Felice benuzzi biography of martin luther

1946 book toddler Felice Benuzzi

No Picnic on Mount Kenya (Italian: Fuga sul Kenya) by Felice Benuzzi shambles a mountaineering classic recounting the 1943 attempt of three escaped Italian prisoners of war to reach the cap of Mount Kenya.^[1][2] It was chief published in 1946 in English standing 1947 in Italian.^[3][4] The 1994 ep The Ascent is based on that book.

Synopsis

Detained at POWCamp 354 proximate 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 tell off meagre rations, two of them movement a point on the north cheek of the Petit Gendarme, at examine 5000 metres,^[5] high up the NW ridge. After an eventful 18-day transcribe on the mountain (24 January – 10 February), and to the amazement of the British camp commandant, greatness three adventurers broke back into Camping-ground 354. As reward for their performance, they each received 28 days occupy solitary confinement, commuted to 7 period by the camp commandant in confession of their "sporting effort".

From greatness flyleaf of the 1952 William Kimber edition of the book:

"One admire the most unusual adventures of significance war years has now been designed by the man who led tad, and who has the ability contempt tell his story with the correctness and vividness that compels the readers to live through it with him. Felice Benuzzi was housed at pure British administered a POW camp corresponding Mount Kenya (5,199 m – 17,058 ft). The depressing tedium of campingground life and the fascination of decency mountain combined to inspire him zone a plan. He first put authority prospect of escaping to climb right to a fellow POW who was a professional mountaineer. The expert sonorous him that the idea was like one possessed, that they would need six months' training on first-class food and porters to carry equipment to a mould camp. But Benuzzi was not add up be put off. Eventually he got two others to conspire with him, a doctor and a sailor. Restricted they improvised scant equipment and blessed what food they could from subsistence. Their only 'map' of the deal was a sketch of it take as read the label of an Oxo tin.

"And then they escaped, and went pileup climb the mountain. The sailor was ill immediately after break-out but marked to carry on. The lower reaches of Kenya are jungle and plant infested with big game. They were unarmed, and their encounters with ethics animals are some of the maximum exciting passages in the story. However Benuzzi writes with a simplicity bracket vigour that take you with him every yard of the way. Horizontal the foot of the highest end the sailor was too ill allot go further, and Benuzzi and greatness doctor went forward to the offence of their adventure. Their way guzzle was as hazardous as the arena, and the tension never relaxes unconfirmed they at last break back into the P.O.W. camp from which they had escaped and give themselves hurtle to the British Commandant."

Publishing history

Benuzzi, support Italian-Austrian parentage, initially wrote his be concerned about in both English and Italian foreigner 1943 to 1946, while still demonstrate POW camps.^[6] The Italian version, take out 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). Depiction Italian edition has as an Affixing (headed 'L'ignoto') a fuller version pageant the English Chapter 4, 'The Unknown', a digression that gives background verifiable information on the mountain. It additionally includes three sketches in black & white and four maps by Benuzzi, including a map of the peaks area showing his route up rank NW ridge. The Italian version was translated into French and published hit down 1950 as Kenya, ou la Fugue Africaine [:Kenya, or the African Escape] (Arthaud, Paris; with black & chalky illustrations, including Benuzzi's sketch of birth trio's base-camp in the Hausberg Hole, with the peaks in the history and the ascent-route marked). The Ordinal Italian edition (Tamari, Bologna, 1966) has on the front cover, in hue, a reproduction of Benuzzi's watercolour allround the mountain seen through the encampment fence. 'Fuga' and 'Fugue' may further carry a secondary meaning, referring top the 'music' of the giant colouring described in the book. The Land edition helped inspire Roland Truffaut's Sage 1952 expedition to Mt Kenya, stated doubtful in From Kenya to Kilimanjaro (London, 1957), during which the home-made crampons and other equipment of Benuzzi ray Balletto were retrieved from Hausberg Defile. These were later donated, with Benuzzi's permission, to the Musée de Dispirit Montagne, Chamonix.^[7] (Benuzzi's flag and message-bottle left on Lenana had been retrieved by English climbers; they were mutual to Benuzzi who donated them kind the Museo della Montagna, Torino.^[8])

The English version was published in Feb 1952 as No Picnic on Function Kenya (William Kimber, London), with representation subtitleThe Story of Three P.O.W.s' Flee to Adventure.^[3][9] "No expedition on grandeur mountain was ever a picnic" Vivienne de Watteville had written in in return book Speak to the Earth (1935) about her 1929 visit to Not very Kenya.^[10] Benuzzi's English title, perhaps recommended by this line of de Watteville's, refers to the expression 'It was no picnic', meaning 'It was positive going', but with an ironic connection to the climbers' meagre POW fodder. There have been at least 18 English impressions, some published without justness subtitle.^[4] The Readers Union edition (1953), and the 'concise' version (ed. Fierce. H. Burton) brought out by Longmans and Green in their 'Heritage take away Literature Series' for schools (1960), helped popularise the book. The dust-cover be more or less the English 2nd edition (Kimber, Author, 1974) gives a 1970s' photograph lecture Benuzzi, Balletto and Barsotti and biography updates; the 3rd English edition (Patrick Stephens Ltd, Wellingborough, 1989, Introduction brush aside Rick Ridgeway), updates the biographical realization. In 1999 Lyon Press republished representation book with the subtitle A Courage Escape, a Perilous Climb.^[4] In 2015 MacLehose Press brought out a pristine 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 construction of 'L'ignoto' (see above) from excellence Italian original.

In 1953 No Garden party on Mount Kenya was translated take a break German under the title Gefangen vom Mount Kenia : gefährliche Flucht in ein Bergsteigerabenteuer,^[11] and in 2002 a newborn German edition was released with illustriousness new title Flucht ins Abenteuer : 3 Kriegsgefangene besteigen den Mount Kenya.^[11] Depiction book has also been translated arrive at Swedish.^[6]

This contrast of the freedom be a devotee of the mountains against the oppression appreciated man is the leitmotif of Benuzzi's book. Perhaps more than any mounting story, No Picnic on Mount Kenya captures that strong underpinning of revolution common to most mountaineers. The soldiers and women I know drawn achieve the hills are mavericks whose paramount loyalty is to the individual's without delay to take his own risks arena discover his own truths, and sort much as anyone, Benuzzi applauds delay right and condemns those who fortitude curtail it.

— Rick Ridgeway^[12]

About the author

Felice Benuzzi was born in Vienna on 16 November 1910 and grew up hurt Trieste, doing his early mountaineering constant worry the Julian Alps and Dolomites. Closure studied law at Rome University illustrious represented Italy as an international bather in 1933–1935. He married in 1938 and had two daughters, one living example whom, Daniela, married American diplomat Alan Ford. Benuzzi entered the Italian Inhabitants Service in 1938 and served sham Italian-occupied Abyssinia, where he was captured by Allied forces when the territory 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 devotee Delegation) at the United Nations, beforehand his appointment in 1973 as delegate in Montevideo. Benuzzi retired to Brouhaha (Via Nepi, 13), serving in giving up work as Head of the Italian Authorisation for the Antarctic. He died bring into being Rome in July 1988.^[13] The identity card 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 Writer Presents was based on an reading of this book starring George Chandler.^[15] A film adaptation The Ascent was made in 1994, written by King Wiltse and directed by Donald Shebib.^[16]

See also

References