Edward Crankshaw (3 January 1909 – 30 November 1984)[1] was a British writer, author, translator and commentator; best known for his work on Soviet affairs and the Gestapo (Secret State Police) of Nazi Germany.
William Edward Crankshaw was born in the suburban town of Woodford, Essex (now Woodford, London), on 3 January 1909 to Arthur Edward Crankshaw (1876–1965) and Amy Beatrice Crankshaw (1879–1962). He had one sibling, a younger brother Geoffrey Crankshaw (1912–2009) a noted critic of English music. Edward Crankshaw was educated in the Nonconformist public school Bishop's Stortford College, Hertfordshire, England. He started working as a journalist for a few months at The Times. In the 1930s he lived in Vienna, Austria, teaching English and learning German. He witnessed Adolf Hitler'sAustro-German union in 1938, and predicted the Second World War while living there.[clarification needed]
In 1940 Crankshaw was contacted by the Secret Intelligence Service because of his knowledge of German.[clarification needed] During World War II he served as a "Y" (Signals Intelligence) officer in the British Army. From 1941 to 1943 he was assigned to the British Military Mission in Moscow, where he served initially as an Army "Y" specialist[2] and later as the accredited representative of the British "Y" services, rising to the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel.[3] Following a breakdown in "Y" cooperation with the Soviet General Staff in December 1942, the British "Y" Board recalled Crankshaw to London in February 1943. In May he was assigned to Bletchley Park, where he served as a liaison officer on matters pertaining to Russia.[4]
From 1947 to 1968 he worked for the British Sunday newspaperThe Observer, specialising in Soviet affairs. He obtained a transcript of Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev's secret denunciation of Stalin in 1956, a newspaper sensation. While a junior reporter, Crankshaw had been summoned by Guy Burgess of the Foreign Office to be criticised for being "too soft towards Russia"; after Burgess was unmasked as one of the Cambridge Five spies (for the Soviet Union), and fled to Moscow, Crankshaw met him there several times, though he did not report on Burgess for The Observer, and ended up liking the spy.[5]
He wrote around forty books, mainly on Austrian and Russian subjects.
Crankshaw died on 30 November 1984 in Hawkhurst, Kent.
Worksedit
Non-fictionedit
Joseph Conrad: Some Aspects of the Art of the Novel (1938; second edition 1976)
Vienna: The Image of a Culture in Decline (1938; reprinted in 1976)
Russia and Britain (1944)
Russia and the Russians (1947)
Russia by Daylight; US edition: Cracks in the Kremlin Wall (1951)
^Wolfgang Saxon. 4 December 1984. "Edward Crankshaw is Dead at 75; Author on Soviet and Hapsburgs." The New York Times: B10.
^UK National Archives. HW 50/11. 1 June 1941 – 10 February 1945. Dossier on Russian Liaison. Notes on Sigint cooperation with the Russians during World War II (Crankshaw's mission to Moscow).
^UK National Archives. HW 61/37. July 1942. Appointment and terms of reference for Lieutenant Colonel Crankshaw, representative of the Y services in Russia attached to No. 30 Mission Moscow.
^Robert McCrum (29 May 2016). "How Cambridge spy Guy Burgess charmed the Observer's man in Moscow". The Observer. Retrieved 29 May 2016.
April 10, 2024
edward, crankshaw, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, this, article, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, find, sources, news, newspapers, books, scholar, . This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources in this article Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Edward Crankshaw news newspapers books scholar JSTOR May 2010 Learn how and when to remove this template message Edward Crankshaw 3 January 1909 30 November 1984 1 was a British writer author translator and commentator best known for his work on Soviet affairs and the Gestapo Secret State Police of Nazi Germany Contents 1 Biography 2 Works 2 1 Non fiction 2 2 Fiction 3 References and notesBiography editWilliam Edward Crankshaw was born in the suburban town of Woodford Essex now Woodford London on 3 January 1909 to Arthur Edward Crankshaw 1876 1965 and Amy Beatrice Crankshaw 1879 1962 He had one sibling a younger brother Geoffrey Crankshaw 1912 2009 a noted critic of English music Edward Crankshaw was educated in the Nonconformist public school Bishop s Stortford College Hertfordshire England He started working as a journalist for a few months at The Times In the 1930s he lived in Vienna Austria teaching English and learning German He witnessed Adolf Hitler s Austro German union in 1938 and predicted the Second World War while living there clarification needed In 1940 Crankshaw was contacted by the Secret Intelligence Service because of his knowledge of German clarification needed During World War II he served as a Y Signals Intelligence officer in the British Army From 1941 to 1943 he was assigned to the British Military Mission in Moscow where he served initially as an Army Y specialist 2 and later as the accredited representative of the British Y services rising to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel 3 Following a breakdown in Y cooperation with the Soviet General Staff in December 1942 the British Y Board recalled Crankshaw to London in February 1943 In May he was assigned to Bletchley Park where he served as a liaison officer on matters pertaining to Russia 4 From 1947 to 1968 he worked for the British Sunday newspaper The Observer specialising in Soviet affairs He obtained a transcript of Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev s secret denunciation of Stalin in 1956 a newspaper sensation While a junior reporter Crankshaw had been summoned by Guy Burgess of the Foreign Office to be criticised for being too soft towards Russia after Burgess was unmasked as one of the Cambridge Five spies for the Soviet Union and fled to Moscow Crankshaw met him there several times though he did not report on Burgess for The Observer and ended up liking the spy 5 He wrote around forty books mainly on Austrian and Russian subjects Crankshaw died on 30 November 1984 in Hawkhurst Kent Works editNon fiction edit Joseph Conrad Some Aspects of the Art of the Novel 1938 second edition 1976 Vienna The Image of a Culture in Decline 1938 reprinted in 1976 Russia and Britain 1944 Russia and the Russians 1947 Russia by Daylight US edition Cracks in the Kremlin Wall 1951 The Forsaken Idea A Study of Viscount Milner 1952 Gestapo Instrument of Tyranny 1956 Russia Without Stalin 1956 Khrushchev s Russia 1959 revised 1962 The New Cold War Moscow v Pekin 1963 The Fall of the House of Habsburg 1964 Khrushchev A Biography US edition Khrushchev A Career 1966 Maria Theresa 1969 Khrushchev Remembers introduction commentary amp notes 1970 The Habsburgs 1971 Tolstoy The Making of a Novelist 1974 The Shadow of the Winter Palace The Drift to Revolution 1825 1917 1976 Bismarck 1981 Putting Up With the Russians 1947 1984 1984 Fiction edit Nina Lessing 1938 What Glory 1940 The Creedy Case 1954 References and notes edit Wolfgang Saxon 4 December 1984 Edward Crankshaw is Dead at 75 Author on Soviet and Hapsburgs The New York Times B10 UK National Archives HW 50 11 1 June 1941 10 February 1945 Dossier on Russian Liaison Notes on Sigint cooperation with the Russians during World War II Crankshaw s mission to Moscow UK National Archives HW 61 37 July 1942 Appointment and terms of reference for Lieutenant Colonel Crankshaw representative of the Y services in Russia attached to No 30 Mission Moscow UK National Archives HW 50 11 Robert McCrum 29 May 2016 How Cambridge spy Guy Burgess charmed the Observer s man in Moscow The Observer Retrieved 29 May 2016 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Edward Crankshaw amp oldid 1217256298, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
