Introduction
Leslie Howard Steiner (1893-1943) was born in London, to an English mother and a Jewish father who had emigrated from Hungary. Howard became the quintessential British matinee-idol, languid, slightly detached, but with a sense of something more beneath: a curious case of art imitating life.
AFTER leaving his cavalry regiment in 1916 suffering from shell-shock, Leslie Howard turned to acting, starring as Percy Blakeney in The Scarlet Pimpernel in 1934, and most famously as Ashley Wilkes in Gone With The Wind.
That same year, however, war broke out and Howard pledged himself to Britain’s cause, broadcasting searing criticisms of Nazism across occupied Europe and in wavering America.
Germany, he believed, had made ‘no progress’ towards democracy, whereas Britain had blended Roman government, Greek democracy and freedom of art, French traditions of the family, a certain Viking courage, and Christian faith, into something worthy of defence.*
Howard was flying home from Portugal on 1st June 1943 when his plane was shot down over the Bay of Biscay by the Luftwaffe.
Exactly what this ‘British cultural ambassador’ to Franco’s Spain had been doing remains a mystery, but like the muddle-headed professor he played in Pimpernel Smith (apparently infuriating Goebbels), there was always more to Howard than met the eye.
For the direct quotation, see Britain’s Destiny here on this website. For a fuller biography of Leslie Howard, including his movies, see Lifetime TV.
Précis
British actor Leslie Howard, star of iconic movies including ‘Gone with the Wind’, played a key role in Britain’s defence against the rise of Nazism, making films and radio broadcasts celebrating Britain’s unique blend of freedom, principle and democracy. He was killed when the civilian plane on which he was travelling on his war-work was shot down in 1943. (59 / 60 words)
British actor Leslie Howard, star of iconic movies including ‘Gone with the Wind’, played a key role in Britain’s defence against the rise of Nazism, making films and radio broadcasts celebrating Britain’s unique blend of freedom, principle and democracy. He was killed when the civilian plane on which he was travelling on his war-work was shot down in 1943.
Variations: 1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 65 words. 2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 55 words. 3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: if, not, otherwise, ought, unless, until, whether, who.
Archive
Word Games
Sevens Based on this passage
Suggest answers to this question. See if you can limit one answer to exactly seven words.
Variations: 1.expand your answer to exactly fourteen words. 2.expand your answer further, to exactly twenty-one words. 3.include one of the following words in your answer: if, but, despite, because, (al)though, unless.
Jigsaws Based on this passage
Express the ideas below in a single sentence, using different words as much as possible. Do not be satisfied with the first answer you think of; think of several, and choose the best.
Spinners Find in Think and Speak
For each group of words, compose a sentence that uses all three. You can use any form of the word: for example, cat → cats, go → went, or quick → quickly, though neigh → neighbour is stretching it a bit.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Across. Courage. Same.
2 Apparent. Art. Exact.
3 Cause. Himself. Roman.
Variations: 1. include direct and indirect speech 2. include one or more of these words: although, because, despite, either/or, if, unless, until, when, whether, which, who 3. use negatives (not, isn’t, neither/nor, never, nobody etc.)
High Tiles Find in Think and Speak
Make words (three letters or more) from the seven letters showing below, using any letter once only. Each letter carries a score. What is the highest-scoring word you can make?
Your Words ()
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