Donald Morris Unattributed Quotes

Posts : 268 Join date : 2017-07-21 Location : San Diego, CA

Like most readers here, I have a lot of respect for Donald Morris but he remains an endless source of frustration for unattributed quotes (some of dubious veracity).

I'm going to be going through his papers at UCLA for a second time, with a fine tooth comb for anything I may have missed.

Does anyone care to list off any unattributed Morris-isms?

Subject: Donald Morris Unattributed Quotes ! Mon Oct 16, 2023 2:00 am

Hi Lt
From memory he states in TWOTS that Adendorff didn't stay at RD ! , and that he would produce evidence at a later time ...obviously he never did so .
90th Salute

Subject: Re: Donald Morris Unattributed Quotes Mon Oct 16, 2023 8:55 am

He mentions a Hamer account (not the known ones) and an account by anonymous officer in Vause's troop (impossible of course, but it could have been a fugitive accompanying the troop).
I've been waiting some time for someone to get to his papers - I'm glad you've finally made it!!

Subject: Re: Donald Morris Unattributed Quotes Mon Oct 16, 2023 1:48 pm

The most significant issue to come out of his papers is the amount of work he put into advising Killie Campbell and helping her to set up the archives. Quite extraordinary really considering the distances involved.

Posts : 268 Join date : 2017-07-21 Location : San Diego, CA

I recall too the account of Charlie Pope's dog and his discussion with Anstey while working the road in front of the camp. Not sure who could have witnessed that.

Subject: Re: Donald Morris Unattributed Quotes Mon Oct 16, 2023 9:28 pm

I asked Morris specifically about those two incidents and he wrote to me that it was 'artistic licence' on his part which prompted their inclusion.
There were a couple of other similar instances he admitted as well.

Posts : 268 Join date : 2017-07-21 Location : San Diego, CA

That's a genuine shame. Would have been nice to place EOA's working party definitively in front of the camp. What was Morris's exact phrasing?

I'm hoping to drive up next week. I'll be copying everything of interest related to Isandlwana and Rorke's Drift and sending to our 'usual suspects'.

Subject: Re: Donald Morris Unattributed Quotes Tue Oct 17, 2023 9:57 am

I'd have to dig his letter out to be sure of the precise wording but as I recall it was something along the lines of given the proximity of the 'known' placements of Pope (on picquet duty) and Anstey (with the road party) it was a perfectly natural assumption that the two officers would have chatted. As for 'Pip' he wrote that he thought he'd read it somewhere but couldn't then find it and decided to leave it in the galleys anyway.

Subject: Re: Donald Morris Unattributed Quotes Tue Oct 17, 2023 10:54 am

I corresponded with Morris from the age of 16. It was obvious to me that all witnesses to any conversation between Pope and Anstey would have been killed so I wanted to ask where he got the info from. Re Pip he must have read about and half-forgot Degacher's Flip which became confused in his mind.

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