Hilaire Belloc

Joseph Hilaire Pierre René Belloc (July 27, 1870 - July 16, 1953) was one of the most prolific writers in England during the early twentieth century. His style and personality led to the nickname, "Old Thunder".

Related Topics:
July 27 - 1870 - July 16 - 1953 - England - Twentieth century

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His best travel writing and his works for children have secured a permanent following. The Path to Rome (1902), an account of a walking trip he took from central France to Rome, has remained continuously in print.

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Some of his many other works have been reissued, by Ignatius Press of California. One of Belloc's most famous statements was "Europe is the faith and the faith is Europe"; this sums up his strongly-held, orthodox Catholic views, and the cultural conclusions he drew from them, which were expressed at length in many of his works from the period 1920-1940. These are still cited as exemplary of Catholic apologetics. They have also been criticised, for instance by comparison with the work of Christopher Dawson during the same period.

Related Topics:
Ignatius Press - Catholic - Apologetics - Christopher Dawson

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His "cautionary tales", humorous poems with a moral, such as Matilda, who told lies and was burnt to death, are the most widely known of his writings. Matilda's tale was adapted into the play "Matilda Liar!" by Debbie Isitt.

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He was the brother of Marie Adelaide Belloc Lowndes. His mother Bessie Rayner Parkes (1829-1925) was also a writer, and a grand-daughter of the English chemist Joseph Priestley. She married Louis Belloc, who was French, in 1867. He died in 1872.

Related Topics:
Marie Adelaide Belloc Lowndes - Bessie Rayner Parkes - Joseph Priestley

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Recent lives of Belloc have been written by A. N. Wilson and Joseph Pearce.

Related Topics:
A. N. Wilson - Joseph Pearce

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