Carrington, (Frederica) Dorothy (Violet) 1910-2002

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CARRINGTON, (Frederica) Dorothy (Violet) 1910-2002

PERSONAL: Born June 6, 1910, in Gloucestershire, England; died January 25, 2002; daughter of Frederick Carrington; married Franz von Walschutz (divorced); married Darcy Sproul-Bolton (deceased); married Francis Rose (a painter), 1943 (divorced, 1966). Education: Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford University.

CAREER: Journalist and lecturer. City University of New York, visiting assistant professor of social anthropology; Correspondent for London Daily Mail and Time.

AWARDS, HONORS: Heinemann Award, 1971; Wedmore Memorial Lecture Royal Society of Literature, 1984; Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettras, 1985; honorary doctorate, University of Corsica, 1991.

WRITINGS:

The Traveller's Eye, Pilot Press (New York, NY), 1947.

The Mouse and the Mermaid, 1948.

This Corsica: A Complete Guide, photographs by Blos Lewis, Hammond (London, England), 1962.

Granite Island: A Portrait of Corsica, Longman (London, England), 1971, published as Corsica: Portrait of Granite Island, John Day (New York, NY), 1974.

(With others) Le Bicentenaire et ces iles que l'on dit françaises: livre concu a partir d'un seminaire quie S'est tenu a l'universite Paris VII Jussieu, les 21 et 22 janvier 1989, Syllepse (Paris, France), 1989.

Napoleon and His Parents: On the Threshold of History, Dutton (New York, NY), 1990.

The Dream-Hunters of Corsica, Weidenfeld and Nicolson (London, England), 1995.

Contributor to English Historical Review. Articles published in Geographical, History Today, Time, London Daily Mail, and Corsican, Italian, and Swedish journals.

SIDELIGHTS: Dorothy Carrington, known for her knowledge of Corsica and Napoleon, first visited the island of Corsica in 1948 and moved there in 1950. In Granite Island: A Portrait of Corsica Carrington provides a history of the island and its people. "The book is probably the most complete account in the English language of the history and culture of Corsica, and it would be difficult to find one more delightful," concluded E. C. Barrington in a review for the Geographical Journal.

In Napoleon and His Parents: On the Threshold of History Carrington provides information about Napoleon and his family. Many stories about Napoleon's early years have circulated, but could not be proven accurate. Carrington was given permission to research Napoleon's family archives to find the true stories about Napoleon. Journal of Military History contributor Harold T. Parker concluded, "Anyone who is interested in military history and especially in the great captains will find this book fascinating and useful."

In The Dream-Hunters of Corsica Carrington discusses the traditional customs, culture, and beliefs of the Corsica people. In The Dream-Hunters of Corsica she tells particularly of the belief called mazzerisme, in which people dream of hunting an animal with a person's face. The Mazzerisme tradition states that the person dreamed about will die within the year. "This is an engaging and useful resource for travelers and folklorists," commented a Publishers Weekly contributor.

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, March 15, 1974, review of Granite Island: A Portrait of Corsica, pp. 771-772; November 1, 1996, Alice Joyce, review of The Dream-Hunters of Corsica, p. 477.

Choice, October, 1974, review of Corsica: Portrait of Granite Island, p. 1196.

Geographical Journal, September, 1972, E. C. Barrington, review of Granite Island, p. 368.

History Today, April, 2002, "Obituaries," p. 9.

Journal of Military History, October, 1991, Harold T. Parker, review of Napoleon and His Parents: On the Threshold of History, p. 532.

Library Journal, May 1, 1974, Thomas M. Robinson, review of Corsica, p. 1300.

New Yorker, August 19, 1974, review of Corsica, p. 90.

Observer, August 21, 1988, Douglas Johnson, "Digging up Boney," p. 41.

Publishers Weekly, October 21, 1996, review of The Dream-Hunters of Corsica, pp. 65-66.

Times (London, England), February 4, 2002, "Dorothy Carrington Historian of Corsica and Napoleon," p. 15.

Times Educational Supplement, June 15, 1984, Biddy Passmore, review of Granite Island, p. 35.

Times Literary Supplement, May 5, 1972, "The Vendetta and Much More," p. 3662; July 28, 1995, "In Death's Dream Kingdom," p. 7.

Washington Post Book World, June 23, 1974, Joseph McLellan, review of Corsica, p. 4.