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Hermione, Countess of Ranfurly, kept a diary for seventy five years, and To War with Whitaker guides us through the most adventurous, most defiant, and most valiant of those years. Hermione and Dan Ranfurly married only months before the Second World War erupted. So when Dan was posted to the Middle East, taking only their faithful butler Whitaker with him, Hermione resolved to join them there. This memoir showcases astounding displays of commitment and independence; after vowing not to go home without her husband, Hermione travelled alone from Cape Town to Palestine for the six years he was imprisoned, meeting many notable characters along the way.With wit and exuberance Hermione's diary entries take us To War with Whitaker and back again, providing sharp insight of the strong and outspoken woman she always was.
About the author
Hermione, Countess of Ranfurly, OBE, was the British author of
To War With Whitaker: The Wartime Diaries of the Countess of Ranfurly, 1939-1945. In 1957, Lady Ranfurly extended the Ranfurly Library Service project to other developing countries short on English books; the organization later changed its name to Book Aid International. She was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the 1970 New Year Honours. She enjoyed her old age, noting "you have so many more memories than when you are young". She died at her home in Buckinghamshire on 11 February 2001 at the age of 87.
