Unfinished Memoir
Dan van der Vat was writing his memoir at the time of his death in 2019. He had completed the first 6 chapters taking a journey from his life as a toddler in occupied Holland to the cusp of a new life working as a foreign correspondent in 1969.
With the agreement of his daughters, these chapters are published here. The chapter headings link to each document.
We would ask that you please respect the copyright and enjoy these memories without replicating, printing etc.
|
How the door was opened on Dan's future career as journalist and author. |
|
Dan's family background and life in wartime Holland. |
|
School years in post-war London. |
|
Unforgettable years at Durham University. |
|
Life as a junior reporter on The Journal and eloping with Chris. |
|
Working at the Daily Mail in Manchester and Newcastle, then on to London. |
|
From Sunday Times to The Times, poised for life as a foreign correspondant. |
Obituaries
The Guardian - published 20th May 2019
The Times - published 9th August 2019 (pdf)
More to Read |
|
 |
The Wandering Civil Servant of Stradivarius Published 2021 - Quartet Books Desmond Cecil CMG THE WANDERING CIVIL SERVANT OF STRADIVARIUS is written by Dan's good friend Desmond Cecil, who also penned his obituary for The Guardian (link above). It is a captivating and heartfelt memoir from a true music aficionado, a senior British diplomat, and a nuclear environmental expert in Russia. Book is available at: Waterstones| Amazon |