Jonathan Fenby CBE (born 11 November 1942) is a British writer, analyst, historian and journalist who edited major newspapers in Britain and Asia. He was Editor of Reuters World Service from 1973 to 1977 and then held senior editorial posts at major news organisations in Britain, Europe and Hong Kong. He headed the China Team at the research service Trusted Sources from 2006 to 2022 where he was also a founding partner and a managing director at Trusted Sources an

emerging markets An emerging market (or an emerging country or an emerging economy) is a market that has some characteristics of a developed market, but does not fully meet its standards. This includes markets that may become developed markets in the future or we ...

research and consultancy firm headquartered in London which merged with Lombard Street Research in 2016. His investment and strategy research was focused towards policy interpretation, politics and the broader political economy including East Asian politics and strategy. He has written twenty books, including '' The General: Charles de Gaulle and the France He Saved'' and '' Chiang Kai-shek: China's Generalissimo and the Nation He Lost''. His books predicted the slowing of China's economy and the concentration of political power by Xi Jinping as well as the rise of the far right in France. He has worked as an award-winning editor and foreign correspondent at publications including ''

The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. First published in 1791, it is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper. In 1993 it was acquired by Guardian Media Group Limited, and operated as a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' ...

'' and the ''

South China Morning Post The ''South China Morning Post'' (''SCMP''), with its Sunday edition, the ''Sunday Morning Post'', is a Hong Kong-based English-language newspaper owned by Alibaba Group. Founded in 1903 by Tse Tsan-tai and Alfred Cunningham, it has remaine ...

''. He was made a CBE by Britain for services to journalism in 2000. In 2013, the government of

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

awarded Fenby the status of a Chevalier of the Légion d'honneur for his contributions promoting Anglo-French understanding.

Education

Fenby was educated at King Edward VI School, Birmingham and at

Westminster School Westminster School is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school in Westminster, London, England, in the precincts of Westminster Abbey. It descends from a charity school founded by Westminster Benedictines before the Norman Conquest, as do ...

, an independent school for boys in central London, followed by New College at the

University of Oxford The University of Oxford is a collegiate university, collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the List of oldest un ...

.''Press Gang: How Newspapers Make Profits from Propaganda''
Author: Roy Greenslade. Publisher: Pan Books (2004: Revised edition of 2003 Macmillan original). Retrieved: 17 November 2012.

Career

Fenby joined

Reuters Reuters ( ) is a news agency owned by Thomson Reuters. It employs around 2,500 journalists and 600 photojournalists in about 200 locations worldwide writing in 16 languages. Reuters is one of the largest news agencies in the world. The agency ...

in 1963, and reported from Europe and Vietnam as well as working as an editor at the head office in London. He was Paris bureau chief from 1968 to 1973 before being appointed as Editor of the agency's World Service in 1973. After leaving Reuters in 1977, he joined ''

The Economist ''The Economist'' is a British newspaper published weekly in printed magazine format and daily on Electronic publishing, digital platforms. It publishes stories on topics that include economics, business, geopolitics, technology and culture. M ...

'' where he was chief correspondent in both Paris and

Bonn Bonn () is a federal city in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, located on the banks of the Rhine. With a population exceeding 300,000, it lies about south-southeast of Cologne, in the southernmost part of the Rhine-Ruhr region. This ...

(1981-1986) and wrote three books. He then became the first home editor of ''The Independent'' (1986–1988) and then deputy editor of ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

'' (1988–1993), followed by the editorship of ''

'' from 1993 to 1995 and then of the ''

'' from 1995 to 2000 during the return of Hong Kong to Chinese sovereignty. After returning to London from Hong Kong in 2000, Fenby wrote extensively about China for British and other publications as well as working at various on-line services and as associate editor of the newspaper '' Sunday Business''. In 2006, he was a founding partner at Trusted Sources in charge of the analytical service on China, which he visited frequently. Between 1998 and 2019, he published 17 books, nine on China, four on France and others on the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

and the shaping of the world after 1945. He is quoted in press in the UK, US and Far East and broadcasts, as well as speaking at conferences and lecturing at universities and public forums on China. Fenby was appointed a

Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

(CBE) in the 2000 New Year Honours List for services to journalism, and was appointed a Knight of the French National Order of Merit in 1997, and then of the French

Légion d'honneur The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and Civil society, civil. Currently consisting of five cl ...

. He is an Associate of the

London School of Economics The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), established in 1895, is a public research university in London, England, and a member institution of the University of London. The school specialises in the social sciences. Founded ...

(LSE) and the

School of Oriental and African Studies The School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS University of London; ) is a public research university in London, England, and a member institution of the federal University of London. Founded in 1916, SOAS is located in the Bloomsbury area ...

(SOAS), and is on the advisory board of the financial forum, OMFIF.

Personal life

He is married to Renée. He has two children, Alex and Sara, and five grandchildren, Alice, Max, Lola, Kate and Ella.

Bibliography

* * *''Generalissimo: Chiang Kai-shek and the China He lost'', Free Press, 2003. . *''The Sinking of the Lancastria: Britain's Worst Naval Disaster and Churchill's Cover-up'', Carroll & Graf, 2005. . * *''The Seventy Wonders of China'', Thames & Hudson, 2007. *''Dragon Throne: the imperial dynasties of China'' (with Alexander Monro, Luke Hambledon), Quercus, 2008, *'' The Penguin History of Modern China: The Fall and Rise of a Great Power, 1850 to the Present'', Penguin Press and Harper Collins, 2008. New Edition 2019 *'' The General: Charles de Gaulle and the France He Saved'', Simon and Schuster, 2010. *''Tiger Head, Snake Tails: China today, how it got there and where it is heading'', Simon & Schuster, 2012. * *''Will China Dominate the 21st Century?'', Polity, 2014 second edition 2016 * *''The History of Modern France'', Simon & Schuster, 2015. * ''Crucible: The Year that Shaped Our World'', Simon & Schuster, 2018

References

External links