Biography
Gerald Darrell was a man who wrote about fantastic twars and their habitats without any magic. Thanks to his books, millions of children and adults learned about exotic countries and inhabiting their animals. And a separate thanks to the writer should be submitted to the inhabitants of Corfu, because the island has achieved prosperity thanks to the "Greek trilogy" Darrell.Childhood and youth
Gerald Malcolm Darrell was born on January 7, 1925 in the Indian city of Jamshedpur. The boy became the 5th child in the family of Louise Dixie and Lawrence Darrell - Senior. Jerry had 2 older brothers, Leslie and Larry, as well as sister Margaret. Another sister died before the birth of Gerald, in infancy.
Early childhood of the future writer passed in India. Jerry's father was a British engineer, and work provided a family of prospect and position. Animal world boy became interested in the memoirs of loved ones, for another 2 years, and Louise argued that Zoo (Zoo) became one of his first words.
In 1928, the seven suffered a loss - Lawrence Darrell died, and the family moved to the UK. Life in England Darrelev fell not to taste, so they were detained there for a while. In 1935, Louise Darrell decided to move to the Greek Island of Corfu, following the example of the eldest son. After many years, thanks to this decision, readers received one of the best books of Gerald "My family and other animals."
On the island, away from the famous British morals and cold climate, the zoological interest of the boy was finally fixed. "My family and other animals" does not always contain accurate facts about the life of Darrells in the Greek Island, but Jerry's desire to turn a house in the bell in any way exaggerated.
Gerald's mother did not limit - the boy was a family favorite and had almost unlimited freedom, including both classical education. Learn the future writer tried in India, and in Britain, but the school format of education was not for him. Teachers considered Jerry disabled and stupid, and the boy tried with all their mights to avoid visiting classes.
Numerous tutors also described in Corfu, also described in "My Family ...". Among them was the Greek doctor and the scientist Theodore Stefanidez, who became not only a mentor, but also a close friend of Gerald. Darrell's full-fledged systemic education never received that, by the way, did not prevent him from becoming an honorary professor of several universities.
In 1939, Corfu period in the family ended, Louise, Jerry and Leslie were forced to return to the UK - the Second World War began, and the financial situation of the family was very shaken. In 1943, the future naturalist was to be called in the army, but the soldier of Gerald did not work out - the chronic Qatar of Nos and honesty was prevented.
When commissioning, the officer asked Jerry, whether he wants to fight. He honestly replied that no. Then the officer asked the second question: "Are you a coward?", And Darrell replied affirmatively. And the military sent a conscript home, as unfit for health, noting, however, that a lot of courage needs to recognize himself a coward.
For some time, Gerald worked in a pet store, and after the war he became an assistant (or, according to his expression, "a boy at clarity") in the Wipstore Zoo. From this point on, the countdown of his biography as a researcher of the animal world began.
Expeditions, books and movies
Gerald organized the first expedition in his youth, at 21, as soon as he entered into the rights of inheritance. The funds who have departed from the will of the Father, Darrell invested in Cameroon and Guyan. Both expeditions have enriched Jerry's experience, but turned out to be failed financially. In the early 1950s, the naturalist was in a distinguished financial situation and besides the unemployed.
Then, listening to the advice of the older brother Lawrence, Gerald began writing. The first story of "Hunting Hairy Frog" liked readers and brought the author of the fee. This financial help forced Darrell to seriously sit down for a printed machine, and in 1952, based on the expedition to Cameroon, he wrote a full-fledged book "Overloaded Ark". Readers and critics took the work with delight, and the subsequent writer gorers allowed Gerald to organize an expedition to South America in the 1954th.
This journey could end tragically: they had a military coup in Paraguay, and naturalists had to urgently escape from the country, leaving most of the collected collection. About this journey and his peculiar experience of Darrell in 1955 wrote in the book "Under Canopy of Drunk Forest".
After Paraguay, Gerald briefly returned to Corfu. Rest on the island awakened children's memories, and in 1956 he wrote the book "My family and other animals." In it, the writer in his humorous style inherent on him spoke about the years of life at Corfu, mounted stories from the life of Darrellov interesting facts about the fauna and Flora island.
The story turned out to be the most successful work of Gerald, was translated into many languages and was repeatedly reprinted. Later, he continued "Greek" trilogy, but neither "birds, animals and relatives" nor the "garden of the gods" did not have such success.
And again the writing fee gave Darrell the opportunity to go to the expedition - in 1957, the naturalist went to Cameroon in the 3rd time. Jerld's goal became animals for his own zoo. However, upon returning to his homeland, the writer collided with the authorities refuses, as a result of which animals lived Bornmouth for some time, in the board of Margaret Darrell. This situation has become a reason for writing the book "Zoo in my baggage."
The zoo on the island of Jersey, who became a business of Gerald's life, managed to open only in the spring of 1959. For many years, the case was frankly unprofitable, despite the fact that Darrell put all the means into it. However, the writer did not stop.
In subsequent years, many expeditions he devoted to the collection of animals for the zoo, making an emphasis on rare and endangered species - Gerald understood that only in this way they can save them from full extinction. In the future, the zoo marked the beginning of the creation of several funds for the preservation of wild animals that exist to this day.
Despite the fact that Darrell in books was most often extremely frank, his story and stories about animals were successful as children's literature. But the book "talking convolution" in the unusual genre of Fantasy Gerald wrote specifically for children. The story was subsequently shielded - she was removed by the cartoon.
There were many photos in the expeditions, but the filming of the movies about nature became another direction. The success of the painting "Bafut with the Hound" laid the beginning of the cooperation of Gerald with BBC, and later the films helped to attract funds for environmental funds.
Personal life
As for personal life, Gerald Darrell was a hedonist: besides animals, he loved drinking, delicious food and beautiful women. In marriage, the writer consisted twice, but did not have children.Embed from getty imagesJackie Walfhenden became the first wife of the writer, the daughter of the Manchester Hotel, in which Gerald stopped. The girl's father was against marriage, and in 1951 in love, to get married, had to escape. Jackie Jackie and Gerald lasted 28 years, but as a result, the woman was tired of her husband's alcoholism and the fact that he didn't have important zoo for him.
Next time, the writer married in 1979 on Wilson's naturalist. There was a significant difference between the spouses: at the time of the wedding, Gerald was 54 years old, or - 30. Despite this, the marriage turned out to be happy and lasted to the death of Darrell.
Death
By the end of the life of Darrell was a deeply sick person. This was promoted by alcohol and smoking abuse (all Darrells were somehow in anyway). To make Gerald stopped drinking could not even hospitalize: numerous visitors found a way to bring alcohol writer.
Naturalist has developed cirrhosis, and at the same time discovered a tumor in the liver. Gerald made a transplant, but it briefly delayed death. Due to the transplant Darrell accepted medicines, overwhelming immunity so that the liver does not rejected the organism. As a result, it led to the development of infection and blood infection. Gerald Malcolm Darrell died on January 30, 1995 in Jersey, the cause of the death of the writer became sepsis. The body, according to the will, was cremated, and urns with ashes buried in the Jersey Zoo.
Bibliography
- 1953 - "Overloaded Ark"
- 1955 - "Under the canopy of drunk forest"
- 1956 - "My family and other animals"
- 1960 - "Zoo in my baggage"
- 1961 - "Rust of Shores"
- 1966 - "Kengurenka's way" / "Two in Bush"
- 1968 - "Rosie - my relatives"
- 1969 - "Birds, beasts and relatives"
- 1974 - "Talking Complete"
- 1977 - "Golden Weldows and Pink Pigeons"
- 1978 - "Garden of the Gods"
- 1982 - "Lovers Naturalist"
- 1990 - "Anniversary of the Ark"
- 1991 - "Mom on the issuance"
- 1992 - "Ay-ah and I"
Filmography
- 1957 - "In Bafut with Hound"
- 1958 - "Look"
- 1962 - "Dove in Bush"
- 1965 - "Catch me a colobus"
- 1982 - "Ark in the way"
- 1984 - "Darrell in Russia"
- 1990 - "to the island of aye-aye"