography of Howard. His long time friend Allanah Harper contributed useful anecdotes, but she objected to his being called a "failure" and to the emphasis on his homosexuality.

Shipping Notes
  • Free Standard Shipping on $100+ Orders to the USA.
  • Except Preorder products are shipped in 48 hours.
  • Delivery to the USA:
  1. Standard Shipping : 3-10 business days
  • If time is of the essence, please consider selecting expedited delivery for faster service.
Exchange/Return Notes
  • We offer a 30-day return/exchange service after receiving.
  • Final sale items are not eligible for returns or exchanges.
  • To process your return/exchange, please contact us at [email protected]
  • Please click here for more details>>> Return & Exchange Policy
SKU: 58119343971

Discover Niche Categories That Outsell

Top-Converting Item to Boost Your Average Order

4.3 ★★★★★
Based on 17 reviews
Sort
Highest Rating
Newest First
Oldest First
Product Reviews
M
Verified Purchase
Mrs. Hawkins
Bozeman, US
★★★★★ 3
Too expensive for what you get
Format: Hardcover
This book is pretty. I'm a huge fan of Pride and Prejudice, and I have many copies of it. This one is smaller than I thought it would be for the price. I don't think I would have ordered it if I had held it. Just too expensive for its size. Also not as pretty as others I've gotten for less.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on January 16, 2026
S
Verified Purchase
Sarah A. Easley
Pawtucket, US
★★★★★ 4
A Beautiful Copy of the Classic(... and a little oops!)
Format: Hardcover
This is a beautiful copy of Jane Austen's classic! The cover art, the design, and gold-edging for the pages all come together to make for a lovely book perfect for display. Better yet: it's perfect for reading too. A lot of fancy printings of classics result in something that's nice to look at but not especially comfortable to read, whether it's the stiffness of the spine, the material of the pages, etc. This one manages to take both aesthetics and practicality into account, so bravo! The one drawback, thus resulting in the star knocked off my rating, is that the title on the spine is upside down. It's a little thing, but I'll have to shelve it wrong side-up or it will drive me bonkers.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on June 5, 2026
R
Verified Purchase
Reader, Writer & Book Reviewer
Chelsea, US
★★★★★ 5
Dangerous, Adventure, and a Brave Young Hero
Format: Kindle
I Escaped The California Camp Fire, by Scott Peters, is an action-packed story based on a real-life disaster. It's a book that will have kids glued to its pages, turning them in anticipation of what will happen next. Like the wildly popular 'I Survived' series that fly from the elementary and middle school library shelves, this 'I Escaped' story is one young readers won't want to miss. 14-year-old Troy and his sister Emma are home alone for the night when the devastating fire begins. In the morning, it's still dark as night, the air filled with smoke. Troy, his sister, and the people and animals of the small California town of Paradise must flee quickly to survive. With short chapters that end on intriguing cliffhangers, kids will enjoy following Troy on his adventure to save himself, his sister and pets from the oncoming fire. Parents and caregivers will enjoy the fact that this is a story based on a true-life event, and at the end of the story there is information about it. There is also a common-core guide available for educators, making this a school friendly pick. Kids will love the book, though, for its danger, adventure - and brave young protagonist.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on July 30, 2019
O
Verified Purchase
Obi-Wan
Port Orchard, US
★★★★★ 5
Both a good story and a well written one
Format: Kindle
What I liked about this book is that it can be read with the real California fire in mind, or purely as a story. And that it is both a good story and a well written one. And the quip about organic-this and hummus-that (I feel you). Troy, who is fourteen, and his younger sister Emma are left home alone for a night by their parents. After a late night junk food and movie splurge, Troy and Emma wake up to find that the electricity's out, the sky is black with smoke, and everyone's left town. What would you do?
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on August 13, 2019
N
Verified Purchase
N. Charest
Pawtucket, US
★★★★★ 5
Terrific Book for Kids or Easy Read for Adults
Format: Kindle
I have read books about the Camp Fire as well as books about other fires. I have also seen the documentary about the Camp Fire. This book does a really good job of capturing the experience of fleeing a wildfire without being unnecessarily gruesome or morbid. The back has a timeline and facts about the fire as well as suggestions for coping if you’re in the same predicament. I think many kids will enjoy the sense of adventure and fast pace of the book. Really good job!
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on September 9, 2020

recommand products