NEW RELEASE - Nine Lives, by Major-General Richard Hilton
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We are delighted to announce a new release, now available now on https://wylfings.com/nine-lives/ . We provide some information about this title below for your consideration
Nine Lives
The Autobiography of an Old Soldier,
by Major-General Richard Hilton
Who was Major-General Richard Hilton?
Major-General Richard Hilton (1894-1978) was a soldier, pilot and author who served in the British Army in both World Wars and in British India. During the Second World War Hilton was most well known for having accepted the surrender of Norway from the German occupation. After the war he served as the British Military Attaché to the Soviet Union.
In modern political debate Major-General Richard Hilton is most well known as the author of Imperial Obituary, the Mysterious Death of the British Empire, another title recently republished on Wylfings.com
What is Nine Lives about?
Nine Lives is Hilton’s autobiography, written in 1955. The author recounts his childhood, his service in the First World War, his service on the North-West Frontier of British India, and his service in the Second World War. However, as Hilton reassures us, Nine Lives is not “another volume of war memoirs”. Instead, you will find a wide range of interesting stories from the first half of the twentieth century, in England, in Europe, and in the Indian Empire.
What are some highlights of Nine Lives?
Handling the natives: Richard Hilton served for thirteen years on the North-West Frontier of British India and frequently had to deal with Indians from all walks of life, from Bengali Babus to ruthless Pashtun tribesmen. Hilton also recounts “unsanctioned” journeys into Tibet and Afghanistan. Nine Lives makes for entertaining reading for those interested in the region, as well as laymen.
Allied commander in Norway: Outside of his career as an author, Richard Hilton is best remembered for having accepted the surrender of Norway from the German occupation. This is described in detail in the book, as well as Hilton’s part in the battle of Dunkirk earlier in the war.
Reflections on an England that has “faded into history”: Readers familiar with Richard Hilton’s other works, such as Imperial Obituary, will find the origin story of this “arch-reactionary”. Hilton elaborates more on his own worldview in Nine Lives, particularly on colonialism, Christianity, and British decline. Nine Lives is an excellent complement to Hilton’s other works for this reason.
In our opinion, Nine Lives still holds up 70 years later. Readers will find these highlights, and much more, in the book.