Reginald Pound (11 November 1894 – 20 May 1991) was an English journalist and biographer. He began contributing to newspapers and magazines during the
First World War
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, while serving in the army. After the war he freelanced - his clients including ''
The Radio Times
''Radio Times'' is a British weekly listings magazine devoted to television and radio programme schedules, with other features such as interviews, film reviews and lifestyle items. Founded in September 1923 by John Reith, then general manage ...
'' - until the mid-1920s, when he was appointed literary editor of ''
The Daily Express
The ''Daily Express'' is a national daily United Kingdom middle-market newspaper printed in tabloid format. Published in London, it is the flagship of Express Newspapers, owned by publisher Reach plc. It was first published as a broadsheet i ...
''. In the 1930s he was features editor of ''
The Daily Mail
The ''Daily Mail'' is a British daily middle-market tabloid conservative newspaper founded in 1896 and published in London. , it has the highest circulation of paid newspapers in the UK. Its sister paper ''The Mail on Sunday'' was launch ...
''. At the beginning of 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 ...
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
. In 1942 he was appointed to his last editorial position, as editor of ''
The Strand Magazine
''The Strand Magazine'' was a monthly British magazine founded by George Newnes, composed of short fiction and general interest articles. It was published in the United Kingdom from January 1891 to March 1950, running to 711 issues, though the ...
''."Reginald Pound", ''
The Times
''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...
'', 28 May 1991, p. 14
The first of his biographies, a life of
Arnold Bennett
Enoch Arnold Bennett (27 May 1867 – 27 March 1931) was an English author, best known as a novelist, who wrote prolifically. Between the 1890s and the 1930s he completed 34 novels, seven volumes of short stories, 13 plays (some in collaborati ...
, was published in 1952, and paid close attention to Bennett's journalism as well as his fiction. ''
The Times
''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...
'' records that Pound had met Bennett several times and "admired his no-nonsense approach to the craft of letters". Pound was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 1953. His second biography, the official life of Lord Northclife, written in collaboration with Northcliffe's nephew Sir Geoffrey Harmsworth, was published in 1959. His later biographies included those of
Alfred Munnings
Sir Alfred James Munnings, (8 October 1878 – 17 July 1959) is known as having been one of England's finest painters of horses, and as an outspoken critic of Modernism. Engaged by Lord Beaverbrook's Canadian War Memorials Fund after the Gre ...
(1962),"Books Reviewed", ''
The Illustrated London News
''The Illustrated London News'', founded by Herbert Ingram and first published on Saturday 14 May 1842, was the world's first illustrated weekly news magazine. The magazine was published weekly for most of its existence, switched to a less freq ...
'', 3 November 1962, p. 722
Robert Falcon Scott
Captain Robert Falcon Scott (6 June 1868 – ) was a British Royal Navy officer and explorer who led two expeditions to the Antarctic regions: the Discovery Expedition, ''Discovery'' expedition of 1901–04 and the Terra Nova Expedition ...
(1966),
Henry Wood
Sir Henry Joseph Wood (3 March 186919 August 1944) was an English conductor best known for his association with London's annual series of promenade concerts, known as the Proms. He conducted them for nearly half a century, introducing hundr ...
(1969),
Queen Victoria
Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in January 1901. Her reign of 63 year ...
(1970),
Albert, Prince Consort
Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (Franz August Karl Albert Emanuel; 26 August 1819 – 14 December 1861) was the husband of Queen Victoria. As such, he was consort of the British monarch from their marriage on 10 February 1840 until his ...
(1973) and A. P. Herbert (1976).
In 1916 Pound married Cicely Margaret Dawes (d. 1985); they had seven children. He died on 20 May 1991, aged 96.
Selected works
*''Illustrated History'' (1928) - illustrated by A. E. Horne
*''Their Moods and Mine'' (1937)
*''Turn Left for England: A Sentimental Journey'' (1939)
*''Pound Notes'' (1940)
*''Running Commentary'' (1943)
*''A Maypole in the Strand'' (1948)
*''Arnold Bennett: A Biography'' (1952)
*''Northcliffe'' (1959) - with Geoffrey Harmsworth
*'' Selfridge: A Biography'' (1960)
*''The Englishman: A Biography of Sir Alfred Munnings'' (1962)
*''Evans of the Broke: A Biography of Admiral Lord Mountevans'' (1963)
*'' Gillies: Surgeon Extraordinary'' (1964)
*''The Lost Generation'' (1964)
*''The Strand Magazine: 1891-1950'' (1966); US edition: ''Mirror of the Century''
*''Scott of the Antarctic'' (1966)
*''