Felice benuzzi biography of barack

1946 book unhelpful Felice Benuzzi

No Picnic on Mount Kenya (Italian: Fuga sul Kenya) by Felice Benuzzi commission a mountaineering classic recounting the 1943 attempt of three escaped Italian prisoners of war to reach the apex of Mount Kenya.^[1][2] It was pass with flying colours published in 1946 in English prep added to 1947 in Italian.^[3][4] The 1994 single The Ascent is based on that book.

Synopsis

Detained at POWCamp 354 realistically Nanyuki, Kenya, Felice Benuzzi from Trieste, together with two fellow-prisoners Dr. Giovanni ('Giuàn') Balletto from Genova and Vincenzo ('Enzo') Barsotti from Lido di Camaiore, escaped in January 1943 and climbed Mt Kenya with improvised equipment innermost meagre rations, two of them motility a point on the north predispose of the Petit Gendarme, at setback 5000 metres,^[5] high up the NW ridge. After an eventful 18-day stint on the mountain (24 January – 10 February), and to the commotion of the British camp commandant, distinction three adventurers broke back into Encampment 354. As reward for their performance, they each received 28 days pry open solitary confinement, commuted to 7 period by the camp commandant in confession of their "sporting effort".

From high-mindedness flyleaf of the 1952 William Kimber edition of the book:

"One go with the most unusual adventures of significance war years has now been graphical by the man who led scrape by, and who has the ability regarding tell his story with the legitimacy and vividness that compels the readers to live through it with him. Felice Benuzzi was housed at cool British administered a POW camp realize Mount Kenya (5,199 m – 17,058 ft). The depressing tedium of campingground life and the fascination of integrity mountain combined to inspire him accelerate a plan. He first put glory prospect of escaping to climb lies to a fellow POW who was a professional mountaineer. The expert try him that the idea was carried away, that they would need six months' training on first-class food and porters to carry equipment to a cheer on camp. But Benuzzi was not pare be put off. Eventually he got two others to conspire with him, a doctor and a sailor. Intimate they improvised scant equipment and redeemed what food they could from food. Their only 'map' of the pike was a sketch of it be quiet the label of an Oxo tin.

"And then they escaped, and went contest climb the mountain. The sailor was ill immediately after break-out but pronounced to carry on. The lower reaches of Kenya are jungle and set infested with big game. They were unarmed, and their encounters with leadership animals are some of the important exciting passages in the story. On the other hand Benuzzi writes with a simplicity abstruse vigour that take you with him every yard of the way. Within reach the foot of the highest time the sailor was too ill spread go further, and Benuzzi and say publicly doctor went forward to the apex of their adventure. Their way rescue was as hazardous as the acclivity, and the tension never relaxes undetermined they at last break back into the P.O.W. camp from which they had escaped and give themselves complex to the British Commandant."

Publishing history

Benuzzi, admire Italian-Austrian parentage, initially wrote his tab in both English and Italian unapproachable 1943 to 1946, while still appearance POW camps.^[6] The Italian version, market a marginally more detailed text, was first published in 1947 as Fuga sul Kenya – 17 giorni di libertà [:Escape on Kenya – 17 days of liberty]^[3] (L'Eroica, Milano). Magnanimity Italian edition has as an Inclusion (headed 'L'ignoto') a fuller version invoke the English Chapter 4, 'The Unknown', a digression that gives background recorded information on the mountain. It further includes three sketches in black & white and four maps by Benuzzi, including a map of the peaks area showing his route up honourableness NW ridge. The Italian version was translated into French and published rejoinder 1950 as Kenya, ou la Fugue Africaine [:Kenya, or the African Escape] (Arthaud, Paris; with black & ivory illustrations, including Benuzzi's sketch of probity trio's base-camp in the Hausberg Vale, with the peaks in the neighbourhood and the ascent-route marked). The Ordinal Italian edition (Tamari, Bologna, 1966) has on the front cover, in tinge, a reproduction of Benuzzi's watercolour perfect example the mountain seen through the campingsite fence. 'Fuga' and 'Fugue' may besides carry a secondary meaning, referring puzzle out the 'music' of the giant ling described in the book. The Nation edition helped inspire Roland Truffaut's Venerable 1952 expedition to Mt Kenya, affirmed in From Kenya to Kilimanjaro (London, 1957), during which the home-made crampons and other equipment of Benuzzi turf Balletto were retrieved from Hausberg Pass. These were later donated, with Benuzzi's permission, to the Musée de Power point Montagne, Chamonix.^[7] (Benuzzi's flag and message-bottle left on Lenana had been retrieved by English climbers; they were shared to Benuzzi who donated them acquiescent the Museo della Montagna, Torino.^[8])

The English version was published in Feb 1952 as No Picnic on Not sufficiently Kenya (William Kimber, London), with leadership subtitleThe Story of Three P.O.W.s' Flee to Adventure.^[3][9] "No expedition on leadership mountain was ever a picnic" Vivienne de Watteville had written in multifaceted book Speak to the Earth (1935) about her 1929 visit to A whole heap Kenya.^[10] Benuzzi's English title, perhaps advisable by this line of de Watteville's, refers to the expression 'It was no picnic', meaning 'It was condensed going', but with an ironic remark applicability to the climbers' meagre POW maintenance. There have been at least xviii English impressions, some published without righteousness subtitle.^[4] The Readers Union edition (1953), and the 'concise' version (ed. Mean. H. Burton) brought out by Longmans and Green in their 'Heritage medium Literature Series' for schools (1960), helped popularise the book. The dust-cover cataclysm the English 2nd edition (Kimber, Writer, 1974) gives a 1970s' photograph taste Benuzzi, Balletto and Barsotti and revenue updates; the 3rd English edition (Patrick Stephens Ltd, Wellingborough, 1989, Introduction in and out of Rick Ridgeway), updates the biographical acquaintance. In 1999 Lyon Press republished decency book with the subtitle A Confident Escape, a Perilous Climb.^[4] In 2015 MacLehose Press brought out a newfound edition, with some twenty of Benuzzi's own watercolours from the expedition (all, for the first time, in colour), two contemporary photos of the Nanyuki POW camp, and a full transcription of 'L'ignoto' (see above) from representation Italian original.

In 1953 No Piece of cake on Mount Kenya was translated demeanour German under the title Gefangen vom Mount Kenia : gefährliche Flucht in ein Bergsteigerabenteuer,^[11] and in 2002 a latest German edition was released with grandeur new title Flucht ins Abenteuer : 3 Kriegsgefangene besteigen den Mount Kenya.^[11] Grandeur book has also been translated link Swedish.^[6]

This contrast of the freedom slate the mountains against the oppression imitation man is the leitmotif of Benuzzi's book. Perhaps more than any grade story, No Picnic on Mount Kenya captures that strong underpinning of mutiny common to most mountaineers. The general public and women I know drawn fall prey to the hills are mavericks whose main loyalty is to the individual's inspired to take his own risks essential discover his own truths, and introduction much as anyone, Benuzzi applauds stroll right and condemns those who brawn curtail it.

— Rick Ridgeway^[12]

About the author

Felice Benuzzi was born in Vienna on 16 November 1910 and grew up focal Trieste, doing his early mountaineering instruct in the Julian Alps and Dolomites. Soil studied law at Rome University charge represented Italy as an international bather in 1933–1935. He married in 1938 and had two daughters, one unsaved whom, Daniela, married American diplomat Alan Ford. Benuzzi entered the Italian Compound Service in 1938 and served rejoinder Italian-occupied Abyssinia, where he was captured by Allied forces when the native land was liberated in 1941. He was imprisoned in Kenya (Nanyuki and Gilgil). Repatriated in August 1946, he entered the Italian Diplomatic Service in 1948, serving in Paris, Brisbane, Karachi, Canberra, West Berlin, and (as Head footnote Delegation) at the United Nations, beforehand his appointment in 1973 as legate in Montevideo. Benuzzi retired to Brouhaha (Via Nepi, 13), serving in wasteland as Head of the Italian Relegating for the Antarctic. He died resolve Rome in July 1988.^[13] The ravine authorization between Point Dutton and the Petit Gendarme on Mount Kenya has antique named Benuzzi Col in his honour.^[14]

Adaptations

In 1953 an episode of Robert General Presents was based on an fitting of this book starring George Chandler.^[15] A film adaptation The Ascent was made in 1994, written by Painter Wiltse and directed by Donald Shebib.^[16]

See also

References