THE article by Vitali Vitaliev was excellent, but the extent of ignorance he uncovered about that great Scots writer A G Macdonell astonished me. In the 50s England, Their England was widely read and enjoyed. The description of the cricket match was regarded as a brilliant humorous set piece. Some years ago I gave his The Autobiography of a Cad to all my relations for Christmas. When I eventually got to Westminster I studied MPs with attention to find Fox-Ingleby clones.
Mr Vitaliev would find plenty of Macdonell admirers among those over 50 or 60. The interesting question is why and when such a talented writer disappeared from the shelves.
What about an article resurrecting Iain Hay, whose First Hundred Thousand was for years seen as a classic, reflecting humorously and seriously the experiences of First World War volunteers?
Donald Gorrie, MSP,
The Scottish Parliament.
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