- Neil Lyndon
-
Neil Lyndon Residence Fife, Scotland Alma mater Cambridge University Occupation Writer and journalist Years active 1968 to present Employer The Sunday Telegraph Known for Writing the first progressive critique of feminism Notable works No More Sex War: The Failures of Feminism Spouse Linda Lyndon Children 2 daughters, 1 son Neil Alexander Lyndon (born 1946) is a British journalist and writer who has written for every "quality" newspaper in Britain. Lyndon's 1992 book, "No More Sex War: The Failures of Feminism" was the world's first radical, egalitarian, and progressive critique of the subject.[1] He is currently the motoring correspondent for The Sunday Telegraph.
Contents
Early life
In 1965, Lyndon became the first student from a comprehensive school to be awarded an unconditional place at Cambridge University. At university he took a job in a scrap yard and later in light engineering.[2] Having flirted with communism as a teenager and having been a committed member of CND he rapidly became involved with radical left-wing politics at Cambridge. He took part in many demonstrations and sit-ins and after his graduation he co-founded of The Shilling Paper, a radical weekly.[3] In 1969, he joined the editorial board of the underground paper The Black Dwarf.[4] Years later, in 2007 he wrote in The Sunday Times of his shame at how he had "once toasted mass murderers, torturers and totalitarian despots", particularly as he had distant relatives in Czechoslovakia.[5]
Journalism
Lyndon was a successful journalist in the 1980s, writing for the "Atticus" column in The Sunday Times, as well as for The Times, The Independent, the Evening Standard and others. He wrote columns, profiles and feature articles covering a wide variety of issues such as politics, sport, music and books [6]
No More Sex War
Lyndon's 1992 book No More Sex War: The Failures of Feminism is his best known work.
Background
In 1990 Lyndon wrote a 5,000 word essay for the Sunday Times Magazine entitled "Badmouthing", arguing that, in advertising, entertainment, the news media, family law, education and health research, "an atmosphere of intolerance surrounded men", and blaming this intolerance on "the universal dominance of feminism".[4]
Content
The following year he wrote his book, No More Sex War: The Failures of Feminism,[7] published in 1992, in which he expanded on these arguments.
Reception
The work received a large amount of attention in the media,[8]most of it hostile and abusive, vilifying Lyndon.[9]
Rather than addressing the issues and arguments raised by Lyndon, most critics instead chose to abuse him personally. They suggested he was sexually inadequate, questioned the size of his penis, his masculinity, his ability to attract women and even the smell of his breath.[10] Almost two decades later feminist writer Julie Burchill continued the attack, suggesting he was a "sad-sack" and "the opposite of a man".[11] In a review of book of the year, Helena Kennedy refused to even discuss the publication, simply instructing people not to buy it.[12]
Even more serious abuses of Lyndon were to come such as an assault at Heathrow Airport[13]. At Cambridge university, Lyndon's Alma-mater, the female president of the student's union encouraged students to burn his writings and a Don told her pupils that she would like to see him shot.[14]
Lyndon was shunned by friends
Impact
The book did sell well but Lyndon's work in journalism dried up. In August 1992 he was declared bankrupt.[15]Before the publication of No More Sex War, Lyndon's marriage had broken up and his wife had abducted their child to Scotland where she obtained an order of custody without Lyndon knowing the case was being heard.[4] In the subsequent divorce, his media notoriety was used against him in court, and he lost all access to his son. He rebuilt his career in journalism during the 1990s, and was later reunited with his son, who lived with him in Scotland before going to university.[5]
Other works
Lyndon has also co-written a musical, Hail to the Chief, now renamed "Men of Respect", about America between the inaugurations of John Kennedy and Richard Nixon.[1]
Personal life
Lyndon is married to Linda, they have two daughters and live in Fife, Scotland. Lyndon also has a son from a previous marriage.[16][17]
Publications
- No More Sex War: The failures of feminism, by Neil Lyndon, 1992, Sinclair-Stevenson Ltd ISBN 978-1856191913
- A Boyhood in the Weald, by Neil Lyndon, 1998, Pomegranate Press ISBN 978-0951987681
References
- ^ a b Neil Lyndon's contributor profile at The First Post
- ^ http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/that-summer-the-hitchhikers-guide-to-the-fallacy-seduced-by-his-friends-tales-of-laughing-peasants-and-lively-girls-neil-lyndon-hit-the-road-for-the-summer-of-love-the-road-hit-back-1377444.html
- ^ http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=jiMOAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA95&dq=%22neil+lyndon%22+++cambridge&hl=en&ei=kNfKTtWxFIji8QPGpORs&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CEMQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=%22neil%20lyndon%22%20%20%20cambridge&f=false
- ^ a b c Neil Lyndon, "The return of the heretic", The Sunday Times, 3 December 2000
- ^ a b Neil Lyndon, "I was stupid too - but at least I admit it, comrade", The Times, 28 October 2007
- ^ http://www.fact.on.ca/news/news0012/ti00120d.htm
- ^ No More Sex War at Google Books
- ^ Christina Hardyment, "Book Review: A wounded Apollo lashes back: No more Sex War - Neil Lyndon", The Independent, 3 October 1992
- ^ http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2000/dec/15/society
- ^ http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2000/dec/15/society
- ^ http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2009/may/13/julie-bindel-burchill-feminism
- ^ http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2000/dec/15/society
- ^ http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2000/dec/15/society
- ^ http://www.fact.on.ca/news/news0012/ti00120d.htm
- ^ Jim White, "Back in the fray", The Guardian, 15 December 2000
- ^ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/columnists/neil-lyndon/7882278/VW-California-campervan-put-to-the-test.html
- ^ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/property/3350384/Am-I-completely-mad.html
Masculism Concepts/subjects By country Men's rightsSee also See also
Categories:- 1946 births
- British journalists
- Living people
- Men and feminism
- Daily Telegraph journalists
- The Independent people
- The Times journalists
- The Sunday Times people
- Motoring journalists
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
