Paul Johnson (writer)
Paul Bede Johnson CBE (2 November 1928 – 12 January 2023) was an English journalist, popular historian, speechwriter and author. Although associated with the political left in his early career, he became a popular conservative historian.
$_$_$DEEZ_NUTS#0__titleDEEZ_NUTS$_$_$
$_$_$DEEZ_NUTS#0__subtitleDEEZ_NUTS$_$_$
Personal life[edit]
Paul Johnson was married from 1958 to the psychotherapist and former Labour Party parliamentary candidate Marigold Hunt, daughter of Thomas Hunt, physician to Winston Churchill, Clement Attlee, and Anthony Eden. They had three sons and a daughter: the journalist Daniel Johnson,[33] a freelance writer, editor of Standpoint magazine, and previously associate editor of The Daily Telegraph; Luke Johnson,[33] businessman and former chairman of Channel 4 Television; Sophie Johnson-Clark, an independent television executive; and Cosmo Johnson, playwright. Paul and Marigold Johnson have ten grandchildren. Marigold Johnson's sister, Sarah, married the journalist, former diplomat, and politician George Walden; their daughter, Celia Walden, is married to television presenter and former newspaper editor Piers Morgan.[34]
In 1998, it was revealed Johnson had an affair lasting eleven years with Gloria Stewart, a freelance journalist, who recorded them together in his study "at the behest of a British tabloid";[35][36][37] she first claimed to have made the affair public because she objected to Johnson's hypocrisy about religion and family values, but later acknowledged that their affair had ended when Johnson "found another girlfriend".[38]
Johnson was an avid watercolourist.[7] He was also a friend of playwright Tom Stoppard, who dedicated his 1978 play Night and Day to him.
Johnson died at his home in London on 12 January 2023, at the age of 94.[7][39]
Johnson was educated at the Jesuit independent school Stonyhurst College, and at Magdalen College, Oxford, where he studied history.[1] He first came to prominence in the 1950s as a journalist writing for and later editing the New Statesman magazine. A prolific writer, Johnson wrote more than 50 books and contributed to numerous magazines and newspapers.[2] His sons include the journalist Daniel Johnson, founder of Standpoint magazine, and the businessman Luke Johnson, former chairman of Channel 4.
$_$_$DEEZ_NUTS#9__titleDEEZ_NUTS$_$_$
$_$_$DEEZ_NUTS#9__descriptionDEEZ_NUTS$_$_$
$_$_$DEEZ_NUTS#5__descriptionDEEZ_NUTS$_$_$
Honours[edit]
In 2006, Johnson was honoured with the Presidential Medal of Freedom by U.S. President George W. Bush.[40]
Johnson was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2016 Birthday Honours for services to literature.[41]
$_$_$DEEZ_NUTS#7__titleDEEZ_NUTS$_$_$
$_$_$DEEZ_NUTS#7__subtextDEEZ_NUTS$_$_$
$_$_$DEEZ_NUTS#8__titleDEEZ_NUTS$_$_$
$_$_$DEEZ_NUTS#8__subtextDEEZ_NUTS$_$_$
$_$_$DEEZ_NUTS#10__titleDEEZ_NUTS$_$_$
$_$_$DEEZ_NUTS#10__subtextDEEZ_NUTS$_$_$
Paul Johnson
12 January 2023 (aged 94)
- Journalist
- popular historian
Editor of the New Statesman (1965–1970)
$_$_$DEEZ_NUTS#1__answer--9DEEZ_NUTS$_$_$