John Llewellyn Rhys Prize
1 appearances
-
Edition 34 (1975) Winner
Tim Jeal
ティム・ジール
Tim Jeal
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1945-01-27 （London）
- Nationality
- British
- Languages
- English
Career
- Occupations
- novelist, biographer
- Active Years
- 1960-
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Westminster School | — | — | — | — | United Kingdom |
| Christ Church, Oxford | — | — | — | — | United Kingdom |
Westminster School
Country:
United Kingdom
Christ Church, Oxford
Country:
United Kingdom
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | New York Times Notable Book of the Year | Livingstone | — | The New York Times | selection |
| 1975 | John Llewellyn Rhys Prize | Cushing's Crusade | — | John Llewellyn Rhys Prize | winner |
| 1989 | New York Times Notable Book of the Year | Baden-Powell | — | The New York Times | selection |
| 2004 | PEN/Ackerley Prize | Swimming with My Father | — | PEN/Ackerley Prize | shortlist |
| 2007 | Los Angeles Times Book Prize (Biography) | Stanley: The Impossible Life of Africa's Greatest Explorer | Biography | Los Angeles Times | finalist |
| 2007 | The Sunday Times Biography of the Year | Stanley: The Impossible Life of Africa's Greatest Explorer | — | The Sunday Times | winner |
| 2007 | National Book Critics Circle Award (Biography) | Stanley: The Impossible Life of Africa's Greatest Explorer | Biography | National Book Critics Circle | winner |
New York Times Notable Book of the Year
1973
Work:
Livingstone
Organization:
The New York Times
Result:
selection
John Llewellyn Rhys Prize
1975
Work:
Cushing's Crusade
Organization:
John Llewellyn Rhys Prize
Result:
winner
New York Times Notable Book of the Year
1989
Work:
Baden-Powell
Organization:
The New York Times
Result:
selection
PEN/Ackerley Prize
2004
Work:
Swimming with My Father
Organization:
PEN/Ackerley Prize
Result:
shortlist
Los Angeles Times Book Prize (Biography)
2007
Work:
Stanley: The Impossible Life of Africa's Greatest Explorer
Category:
Biography
Organization:
Los Angeles Times
Result:
finalist
The Sunday Times Biography of the Year
2007
Work:
Stanley: The Impossible Life of Africa's Greatest Explorer
Organization:
The Sunday Times
Result:
winner
National Book Critics Circle Award (Biography)
2007
Work:
Stanley: The Impossible Life of Africa's Greatest Explorer
Category:
Biography
Organization:
National Book Critics Circle
Result:
winner
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Livingstone
1973 biographyA biography of explorer-missionary David Livingstone based on private letters and diaries, revealing the man behind the icon. Has remained in print and inspired television documentary adaptations.
explorationimperialismreligion and mission
Adaptations
- [TV documentary] Livingstone (documentary)
- [TV film] Discovery Channel film about Livingstone
Baden-Powell
1989 biographyA biography of Robert Baden-Powell that offers a revisionist account, restoring aspects of his reputation while discussing and speculating about his sexuality.
leadershipreassessment of public imageprivate vs public life
Adaptations
- [TV documentary] Lord Baden-Powell: The Boy Man (Channel 4) (1995)
Swimming with My Father
2004 memoirA memoir about his relationship with his father Clifford Jeal, including his father's Christian mysticism.
familyreligious experiencememory
Stanley: The Impossible Life of Africa's Greatest Explorer
2007 biographyA revisionist biography of Henry Morton Stanley based on extensive unpublished materials, offering a sympathetic reassessment that provoked debate.
explorationethics of colonialismhistorical reassessment
Explorers of the Nile: The Triumph and Tragedy of a Great Victorian Adventure
2011 history / biographyA comprehensive account of the 1856–1878 search for the source of the Nile, focusing on John Hanning Speke and other Victorian explorers, balancing triumph and tragedy.
history of explorationhonor and downfallimperialism
Bibliography
- For Love or Money (1967)
- Somewhere Beyond Reproach (1968)
- Cushing's Crusade (1974)
- Until the Colours Fade (1976)
- A Marriage of Convenience (1979)
- The Adventures of Madelene and Louisa (editor, 1980)
- Carnforth's Creation (1983)
- For God or Glory (1996, US) / The Missionary's Wife (1997, UK)
- Deep Water (2000)
- Livingstone (1973)
- Baden-Powell (1989)
- Swimming with My Father (2004)
- Stanley: The Impossible Life of Africa's Greatest Explorer (2007)
- Explorers of the Nile (2011)
Adaptations
- Television documentary and Discovery Channel film based on Livingstone
- Channel 4 documentary related to the Baden-Powell biography
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- detailed, archival biographyrevisionist approach (reassessing established views)readable, narrative-driven prose
- Recurring Motifs
- re-evaluation of Victorian explorers and leaderscontrast between personal faults and public achievementsunearthed primary sources and reinterpretation
Legacy
Tim Jeal is known for archival, revisionist biographies of notable Victorian figures. His work has provoked debate but is widely respected for scholarship and narrative, earning multiple award nominations and wins.
Archives
- Royal Museum of Central Africa (Stanley collection)
Quotes
-
Anyone who, after reading this book, imagines they would have behaved better than Stanley, if faced with the same dangers, must have a vivid imagination.
Source: John Carey (The Sunday Times, 2007) (2007) -
The most felicitous, the best informed, the most complete and readable [biography of Stanley].
Source: Paul Theroux (New York Times Book Review, 2007) (2007)
Trivia
- Worked for BBC Television in the features group from 1966 to 1970.
- Married to Joyce Jeal; they have three daughters.
- His father, Clifford Jeal, was a Christian mystic; Tim Jeal wrote about him in a memoir.