Desmond Flower

Background

Desmond Flower (also known as Jonh Newman) was born on August 25, 1907 in London, United Kingdom.

Education

Desmond Flower was educated at Lancing and King’s College in Cambridge.

Career

In 1938 Flower joined the family firm Cassell & Company and became its literary director. He also founded and edited The Book Collector’s Quarterly from 1930 to 1934. Flower served in the British Army in World War II and earned a Military Cross. He returned to Cassell's in 1946 and in 1958 became its chair. During 1965-1971 Flower was the president of Cassell Australia. He served as editorial consultant of Sheldon Press from 1973 to 1985.

Achievements

• Desmond's most famous editing credits include English Poetical Autographs: A Collection of Facsimiles of Autograph Poems from Sir Thomas Wyatt to Rupert Brooke (1938), Cassell’s Anthology of English Poetry (with his wife, Margaret Flower; 1938) and Voltaire’s England (1950).

Works

More photos

• book

  • The War, 1939-1945

    (This magnificent, chronologically ordered, internationall...)

    1997
  • Voltaire's England

    (Folio edition of Voltaire's England.)

    1950
  • THE TASTE OF COURAGE: The War 1939-1945. 1960
  • The Taste of Courage - The War, 1939-1945 - Volume IV: The Allies Advance 1971

Connections

Flower was married three times. His first wife was Margaret Coss, whom he married in 1931. The couple had one son. The marriage was dissolved in 1952. In 1972 he was married for the second time to Elizabeth Smith and had one son and two daughters. They divorced in 1972. His third wife appeared to be Sophie Rombeyko, whom he had married in 1987.

Wife:

Margaret Coss

Wife:

Elizabeth Smith

Wife:

Sophie Rombeyko