Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1940-1991 (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
16 boxes or 0.16 cubic metres
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
Born, 1918; educated, Portsmouth Southern Grammar School; bank clerk, 1935; served in Army, Second World War; surveyor, 1946; began writing, 1954; Information Officer, Atomic Energy Authority, 1961; Historical Consultant to the BBC series 'The Great War', 1963; editor, Purnell's History of the Second World War, 1964; editor in chief, Ballantine's Illustrated History of World War Two, 1967; editor in chief, Ballantine's Illustrated History of the Violent Century, 1971; editor, Purnell's History of the First World War, 1969; editor, British History Illustrated, 1974-1978; consultant editor, The Military History of World War Two, 1986; died, 2006.
Archival history
GB 0099 KCLMA Pitt B 1940-1991 Collection (fonds) 16 boxes or 0.16 cubic metres Pitt , Barrie William Edward , 1918-2006 , author and editor of military histories
Born, 1918; educated, Portsmouth Southern Grammar School; bank clerk, 1935; served in Army, Second World War; surveyor, 1946; began writing, 1954; Information Officer, Atomic Energy Authority, 1961; Historical Consultant to the BBC series 'The Great War', 1963; editor, Purnell's History of the Second World War, 1964; editor in chief, Ballantine's Illustrated History of World War Two, 1967; editor in chief, Ballantine's Illustrated History of the Violent Century, 1971; editor, Purnell's History of the First World War, 1969; editor, British History Illustrated, 1974-1978; consultant editor, The Military History of World War Two, 1986; died, 2006.
Presented to the centre by Barrie Pitt, 1994.
Papers of Barrie Pitt relating to military history, 1940-1991, including draft of book Special Boat Squadron by Pitt, annotated with corrections; draft of book Crucible of War: Western Desert 1941 by Pitt, annotated with corrections; transcripts of radio and television broadcasts on the First and Second World Wars including transcripts of the BBC 1 series 'Grand Strategy' on the Second World War, 1972; scripts and other papers relating to the BBC TV series, 'The Great War', 1964 and transcripts of 'European Service: General News Talk' 26 Jun 1964-20 Aug 1964; correspondence chiefly on the subject of historical research; photographs of Malta during the Second World War; copy photographs used by Pitt to illustrate his books and articles, chiefly photographs of the North African Campaign, to illustrate Pitt's book Crucible of War: Western Desert, 1941, also photographs of Adolf Hitler, Albrecht Kesselring; Sicily, 1943 and aerial warfare, Malta, 1940-1943; papers used for research including press cuttings, magazines and magazine cuttings, offprints of articles and correspondence notably on the subject of Europe 1900-1914 and the Middle East; papers relating to Basil Liddell Hart including photographs, draft articles by Liddell Hart, copies of Liddell Hart's correspondence and press cuttings; draft papers by Eric Dorman O'Gowen and related correspondence and copies of British History Illustrated.
Original order
Open. Visitors are required to provide proof of ID and sign an undertaking form.
Copies, subject to the condition of the original, may be provided for research use only. Requests to publish original material should be submitted to the Trustees of the Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives, attention of the Director of Archives and Information Management, King's College London.
English
Box list available in the reading room.
Entry compiled by Sarah Drewery.
Sources: Who's Who
Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.
Jun 2008 Wars (events) Aerial operations BBC , British Broadcasting Corporation Broadcasting Europe Hart , Sir , Basil Henry , Liddell , 1895-1970 , Knight , Captain , military historian x Liddell Hart , Sir , Basil History Hitler , Adolf , 1889-1945 , Chancellor of Germany International conflicts Italy Kesselring , Albert , 1885-1960 , German Field Marshal Malta Middle East Military engineering Military history Military operations North Africa O'Gowan , Eric Edward , 1895-1969 , Major General x Smith , Eric Edward , Dorman- x Dorman-Smith , Eric Edward Pitt , Barrie William Edward , 1918-2006 , author and editor of military histories Sicily UK War Western Desert Western Europe World War One (1914-1918) World wars (events) World War Two (1939-1945) London England
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Presented to the centre by Barrie Pitt, 1994.
Content and structure area
Scope and content
Papers of Barrie Pitt relating to military history, 1940-1991, including draft of book Special Boat Squadron by Pitt, annotated with corrections; draft of book Crucible of War: Western Desert 1941 by Pitt, annotated with corrections; transcripts of radio and television broadcasts on the First and Second World Wars including transcripts of the BBC 1 series 'Grand Strategy' on the Second World War, 1972; scripts and other papers relating to the BBC TV series, 'The Great War', 1964 and transcripts of 'European Service: General News Talk' 26 Jun 1964-20 Aug 1964; correspondence chiefly on the subject of historical research; photographs of Malta during the Second World War; copy photographs used by Pitt to illustrate his books and articles, chiefly photographs of the North African Campaign, to illustrate Pitt's book Crucible of War: Western Desert, 1941, also photographs of Adolf Hitler, Albrecht Kesselring; Sicily, 1943 and aerial warfare, Malta, 1940-1943; papers used for research including press cuttings, magazines and magazine cuttings, offprints of articles and correspondence notably on the subject of Europe 1900-1914 and the Middle East; papers relating to Basil Liddell Hart including photographs, draft articles by Liddell Hart, copies of Liddell Hart's correspondence and press cuttings; draft papers by Eric Dorman O'Gowen and related correspondence and copies of British History Illustrated.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
System of arrangement
Original order
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Open. Visitors are required to provide proof of ID and sign an undertaking form.
Conditions governing reproduction
Copies, subject to the condition of the original, may be provided for research use only. Requests to publish original material should be submitted to the Trustees of the Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives, attention of the Director of Archives and Information Management, King's College London.
Language of material
- English
Script of material
- Latin
Language and script notes
English
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
Finding aids
Box list available in the reading room.
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related units of description
Notes area
Alternative identifier(s)
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
Genre access points
Description control area
Description identifier
Institution identifier
Rules and/or conventions used
Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.
Status
Level of detail
Dates of creation revision deletion
Language(s)
- English