Dennis Wheatley

Dennis Wheatley (8 January 1897-10 November 1977) was a British writer born in London. His prolific output of stylish thrillers and occult novels made him one of the world's best-selling authors in the 1950s and 1960s.

Related Topics:
8 January - 1897 - 10 November - 1977 - British - Writer - London - Thriller - Occult

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Dennis Yates Wheatley was born South London 8th January 1897 the eldest of three children of an upper middle class family, owners of a wine business Wheatley and Son of Mayfair. He was expelled from Dulwich College (which had been attended by another writer, P.G. Wodehouse from 1894-1900), and became an officer cadet at a training ship, HMS Worcester, for the merchant navy.

Related Topics:
Dulwich College - P.G. Wodehouse

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He took part in the First World War but was chlorine gassed and invalided out as a second lieutenant in the Royal Field Artillery after seeing service in Flanders on the Ypres Salient and in France at Cambrai and St. Quentin official service biographies indicate. He took over the family wine making business in 1919, but, following a decline in business after the depression in 1931, set about writing at the time he remarried his second wife.

Related Topics:
First World War - Gassed - Royal Field Artillery

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During Second World War Wheatley's literary talents led him onto planning staffs for the war office. The most famous of his submissions to the Joint Planning Staff of the war cabinet was on "Total War". He was given a commission directly into the JPS as Wing Commander, RAFVR; and took part in advanced planning for the Normandy Invasions.

Related Topics:
Second World War - Normandy Invasions

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His first book, Three Inquisitive People, was not immediately published; but a second book, The Forbidden Territory, was, and was a great success.

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He wrote adventure stories, with many books in a series of linked works. His plots covered the French Revolution (Roger Brook Series), Satanism (Duc de Richleau), World War 2 (Gregory Sallust) and espionage (Julian Day).

Related Topics:
French Revolution - Satanism - Espionage

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His work is fairly typical of his class and era; it contains a level of racism, anti-semitism and anti-communism that are, to say the least, jarring to the modern ear. His characters are all dyed-in-the-wool supporters of empire and the class system and as such many of his villains are such because they attack these ideas. If one can leave this to one side however his work is an enjoyable example of the pulp thriller and his "Roger Brook" series in particular serve as a "History without tears" (Wheatley in the introduction to "The Man Who Killed the King") although his analysis is coloured by his politics.

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Around the 1960s his publishers were selling 1 million copies of his books per year. A small number of his books were made into films by Hammer, of which the best known is The Devil Rides Out. His writing is very descriptive and in many works he manages to introduce his characters into real events while meeting real people. For example, in the Roger Brook series the main character involves himself with Napoleon, and Josephine whilst being a spy for the Prime Minister William Pitt. Similarly, in the Gregory Sallust series, Sallust shares an evening meal with Hermann Göring.

Related Topics:
1960 - Hammer - The Devil Rides Out - Napoleon - Josephine - William Pitt - Hermann Göring

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He also wrote non-fiction works, including accounts of the Russian Revolution and King Charles II, and his autobiography. He was considered an authority on the supernatural, satanism, the practice of exorcism, and black magic; as well as other black arts. However, two weeks before his death in November of 1977, Wheatley received conditional absolution from his old friend Cyril ?Bobby? Eastaugh, the Bishop of Peterborough.

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52 of Wheatley's novels were published in a set by Heron Books.

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His estate library was sold in a catalogue sale by Basil Blackwell's in the 1970s, and indicates a throughly well-read individual with wide-ranging interests particularly in historical fiction, and Europe. His influence, though, has declined from difficulties in reprinting his works from copyright problems.

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