Michael Dobbs, Baron Dobbs

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Michael Dobbs, Baron Dobbs

Michael John Dobbs, Baron Dobbs (born November 14, 1948 in Cheshunt ) is a British Conservative Party politician and author.

education

Michael Dobbs was born in Cheshunt, a suburb of London in Hertfordshire , in 1948 , the only child of the nurse Eric Dobbs and his wife Eileen. He attended Hertford Grammar School and studied at Christ Church College, University of Oxford . After graduation in 1971, he went to the United States and studied at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy and Tufts University in Medford , Massachusetts . He funded his studies as a publishing assistant and political columnist for the Boston Globe. In 1975 he graduated with a Master of Arts (MA), a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy (MALD), and a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in nuclear defense strategies. His doctoral thesis was published under the title SALT on the Dragon's Tail .

Political and professional career

After completing his studies, Dobbs returned to the UK in 1975 and began working for the Conservative Party in London. Between 1977 and 1979 he worked as an advisor to the then opposition leader Margaret Thatcher . From 1979 to 1981 he was a speechwriter for the MPs of the Conservative Party. He served as a special advisor to the government from 1981 to 1986 and survived the 1984 Brighton Conservative Convention bombing . From 1986 to 1987 he worked as the chief of staff of the government. At the time he was considered a masterful political mastermind, the daily newspaper The Guardian described him in 1987 as "Westminster's child-faced hit man" (in the original: "Westminster's baby-faced hit man"). During John Major's administration , he served as party vice chairman from 1994 to 1995.

Parallel to his political activities, he worked for the advertising agency Saatchi & Saatchi , initially from 1983 to 1986 as deputy head of the advertising department and from 1987 to 1988 as head of public relations. From 1988 to 1991 he was deputy director directly under Maurice Saatchi . After retiring from Saatchi & Saatchi in 1991, Dobbs was a columnist for The Mail on Sunday until 1998 . From 1998 to 2001 he hosted the political magazine Despatch Box on the BBC .

On December 18, 2010, Michael Dobbs was named a Life Peer with the title Baron Dobbs , of Wylye in the County of Wiltshire. He represents the Conservative Party in the House of Lords .

Writing activity

Michael Dobbs published his first novel in 1989 with the political thriller House of Cards . Due to the success, he wrote two follow-up novels in 1992 ( To Play the King ) and 1994 ( The Final Cut ), in which the fictional character Francis Urquhart was the protagonist. All three novels were filmed as a miniseries by the BBC (including A House of Cards ), which won 14 BAFTA nominations and two BAFTA awards. The three novels and the miniseries have again served as the basis for the television series House of Cards by streaming provider Netflix since 2013 . His 2004 book Winston's War was shortlisted for the Channel 4 Political Book of the Year award and is slated for a television film. Dobbs himself was a judge for the Whitbread Book Awards for Book of the Year. Today he works full-time as a writer and also gives regular lectures.

family

Michael Dobbs is married and has four children.

Oddities

Michael Dobbs is occasionally confused with the American writer and journalist Michael Dobbs of the same name , with whom he is also widely related.

Michael Dobb's friend at Tufts University was in a relationship with the later US President Bill Clinton for a while. Dobbs and Clinton did not get to know each other during this time.

Publications

Francis Urquhart trilogy
Tom Goodfellowe trilogy
  • Goodfellowe MP (1997)
  • The Buddha of Brewer Street (1997)
  • Whispers of Betrayal (2000)
Winston Churchill series
Harry Jones series
  • The Lords' Day (2007)
  • The Edge of Madness (2008)
  • The Reluctant Hero (2010)
  • Old Enemies (2011)
  • A Sentimental Traitor (2012)

more novels:

  • Wall Games (1990)
  • Last Man to Die (1991)
  • The Touch of Innocents (1994)
  • First Lady (2006)

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Quote ( Memento of the original from February 9, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. after the internet presence of Michael Dobbs @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.michaeldobbs.com
  2. ^ The real Michael Dobbs , Michael Dobbs (US author), Washington Post 6, March 2008.

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Dobbs, Michael, Baron Dobbs
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Dobbs, Michael John, Baron Dobbs (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION British politician and writer (Conservative Party)
DATE OF BIRTH November 14, 1948
PLACE OF BIRTH Cheshunt , Hertfordshire