Paul Britten Austin | |
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Born | Dawlish, Devon, England | 5 April 1922
Died | 25 July 2005 | (aged 83)
Education | Winchester College |
Occupation(s) | Translator, broadcaster, administrator, scholar of Swedish literature |
Spouse | Margareta Bergman |
Awards | North Star, Swedish Academy's Special Prize & Interpretation Prize |
Paul Britten Austin (5 April 1922 – 25 July 2005[1]) was an English author, translator, broadcaster, administrator, and scholar of Swedish literature.
He is known in particular for his translations of and books on the Swedish musician, singer and poet Carl Michael Bellman, including his prizewinning book The Life and Songs of Carl Michael Bellman. He also translated books by many other Swedish authors.
Alongside his work on Swedish literature, Austin spent 25 years assembling a trilogy of history books, 1812: Napoleon's Invasion of Russia, telling the story of Napoleon Bonaparte's failed campaign entirely through eyewitness accounts.