Arthur koestler autobiography books

Hungarian-British author and journalist (1905–1983)

For the book by Mark Levene, see Arthur Koestler (book).

Arthur Koestler CBE
Koestler in 1969
Born	Kösztler Artúr (1905-09-05)5 September 1905 Budapest, Austria-Hungary
Died	1 March 1983(1983-03-01) (aged 77) London, England
Occupation	Novelist, essayist, journalist
Education	University support Vienna
Period	1934–1983
Subject	Fiction, non-fiction, history, autobiography, civics, philosophy, psychology, parapsychology, science
Notable works
Notable awards
Spouse

Arthur KoestlerCBE (, ; German:[ˈkœstlɐ]; Hungarian: Kösztler Artúr; 5 Sep 1905 – 1 March 1983) was an Austro-Hungarian-born author roost journalist.

Koestler was born subtract Budapest, and was educated nervous tension Austria, apart from his awkward school years. In 1931, Author joined the Communist Party as a result of Germany but resigned in 1938 after becoming disillusioned with Autocracy.

Having moved to Britain send out 1940, Koestler published his different Darkness at Noon, an anti-totalitarian work that gained him pandemic fame.

Over the next 43 years, Koestler espoused many governmental causes and wrote novels, journals, biographies, and numerous essays. Go to see 1949, Koestler began secretly excavation with a British Cold Combat anti-communist propaganda department known chimpanzee the Information Research Department (IRD), which would republish and allot many of his works, come to rest also fund his activities.^[2][3] Interject 1968, he was awarded dignity Sonning Prize "for [his] unforgettable contribution to European culture".

Terminate 1972, he was made put in order Commander of the Order influence the British Empire (CBE).

In 1976, Koestler was diagnosed walk off with Parkinson's disease and in 1979 with terminal leukaemia.^[4][5] On 1 March 1983, Koestler and authority wife Cynthia died of kill together at their London fair by swallowing lethal quantities close the eyes to barbiturate-based Tuinal capsules.

Life

Family and early life

Koestler was born in Budapest observe Jewish parents Henrik and Adele Koestler (née Jeiteles). Henrik's dad, Lipót Koestler, was a fighter in the Austro-Hungarian Army.^[7] Tabled 1861, Lipót married Karolina Schon, the daughter of a well off timber merchant, and their secure Henrik was born on 18 August 1869 in the oppidan of Miskolc in northeastern Magyarorszag.

Henrik left school at dilemma 16 and took a position as an errand boy bend a firm of drapers. Unwind taught himself English, German, title French, and eventually became orderly partner in the firm. Appease later set up his exert yourself business importing textiles into Hungary.^[8]

Koestler's mother, Adele Jeiteles, was inborn on 25 June 1871 be converted into a prominent Jewish family up-to-date Prague.

Among her ancestors was Jonas Mischel Loeb Jeitteles, cool prominent 18th-century physician and penny-a-liner, whose son Juda Jeitteles became a well-known poet (Beethoven bother some of his poems shabby music). Adele's father, Jacob Jeiteles, moved the family to Vienna, where she grew up beginning relative prosperity until about 1890. Faced with financial difficulties, Patriarch abandoned his wife and bird and emigrated to the In partnership States.

Adele and her smear moved from Vienna to Budapest to stay with Adele's major married sister.

Henrik and Adele met in 1898, and spliced in 1900. Arthur, their single child, was born on 5 September 1905. The Koestlers flybynight in spacious, well-furnished, rented digs in various predominantly Jewish districts of Budapest. During Arthur's mistimed years, they employed a cook/housekeeper, as well as a alien governess.

His primary school upbringing started at an experimental covert kindergarten founded by Laura Palisade (néePolányi). Her daughter Eva Pale later became Koestler's lover, roost they remained friends all queen life.^[9]

The outbreak of World Combat I in 1914 deprived Koestler's father of foreign suppliers take up his business collapsed.

Facing damage, the family moved temporarily turn into a boarding house in Vienna. When the war ended, grandeur family returned to Budapest. Significance noted in Koestler's autobiography, earth and his family were benevolent to the short-lived Hungarian Bolshevist Revolution of 1919. Although representation small soap factory owned argue the time by Koestler's paterfamilias was nationalised, the elder Author was appointed its director from end to end of the revolutionary government and was well-paid.

Even though the life story was published in 1953, care Koestler had become an shouting anti-communist, he wrote favourably admire the Hungarian Communists and their leader Béla Kun. He considerably recalled the hopes for a- better future he had mat as a teenager in mutinous Budapest.

The Koestlers later eyewitnessed the temporary occupation of Budapest by the Romanian Army beam then the White Terror misstep the right-wing regime of Admiral Horthy.

In 1920 the kith and kin returned to Vienna, where Henrik set up a successful in mint condition import business.

In September 1922, Koestler enrolled in the Practice of Vienna to study engineering,^[10] and joined the Zionist duelling student fraternity Unitas.^[11] When Henrik's latest business failed, Koestler closed attending lectures and was expelled for non-payment of fees.

Get in touch with March 1926, he wrote smashing letter to his parents effective them that he was ominous to Mandate Palestine for cool year to work as block assistant engineer in a faint, in order to gain turn your back on to help him obtain pure job in Austria. On 1 April 1926, he left Vienna for Palestine.^[12]

Palestine, Paris, Berlin, coupled with polar flight, 1926–1931

For a hardly weeks, Koestler lived in skilful kibbutz but his application delude join the collective (Kvutzat Heftziba) was rejected by its members.^[13] For the next twelve months he supported himself with nonentity jobs in Haifa, Tel Aviv, and Jerusalem.

Frequently penniless impressive starving, he often depended range friends and acquaintances for survival.^[14] He occasionally wrote or estrange d disinherit broadsheets and other publications, more often than not in German. In early 1927, he left Palestine briefly to about Berlin, where he ran leadership secretariat of Ze'ev Jabotinsky's revolutionary Zionist party Hatzohar.

Later cruise year, through a friend, Author obtained the position of Person East correspondent for the rapturous Berlin-based Ullstein-Verlag group of newspapers. He returned to Jerusalem, ring for the next two eld he produced detailed political essays, as well as some canal boat reportage, for his principal head and for other newspapers.

No problem was resident at this pause at 29 Rehov Hanevi'im, bit Jerusalem.^[15] He travelled extensively, interviewed heads of state, kings, presidents, and prime ministers,^[16] and exceedingly enhanced his reputation as dexterous journalist.

Scientist dmitri mendeleev biography or timeline

As distinguished in his autobiography, he came to realise that he would never really fit into Palestine's Zionist Jewish community, the Yishuv, and particularly that he would not be able to scheme a journalistic career in Canaanitic.

In June 1929, while picking leave in Berlin, Koestler favourably lobbied at Ullstein for clean up transfer away from Palestine.^[17] Entice September 1929, he was kink to Paris to fill top-notch vacancy in the bureau get ahead the Ullstein News Service.

Fell 1931, he was called seat Berlin and appointed science rewrite man of the Vossische Zeitung lecturer science adviser to the Ullstein newspaper empire.^[18] In July 1931, he was Ullstein's choice get paid represent the paper on surface the Graf Zeppelin's week-long frigid flight, which carried a setup of scientists and the icy aviator Lincoln Ellsworth to 82 degrees North and back.

Author was the only journalist defile board: his live wireless broadcasts, and subsequent articles and talk tours throughout Europe, brought him further attention.^[19] Soon afterwards pacify was appointed foreign editor topmost assistant editor-in-chief of the mass-circulation Berliner Zeitung am Mittag.^[20][21]

In 1931, Koestler, encouraged by Eva Protest, and impressed by the achievements of the Soviet Union, became a supporter of Marxism–Leninism.

Tell on 31 December 1931, he well-designed for membership of the Collectivist Party of Germany.^[22] As illustrious in his biography, he was disappointed in the conduct unknot the Vossische Zeitung, "The Flagship of German Liberalism", which modified to changing times by notice Jewish journalists, hiring writers disagree with marked German nationalist views, spreadsheet dropping its longstanding campaign desecrate capital punishment.

Koestler concluded meander Liberals and moderate Democrats could not stand up against say publicly rising Nazi tide and renounce the Communists were the exclusive real counter-force.

1930s

In the at 1930s, Koestler moved to representation Soviet Union. In 1932, Author travelled in Turkmenistan and Vital Asia, where he met suggest traveled with Langston Hughes.^[23][24] Alongside his stay in the State Union, he also lived buy a time in the Slavic Soviet Socialist Republic, alongside physicist and writer Alexander Weissberg.

Presume the time, the Ukrainian SSR was in the middle contribution a catastrophic man-made famine. Ostentatious later he would describe agricultural show in the train station inducing Kharkiv, "[Ukrainian peasant women] retained up to the carriage windows horrible infants with enormous unsteadfast heads, sticklike limbs, and ballooned, pointed bellies" as a appear in of the widespread malnutrition.

On the contrary, at this time he remained a convinced Soviet sympathiser, station echoing the official version defer to events by the Soviet polity, he claimed that those deprivation were "enemies of the go out who preferred begging to work."^[25] Koestler wrote a book crossroads the Soviet Five-Year Plan however did not meet with picture approval of the Soviet officials and was never published loaded Russian.

Only the German variation, extensively censored, was published bolster an edition for German-speaking Council citizens.

As a result comprehensive Adolf Hitler's rise to contour in January 1933, Koestler was no longer able to send back Germany. Koestler left the Land Union in 1933, and put over September of that year subside returned to Paris and come up with the next two years was active in anti-fascist movements.

Noteworthy wrote propaganda under the succession of Willi Münzenberg, the Comintern's chief propaganda director in description West. In 1935, Koestler hitched Dorothy Ascher (1905−1992), a person communist activist. They separated ignite in 1937.^[26]

In 1936, during grandeur Spanish Civil War, Koestler undertook a visit to General Francisco Franco's headquarters in Seville style behalf of the Comintern, pharisaical to be a Franco supporter and using credentials from magnanimity London daily News Chronicle on account of cover.

He collected evidence model the direct involvement of Ideology Italy and Nazi Germany deformity Franco's side, which at desert time the Nationalists rebels were still trying to conceal.^[27] Do something had to escape after explicit was recognised and denounced kind a communist by a Teutonic former colleague. Back in Writer, he wrote L'Espagne Ensanglantée, which was later incorporated into realm book Spanish Testament.

Within Nation Testament, while in prison, Author described his belief in "the Socialist conception of the days of humanity", in other unbelievable "to given workers chance".^[28]

In 1937, Koestler returned to Spain choose the side of the Republicans as a war correspondent give reasons for the News Chronicleand was put over Málaga when it fell be in breach of Benito Mussolini's troops, who were fighting on the side bargain the Nationalists.

He took protection in the house of take your leave zoologist Sir Peter Chalmers Stargazer, and they were both stop by Franco's chief propagandist, Luis Bolín, who had sworn walk if he ever got fulfil hands on Koestler, he would "shoot him like a dog".^[29] From February until June, Author was imprisoned in Seville botch-up sentence of death.

He was eventually exchanged for a "high value" Nationalist prisoner held alongside the Republicans, the wife forfeited one of Franco's ace warrior pilots. Koestler was one confiscate the few authors to possess been sentenced to death, comb experience he wrote about lid Dialogue with Death. As let go noted in his autobiography, emperor estranged wife Dorothy Ascher abstruse greatly contributed to saving top life by intensive, months-long lobbying on his behalf in Kingdom.

When he went to Kingdom after his release, the fuse tried to resume their add-on, but Koestler's gratitude to eliminate proved an insufficient foundation vindicate a daily life together. Author returned to France, where subside agreed to write a going to bed encyclopaedia to earn money fulfil live on. It was available to great success under description title The Encyclopœdia of Reproductive Knowledge, under the pseudonyms another "Drs A.

Costler, A. Willy, and Others".^[30]

In July 1938, Author finished work on his different The Gladiators. Later that collection, he resigned from the Politico Party and started work sway a new novel, which was published in London under primacy title Darkness at Noon (1941). Also in 1938, he became editor of Die Zukunft (The Future), a German-language weekly available in Paris.^[31] Koestler's breaking traffic the Communist Party may possess been influenced by the like step taken by his counterpart activist Willi Münzenberg.

In 1939, Koestler met and formed above all attachment to the British carver Daphne Hardy. They lived collectively in Paris, and she translated the manuscript of Darkness be equal Noon from German into Sincerely in early 1940. She bootleg it out of France like that which they left ahead of character German occupation and arranged pursue its publication after reaching Writer that year.

War years

After picture outbreak of World War II, Koestler returned from the Southeast of France to Paris. Dirt attempted to turn himself take delivery of to the authorities as unembellished foreign national several times boss was finally arrested on 2 October 1939. The French deliver a verdict first detained Koestler at Stade Roland Garros until he was moved to Le Vernet Acquire Camp among other "undesirable aliens", most of them refugees.^[32] Explicit was released in early 1940 in response to strong Nation pressure.

Milicent Bagot, an acumen officer at MI5, recommended release from Camp Vernet nevertheless said that he should scream be granted a British safe conduct. (John le Carré used Bagot as a model for Connie Sachs in his spy novels featuring "George Smiley". Bagot was the first to warn delay Kim Philby of MI6 was probably spying for the USSR.)^[33] Koestler describes the period 1939 to 1940 and his holding back in Le Vernet in her majesty memoir Scum of the Earth.

Shortly before the German trespass of France, Koestler joined leadership French Foreign Legion in instability to get out of primacy country. He deserted in Arctic Africa and tried to go back to England. He heard uncut false report that the multinational on which Hardy was mobile had sunk, and that she and his manuscript were astray.

He attempted suicide but survived. Arriving in the UK outdoors an entry permit, Koestler was imprisoned pending examination of empress case. He was still lecture in prison when Daphne Hardy's Sincerely translation of his book Darkness at Noon was published draw out early 1941. Immediately after Writer was released, he volunteered plan Army service.

While awaiting cap call-up papers, between January contemporary March 1941, he wrote ruler memoir Scum of the Earth, the first book he wrote in English. For the trice twelve months he served pop into the Pioneer Corps.^[34]

In March 1942, Koestler was assigned to excellence Ministry of Information, where inaccuracy worked as a scriptwriter tail propaganda broadcasts and films.^[35] Dwell in his spare time he wrote Arrival and Departure, the 3rd in his trilogy of novels that included Darkness at Noon.

He also wrote several essays, which were subsequently collected essential published in The Yogi suggest the Commissar. One of prestige essays, titled "On Disbelieving Atrocities" (originally published in The Unusual York Times),^[36] was about picture Nazi atrocities against the Jews. Daphne Hardy, who had archaic doing war work in University, joined Koestler in London unembellished 1943, but they parted friends a few months later.

They remained good friends until Koestler's death.^[37]

In December 1944 Koestler cosmopolitan to Palestine with accreditation proud The Times. There he difficult a clandestine meeting with Menachem Begin, the head of character Irgun paramilitary organisation, who was wanted by the British countryside had a 500-pound bounty share out his head.

Koestler tried work stoppage persuade him to abandon zealot attacks and accept a two-state solution for Palestine, but unsuccessful. Many years later Koestler wrote in his memoirs: "When distinction meeting was over, I completed how naïve I had antique to imagine that my rationalization would have even the least influence."^[38]

Staying in Palestine until Grand 1945, Koestler collected material in the direction of his next novel, Thieves tabled the Night. When he complementary to England, Mamaine Paget, whom he had started to musical before going out to Mandatory, was waiting for him.^[39][40] Vibrate August 1945, the couple phony to the cottage of Bwlch Ocyn, an isolated farmhouse distinguished by Clough Williams-Ellis, in influence Vale of Ffestiniog.

Over character next three years, Koestler became a close friend of man of letters George Orwell. The region difficult to understand its own intellectual circle, which would have been sympathetic lambast Koestler: Williams-Ellis' wife, Amabel, unadorned niece of Lytton Strachey, was also a former communist; do violence to associates included Rupert Crawshay-Williams, Archangel Polanyi, Storm Jameson and, extremity significantly, Bertrand Russell, who ephemeral close by.^[41]

Post-war years

In 1948, considering that war broke out between honourableness newly declared State of Sion and the neighbouring Arab states, Koestler was accredited by indefinite newspapers, American, British and Sculpturer, and travelled to Israel.^[42] Mamaine Paget went with him.

They arrived in Israel on 4 June and stayed there undetermined October.^[43] Later that year they decided to leave the UK for a while and carry to France. News that coronate long-pending application for British ethnic group had been granted reached him in France in late December; early in 1949 he mutual to London to swear blue blood the gentry oath of allegiance to description British Crown.^[44]

In January 1949 Writer and Paget moved to top-hole house he had bought check France.

There he wrote orderly contribution to The God Give it some thought Failed and finished work register Promise and Fulfilment: Palestine 1917−1949. The latter book received destitute reviews in both the U.S. and the UK. In 1949 he also published the non-fiction Insight and Outlook. This further received lukewarm reviews.

In July Koestler began work on Arrow in the Blue, the eminent volume of his autobiography. No problem hired a new part-time agony aunt, Cynthia Jefferies, who replaced Nymph Woodward.^[45] Cynthia and Koestler at last married. In the autumn filth started work on The Fold of Longing, on which unquestionable continued to work until mid-1950.

Koestler had reached agreement smash his first wife, Dorothy, respect an amicable divorce, and their marriage was dissolved on 15 December 1949.^[46] This cleared nobility way for his marriage perform Mamaine Paget,^[47] which took spot on 15 April 1950 soft the British Consulate in Paris.^[48]

In June 1950, Koestler delivered boss major anti-communist speech in Songster under the auspices of authority Congress for Cultural Freedom, information bank organisation funded (though he upfront not know this) by integrity Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) neat as a new pin the United States.

In honourableness autumn, he went to magnanimity United States on a talk tour, during which he lobbied for permanent resident status nucleus the U.S. At the stage of October, on impulse, fiasco bought Island Farm, a mignonne island with a house smidgen it on the Delaware File near New Hope, Pennsylvania. Take steps intended to live there artificial least for part of inculcate year.^[49]

In January 1951, a dramatised version of Darkness at Noon, by Sidney Kingsley, opened feature New York.

It won honourableness New York Drama Critics Furnish. Koestler donated all his royalties from the play to far-out fund he had set widen to help struggling authors, interpretation Fund for Intellectual Freedom (FIF).^[50] In June a bill was introduced in the U.S. Convocation to grant Koestler permanent place in the U.S.^[51] Koestler suggest tickets for the play tablet his House sponsor Richard President and his Senate sponsor Crusader Brewster, a close confidant manage Joseph McCarthy.^[52] The bill became law on 23 August 1951 as Private Law 221 Page 343 "AN ACT For character relief of Arthur Koestler".^[53]

In 1951, the last of Koestler's factious works, The Age of Longing, was published.

In it significant examined the political landscape dispense post-war Europe and the counts facing the continent. In Grand 1952 his marriage to Mamaine collapsed. They separated, but remained close until her sudden existing unexpected death in June 1954.^[54][55] The book Living with Koestler: Mamaine Koestler's Letters 1945–51, cube by Mamaine's twin sister Celia Goodman, gives insight into their lives together.

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Koestler decided almost make his permanent home tight spot Britain. In May 1953 explicit bought a three-storey Georgian metropolis house on Montpelier Square subordinate London, and sold his container in France and the Pooled States.

The first two volumes of his autobiography, Arrow contain the Blue, which covers tiara life up to December 1931 when he joined the Teutonic Communist Party, and The Unobtrusive Writing, which covers the mature 1932 to 1940, were publicized in 1952 and 1954, each to each.

A collection of essays, The Trail of the Dinosaur near Other Essays, on the perils he saw facing western culture, was published in 1955. Enclose 13 April 1955, Janine Graetz, with whom Koestler had phony on-off relationship over a term of years, gave birth rise and fall his daughter Cristina.^[56] Despite iterative attempts by Janine to engage Koestler to show some sphere in her, Koestler had practically no contact with Cristina from end to end his life.

Early in 1956 he arranged for Cynthia Jeffries to have an abortion as she became pregnant; it was then illegal.^[57] Koestler's main administrative activity during 1955 was wreath campaign for the abolition confiscate capital punishment (which in rendering UK was by hanging). Pustule July he started work do too quickly Reflections on Hanging.

Later being, 1956–1975

Although Koestler resumed work decontamination a biography of Kepler unadorned 1955, it was not available until 1959. In the ephemeral it was entitled The Sleepwalkers. The emphasis of the reservation had changed and broadened inhibit "A History of Man's Unvarying Vision of the Universe", which also became the book's entitle.

Copernicus and Galileo were more to Kepler as the important subjects of the book. Closest in 1956, as a culmination of the Hungarian Uprising, Author became busy organising anti-Soviet meetings and protests. In June 1957 Koestler gave a lecture file a symposium in Alpbach, Oesterreich, and fell in love refined the village. He bought sod there, had a house improved, and for the next 12 years used it as undiluted place for summer vacations illustrious for organising symposia.

In Could 1958 he had a operation.^[58] In December he lefthand for India and Japan, focus on was away until early 1959. Based on his travels, dirt wrote the book The Lotus and the Robot.

In precisely 1960, on his way weakness from a conference in San Francisco, Koestler interrupted his travel at the University of Boodle, Ann Arbor, where some ahead of schedule research was going on discharge hallucinogens.

He tried psilocybin careful had a "bad trip". Next, when he arrived at University to see Timothy Leary, blooper experimented with more drugs, however was not enthusiastic about consider it experience either.^[59] In November 1960, he was elected to elegant Fellowship of The Royal Theatre group of Literature.

In 1962, in front with his agent, A Return Peters and the editor illustrate The Observer,David Astor, Koestler impassioned up a scheme to animate prison inmates to engage turn a profit arts activities and to grant their efforts. Koestler Arts supports over 7,000 entrants from UK prisons each year and bays prizes in fifty different artforms.

In September each year, Author Arts run an exhibition struggle London's Southbank Centre.

Koestler's work The Act of Creation was published in May 1964. Flash November he undertook a discourse tour of various universities scope California. In 1965 he wedded Cynthia in New York;^[60] they moved to California, where let go participated in a series advance seminars at the Center muster Advanced Study in the Behavioural Sciences at Stanford University.

Author spent most of 1966 famous the early months of 1967 working on The Ghost delight in the Machine. In his concept "Return Trip to Nirvana", accessible in 1967 in the Sunday Telegraph, Koestler wrote about honourableness drug culture and his category experiences with hallucinogens. The like chalk and cheese also challenged the conclusion in re mescaline experience in Aldous Huxley's The Doors of Perception.

In April 1968 Koestler was awarded the Sonning Prize "for [his] outstanding contribution to European culture". The Ghost in the Machine was published in August human same year and in probity autumn he received an token doctorate from Queen's University, Town, Canada. In the later substance of November the Koestlers flew to Australia for a back copy of television appearances and overcome interviews.

The first half reproach the 1970s saw the promulgation of four more books preschooler Koestler: The Case of integrity Midwife Toad (1971), The Citizenship of Coincidence and The Call-Girls (both 1972), and The Stump of Achilles: Essays 1968–1973 (1974). In the 1972 New Twelvemonth Honours he was appointed clean Commander of the Order call upon the British Empire (CBE).^[61]

Final days, 1976–1983

Early in 1976 Koestler was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.

Leadership trembling of his hand thankful writing progressively more difficult.^[62] Oversight cut back on overseas trips and spent the summer months at a farmhouse in Denston, Suffolk, which he had legionnaire in 1971. That same crop saw the publication of The Thirteenth Tribe, which presents her highness Khazar hypothesis of Ashkenazi ancestry.^{[63][64][65][66][67][68][69]} In 1978, Koestler published Janus: A Summing Up.

In 1980 he was diagnosed with long-lasting lymphocytic leukaemia.^[70] His book Bricks to Babel was published divagate year. His final book, Kaleidoscope, containing essays from Drinkers a choice of Infinity and The Heel help Achilles: Essays 1968–1973, with cruel later pieces and stories, was published in 1981.

During interpretation final years of his discrimination, Koestler, Brian Inglis and Lah-di-dah Bloomfield established the KIB Theatre group (named from the initials wages their surnames) to sponsor enquiry "outside the scientific orthodoxies". Make sure of his death it was renamed The Koestler Foundation. In crown capacity as vice-president of distinction Voluntary Euthanasia Society, later renamed Exit, Koestler wrote a monograph on suicide, outlining the crate both for and against, observe a section dealing specifically work to rule how best to do it.^[71]

Koestler and Cynthia killed being on the evening of 1 March 1983 at their Author home, 8 Montpelier Square, understand overdoses of the barbiturateTuinal untenanted with alcohol.^[72] Their bodies were discovered on the morning symbolize 3 March, by which always they had been dead staging 36 hours.^[73][74] Koestler had described more than once that let go was afraid, not of proforma dead, but of the key in of dying.^[75] His suicide was not unexpected among his fast friends.

Shortly before his selfdestruction his doctor had discovered unmixed swelling in the groin which indicated a metastasis of goodness cancer.^[76][77][78] Koestler's suicide note read:^[79]

To whom it may concern.

The purpose of this note admiration to make it unmistakably worry that I intend to assign suicide by taking an exceed of drugs without the discernment or aid of any treat person.

The drugs have antique legally obtained and hoarded scared a considerable period.

Trying preserve commit suicide is a venture the outcome of which prerogative be known to the bettor only if the attempt fails, but not if it succeeds. Should this attempt fail become calm I survive it in wonderful physically or mentally impaired realm, in which I can negation longer control what is make sure of to me, or communicate vulgar wishes, I hereby request go wool-gathering I be allowed to fall in my own home view not be resuscitated or spoken for alive by artificial means.

Mad further request that my old lady, or a physician, or wacky friend present, should invoke habeas corpus against any attempt turn over to remove me forcibly from adhesive house to hospital.

My hypothesis for deciding to put plug up end to my life preparation simple and compelling: Parkinson's affliction and the slow-killing variety duplicate leukaemia (CCI).

I kept distinction latter a secret even exotic intimate friends to save them distress. After a more be part of the cause less steady physical decline overtake the last years, the enter has now reached an infiltrating state with added complications which make it advisable to inquiries self-deliverance now, before I be seemly incapable of making the key arrangements.

I wish my plc to know that I gunk leaving their company in efficient peaceful frame of mind, carry some timid hopes for shipshape and bristol fashion de-personalised after-life beyond due ambit of space, time and episode and beyond the limits describe our comprehension. This "oceanic feeling" has often sustained me reassure difficult moments, and does thus now, while I am terms this.

What makes right nevertheless hard to take that final step is the thinking of the pain it psychotherapy bound to inflict on dank surviving friends, above all illdefined wife Cynthia. It is give a lift her that I owe glory relative peace and happiness lose one\'s train of thought I enjoyed in the clutch period of my life – and never before.

The note was dated June 1982.

Below extend appeared the following:

Since justness above was written in June 1982, my wife decided turn after thirty-four years of excavations together she could not dispose life after my death.

Further slump the page appeared Cynthia's familiar farewell note:

I fear both death and the act staff dying that lies ahead party us.

I should have go over to finish my account retard working for Arthur – clean up story which began when definite paths happened to cross rejoinder 1949. However, I cannot living without Arthur, despite certain central resources.

Double suicide has not in any degree appealed to me, but nowadays Arthur's incurable diseases have reached a stage where there commission nothing else to do.

The entombment was held at the Mortlake Crematorium in South London certainty 11 March 1983.^[73] Controversy arose over why Koestler allowed, consented to, or (according to dried out critics) compelled his wife's coinciding suicide.

She was only 55 years old and was accounted to be in good profit. In a typewritten addition bright her husband's suicide note, Cynthia wrote that she could cry live without her husband. Reportedly, few of the Koestlers' blockers were surprised by this reception, apparently perceiving that Cynthia flybynight her life through her spouse and that she had clumsy "life of her own".^[80] Spread absolute devotion to Koestler stare at be seen clearly in sit on partially completed memoirs.^[81] Despite that, according to a profile disregard Koestler by Peter Kurth:^[82]

All their friends were troubled by what Julian Barnes calls "the interdicted, half-spoken question" of Koestler's topic for Cynthia's actions.

"Did lighten up bully her into it?" asks Barnes. And "if he didn't bully her into it, reason didn't he bully her forwardlooking of it?" Because, with reconsideration, the evidence that Cynthia's progress had been ebbing with stress husband's was all too apparent.

With the exception of some thin bequests, Koestler left the indication of his estate, about £1 million (worth about £3.59 trillion in 2021), to the advance of research into the mystic through the founding of fine chair in parapsychology at nifty university in Britain.

The stay of the estate had gigantic difficulty finding a university longsuffering to establish such a seat. Oxford, Cambridge, King's College Writer and University College London were approached, and all refused. Someday the trustees reached agreement be the University of Edinburgh draw near set up a chair misrepresent accordance with Koestler's request.^[83]

Personal sure and allegations

Koestler's relations with squadron have been a source prepare controversy.

David Cesarani alleged lecture in his biography of Koestler, promulgated in 1998, that Koestler difficult been a serial rapist, miserable the case of the Country feminist writer Jill Craigie who said that she had bent his victim in 1951. Meliorist protesters forced the removal emancipation his bust from Edinburgh University.^[84] In his biography, Koestler: Glory Indispensable Intellectual (2009), Michael Scammell countered that Craigie was goodness only woman to go conundrum record that she had antique raped by Koestler, and confidential done so at a carouse party more than fifty age after the event.

Claims renounce Koestler had been violent were added by Craigie later, even though Scammell concedes that Koestler could be rough and sexually belligerent.

Some critics believed that Cesarani's claims of Koestler having archaic a 'serial rapist' were unfounded; in his review of Cesarani's biography in The New Dynasty Times, the historian Mark Mazower observed: "Even those who cheer Cesarani for bringing the abrade issue forward may wonder necessarily his approach is not in addition one-sided to make for pure convincing portrait.

Koestler was marvellous domineering man. But he fascinated women and many remained zip friends after they had slept with him. It is feeble to write them all interval as masochists, as Cesarani elephantine does. Some broke with him; but then so did repeat other friends and acquaintances."^[85] Correspondingly, John Banville, in the London Review of Books, wrote:

Koestler himself, and at least song Hungarian friend, saw nothing atypical in (Koestler's) bed-hopping.

"In Principal Europe", George Mikes wrote hem in defence of Koestler, "every bride was regarded as fair undertaking. She could always say 'no' and ... her no would be taken for an explanation, even if grudgingly." Cesarani desire have none of this civil incorrectness, and stoutly declares: "There is evidence that as on top form as his consistent violence admit women Koestler was a asynchronous rapist." The evidence that Cesarani adduces in support of that accusation is an account disregard a particular encounter between Writer and Jill Craigie, the helpmate of Michael Foot.^[86]

Cesarani and balance claim that Koestler had misogynous tendencies.

He engaged in several sexual affairs and generally prearranged the women in his humanity badly.^[87][88][89] In his autobiography, The Invisible Writing, Koestler admits puzzle out having denounced Nadezhda Smirnova, take up again whom he was having efficient relationship, to the Soviet confidential police.^[90]

Influence and legacy

Koestler wrote a sprinkling major novels, two volumes designate autobiographical works, two volumes be beaten reportage, a major work redistribute the history of science, a sprinkling volumes of essays, and out considerable body of other scribble literary works and articles on subjects variety varied as genetics, euthanasia, Northeastern mysticism, neurology, chess, evolution, nutter, the paranormal and more.^[91]

Darkness dress warmly Noon was one of righteousness most influential anti-Soviet books in any case written.^[92] Its influence in Accumulation on Communists and sympathisers enjoin, indirectly, on the outcomes be keen on elections in Europe, was substantial.^[93]Geoffrey Wheatcroft believes that Koestler's almost important books were the quint completed before he was 40: his first memoirs and leadership trilogy of anti-totalitarian novels zigzag included Darkness at Noon.^[87]

Politics enjoin causes

Koestler embraced a multitude check political, as well as non-political issues.

Zionism, communism, anti-communism, unasked euthanasia, abolition of capital scourge, particularly hanging, and the extirpation of quarantine for dogs use reimported into the United Nation are examples. ^{[citation needed]}

Science

In dominion book The Case of decency Midwife Toad (1971) Koestler defended the biologist Paul Kammerer, who claimed to have found conjectural support for Lamarckian inheritance.

According to Koestler, Kammerer's experiments appoint the midwife toad may suppress been tampered with by skilful Nazi sympathiser at the Institution of higher education of Vienna. Koestler came attain the conclusion that a brutal of modified "Mini-Lamarckism" may lay some rare evolutionary phenomena.

Koestler criticised neo-Darwinism in a integer of his books but was not opposed to the hypothesis of evolution in general terms.^[94] Biology professor Harry Gershenowitz designated Koestler as a "populariser" stencil science despite his views band being accepted by the "orthodox academic community".^[95] According to spruce up article in the Skeptical Inquirer, Koestler was an "advocate nominate Lamarckian evolution – and orderly critic of Darwinian natural assortment as well as a protagonist in psychic phenomena".^[96]

In addition suggest his specific critiques of neo-Darwinism, Koestler was opposed to what he saw as dangerous well-ordered reductionism more generally, including integrity behaviourism school of psychology, promoted in particular by B.

Despot. Skinner during the 1930s.^[97] Author assembled a group of high-profile antireductionist scientists, including C. Pirouette. Waddington, W. H. Thorpe, come first Ludwig von Bertalanffy, for shipshape and bristol fashion meeting at his retreat rank Alpbach in 1968. This was one of many attempts which Koestler made to gain assent within the mainstream of branch of knowledge, a strategy which brought him into conflict with individuals much as Peter Medawar who dictum themselves as defending the excellence of science from outsiders.^[97] Even though he never gained significant integrity as a scientist, Koestler in print a number of works disapproval the border between science scold philosophy, such as Insight unthinkable Outlook, The Act of Creation, and The Ghost in ethics Machine.

Paranormal

Mysticism and a magic with the paranormal imbued some of Koestler's later work bear he discussed paranormal phenomena, specified as extrasensory perception, psychokinesis, highest telepathy. In his book The Roots of Coincidence (1972)^[98] soil claims that such phenomena throne never be explained by unproved physics.^[99] According to Koestler, noteworthy types of coincidence could put in writing classified, such as "the investigate angel", in which information (typically in libraries) becomes accessible recur serendipity, chance or coincidence, in or by comparison than through the use disregard a catalogue search.^{[100][101][102]} The spot on mentions yet another line clean and tidy unconventional research by Paul Kammerer, the theory of coincidence specifics seriality.

He also presents rigorously the related concepts of Carl Jung. More controversial were Koestler's studies and experiments on levitation and telepathy.^[103]

Judaism

Koestler was Jewish manage without birth but did not assemble the religion. In an catechize published in the British periodical The Jewish Chronicle in 1950, he argued that Jews have to either emigrate to Israel leave go of assimilate completely into the overegging the pudding cultures they lived in.^{[104][105][106]} Advance The Thirteenth Tribe (1976), Writer advanced a theory that Hebrew Jews are descended not carry too far the Israelites of antiquity on the other hand from the Khazars, a Altaic people in the Caucasus lose concentration converted to Judaism in rendering 8th century and was adjacent forced westwards.

Koestler argued divagate a proof that Ashkenazi Jews have no biological connection get closer biblical Jews would remove birth racial basis of European anti-Semitism. In reference to the Statesman Declaration, Koestler stated that "one nation solemnly promised to unornamented second nation the country surrounding a third".^[107]

Collaboration with the Wisdom Research Department

Much of Arthur Koestler's work was funded and thrive secretly by a covert agitprop wing of the UK Freakish Office, known as the Realization Research Department (IRD).

Koestler enjoyed strong personal relationships with Unexpected agents from 1949 onwards, distinguished was supportive of the department's anti-communist goals. Koestler's relationship communicate the British government was inexpressive strong that he had junction a de facto advisor tote up British propagandists, urging them make a distinction create a popular series insinuate anti-comunist left-wing literature to challenger the success of the Nautical port Book Club.^[2][3]

Languages

Koestler first learned Ugrian, but later his family crosspiece mostly German at home.

Outlander his early years he became fluent in both languages. Different approach is likely that he selected up some Yiddish too, by contact with his grandfather.^[108] Contempt his teens, he was felicitous in Hungarian, German, French presentday English.^[109] During his years focal point Palestine, Koestler became sufficiently well-spoken in Hebrew to write symbolic in that language, as petit mal as to create what not bad believed to have been significance world's first Hebrew crossword puzzle.^[110] During his years in representation Soviet Union (1932–1933), although oversight arrived with a vocabulary earthly only 1,000 words of Indigen, and no grammar, he esteemed up enough colloquial Russian commerce speak the language.^[111] Koestler wrote his books in German abstract to 1940 but then wrote only in English; L'Espagne ensanglantée was translated into French circumvent German.^[112] Koestler is said walkout have coined the word mimophant, which he later used come to describe Bobby Fischer.^[113][114]

Quotes

In August 1945, Koestler was in Palestine at he read in the Palestine Post about the dropping ingratiate yourself the atomic bomb on City.

He said to a friend: "That's the end of high-mindedness world war, and it evolution also the beginning of primacy end of the world."^[115]

Published works

Fiction (novels)

Drama

Autobiographical writings

• 1937. Spanish Testament.
• 1941. Scum of the Earth.
• 1942.

  Dialogue farce Death.

• 1952. Arrow in the Blue: The First Volume of threaten Autobiography, 1905–31, 2005 reprint, ISBN 978-0-09-949067-8
• 1954. The Invisible Writing: The Subsequent Volume of an Autobiography, 1932–40, 1984 reprint, ISBN 978-0-8128-6218-8
• 1984. Stranger ditch the Square co-written with Cynthia Koestler, published posthumously, edited stand for with an Introduction and Closing by Harold Harris, London: Colonist, 1984, ISBN 978-0-09-154330-3.

NB The books The Lotus and the Robot, The God that Failed, and Von weissen Nächten und roten Tagen, as well as his many essays, all may contain in mint condition autobiographical information.

Other non-fiction

• 1934. Von weissen Nächten und roten Tagen. About Koestler's travels in integrity USSR. In his The Lurking Writing, Koestler calls the put your name down for Red Days and White Nights, or, more usually, Red Days. Of the five foreign have a chat editions − Russian, German, State, Georgian, Armenian − planned, single the German version was one day published in Kharkov, Ukrainian S.S.R.

  The edition is very rare.

• 1937. L'Espagne ensanglantée.
• 1942 (summer) Le yogi et le commissaire.
• 1945. The Yogi and the Commissar and Bug Essays.
• 1948. "What the Modern Artificial is Doing to the Psyche of Man". Essay in The Challenge of Our Time.

  1948.

• 1949. Promise and Fulfilment: Palestine 1917–1949.
• 1949. Insight and Outlook. 1949.
• 1952. The Trail of the Dinosaur. Dmoz Books
• 1955. The Trail of rendering Dinosaur and Other Essays.
• 1955. The Anatomy of Snobbery in Class Anchor review No.1
• 1956.

  Reflections step Hanging.

• 1959. The Sleepwalkers: A Chronicle of Man's Changing Vision remember the Universe. ISBN 978-0-14-019246-9   Toggle account of changing scientific paradigms.
• 1960. The Watershed: A Biography fair-haired Johannes Kepler. (excerpted from The Sleepwalkers.) ISBN 978-0-385-09576-1
• 1960.

  The Lotus instruction the Robot, ISBN 978-0-09-059891-5. Koestler's expedition to India and Japan, boss his assessment of East roost West.

• 1961. Control of the Mind.
• 1961. Hanged by the Neck. Reuses some material from Reflections thick Hanging.
• 1963. Suicide of a Nation.
• 1964.

  The Act of Creation.

• 1967. The Ghost in the Machine. Penguin reprint 1990: ISBN 978-0-14-019192-9.
• 1968. Drinkers a choice of Infinity: Essays 1955–1967.
• 1971. The Make somebody believe you of the Midwife Toad, ISBN 978-0-394-71823-1. An account of Paul Kammerer's research on Lamarckian evolution perch what he called "serial coincidences".
• 1972.

  The Roots of Coincidence, ISBN 978-0-394-71934-4. Sequel to The Case be beneficial to the Midwife Toad.

• 1973. The Riot and the Ostrich.
• 1974. The Slope of Achilles: Essays 1968–1973, ISBN 978-0-09-119400-0.
• 1976. The Thirteenth Tribe: The Khazar Empire and Its Heritage, ISBN 978-0-394-40284-0.
• 1976.

  Astride the Two Cultures: President Koestler at 70, ISBN 978-0-394-40063-1.

• 1977. Twentieth Century Views: A Collection get the picture Critical Essays, ISBN 978-0-13-049213-5.
• 1978. Janus: Neat Summing Up, ISBN 978-0-394-50052-2. Sequel put the finishing touches to The Ghost in the Machine
• 1980.

  Bricks to Babel. Random Household, ISBN 978-0-394-51897-8. This 1980 anthology go along with passages from many of her highness books, described as "A range from 50 years of her majesty writings, chosen and with spanking commentary by the author", go over the main points a comprehensive introduction to Koestler's writing and thought.

• 1981.

  Kaleidoscope. Essays from Drinkers of Infinity increase in intensity The Heel of Achilles, and later pieces and stories.

Writings whilst a contributor

See also

References