More about Lisa Chaney's biography

[Ann]

Ages ago I put one or two messages on the old message board, but just to recap, my interest in J.M. Barrie stems from my interest in the du Maurier family; which led me to the connection between the du Maurier's and Barrie in the form of Sylvia Llewelyn Davies and her family.  So much has been written about J.M. Barrie and I have tried to familiarise myself with much of it, but there is no doubt that Andrew Birkin’s book J.M. Barrie and the Lost Boys is my favourite Barrie book and one of my favourite books altogether.  

I have just finished reading Lisa Chaney’s book Hide and Seek with Angels and I was determined to read it all, but it has been a struggle.  I think the first problem was that it was so full of background and side issues that some of it was tedious reading for someone who just wanted to know about J.M. Barrie.  While I realise a certain amount of supporting information is necessary to help clarify facts, in this case I think Miss Chaney could have benefited from a bit of editing.  

The second problem I had with the book is one that has already been discussed on this site, the fact that Miss Chaney has lifted huge chunks of other peoples work and called it her biography.  My biggest grumble is naturally a du Maurier related one as that it the subject about which I know most.  In Andrews’s book he refers to the letters that Guy du Maurier wrote to his wife from the trenches in WW1.  These letters span a period of time from 21st January to 8th March 1915, at which point Guy, an experienced career solider, was killed.  At some point these letter were typed, rather than printed, and published in book form, by a private published called Bumpus.  I don’t know how many copies of the book were produced, but I am fortunate enough to own a copy myself and it is one my most treasured possessions.  

Andrew obviously had access to a copy of this book and acknowledged it in the bibliography at the end of The Lost Boys.  This book is 110 pages long and is full of the most extraordinary and moving accounts of Guy’s life during that period of time and yet Lisa Chaney uses exactly the same quote as Andrew.  She also acknowledges the book in her bibliography and yet I would doubt that she has even seen a copy of the book let alone read it.  

One has to doubt an author’s knowledge and understanding of her subject when, instead of doing her research properly, she takes other peoples thoughts and ideas and regurgitates them!

[rugbyremembers]

Ann,

I wonder if I may make a request, which comes from an unusual angle. I am researching Guy du Maurier for a project by my 14 year old boys to remember him as one of 70+ rugby players who ided from Rosslyn Park in the Great War.

The full story can be seen on www.rugbyremembers.co.uk. The appeal is to recreate the 'lost' war memorial at the club. I have been trying to find Guy's war letters, reportedly transcribed at the behest of Henry James. The originals are in a US library who charge more than I can afford. I had not been aware that they were published in a book. Would it be possible to ask you for copies? Happy to pay any copying and postage costs.

Also do you have the title of the book in case I can find it at the British Library.

Yours in hope
Stephen