Emily Overend Lorimer
Emily Overend Lorimer (1881-1949) was a British linguist and political analyst, at first influential through her husband, David Lockhart Robertson Lorimer, British resident in Cairo during the First World War and its Arab Revolt, later in roles where she was more visible. She was an early translator and analyst of Nazi works, including Adolf Hitler's Mein Kampf, before the Nazi threat was generally considered serious.
Early life=
Before her marriage, she had been tutor in Germanic Philology at Somerville College, Oxford University (1907-1910).
First World War
David Lockhart "Lock" Lorimer was Political Representative in Cairo. She was his personal aide with significant influence on its content.[1]
In 1916-1917, she edited the British-run Basrah Times in what was to become modern Iraq.[2]
Interwar
Emily Lawrence, as opposed to Gertrude Bell, fiercely opposed Arab independence, "at least before British civilisation had been extensively spread within the territories, and thought that the punitive expeditions to repress Arab nationalism were highly justifiable."[3]
She subsequently received the Order of the British Empire, was a correspondent in Kashmir for the London Times, and was a Postal Censor for Britain's Ministry of Information, resigning in June 1940.
Analysis of Naziism=
When it the British conventional wisdom that Hitler and his followers were not a serious threat, she concentrated on Nazi ideology. In 1939, she published the book, What Hitler Wants, and wrote other books and articles, [4] She continued working for the Ministry of Information.
References
- ↑ Penelope Tuson (2003), Playing the game: the story of Western women in Arabia, I.B. Tauris, p. 2
- ↑ Emily Overend Lorimer, Papers of Emily Overend Lorimer, author, editor of 'Basrah Times' 1916-17, wife of Lt-Col David Lorimer, Indian Political Service 1903-27 Mss Eur F177 1902-1949, British Library, Asia, Pacific and Africa Collections; Private Papers [Mss Eur F175 - Mss Eur F199], National Archives (UK)
- ↑ Mélanie Torrent, "Book review: Playing the Game: Western Women in Arabia (by Penelope Tuson, I.B. Tauris, 2003)", Cercles
- ↑ Dan Stone (2008), "The ‘ Mein Kampf Ramp ’ : Emily Overend Lorimer and Hitler Translations in Britain", German History 26 (4): 504–519