| Thomas Pakenham | |
|---|---|
| Born | 14 August 1933 |
| Tenure | 3 August 2001 - present (10 years, 201 days) |
| Predecessor | Frank Pakenham |
| Spouse(s) | Valerie Susan Scott |
| Parents | 7th Earl of Longford Elizabeth Harman |
Thomas Francis Dermot Pakenham, 8th Earl of Longford (born 14 August 1933), known simply as Thomas Pakenham, is an Irish historian and arborist who has written several prize-winning books on the diverse subjects of Victorian and post-Victorian British history and trees. He is the son of Frank Pakenham, 7th Earl of Longford, a Labour minister and human rights campaigner, and Elizabeth Longford. He has seven siblings, among them Lady Antonia Fraser, a writer who was married to playwright Harold Pinter; Lady Rachel Billington, also a writer and married to director Kevin Billington; Judith Kazantzis, a poet; and Kevin Pakenham, who currently works in the City of London. He is also the cousin of Labour deputy leader, Harriet Harman.
Thomas Pakenham does not use his title and did not use his courtesy title before succeeding his father. However, he has not disclaimed his British titles under the Peerage Act 1963, and the Irish peerages cannot be disclaimed as they are not covered by the Act. He is unable to sit in the House of Lords as a hereditary peer as his father had, due to the House of Lords Act 1999, as his father was created a life peer in addition to his hereditary title in order to be able to retain his seat.
He married Valerie Susan Scott in 1964 and they have four children:
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After graduating from Belvedere College and Magdalen College, Oxford, in 1955 Thomas Pakenham travelled to Ethiopia, a trip which is described in his first book The Mountains of Rasselas. On returning to Britain, he worked on the editorial staff of the Times Educational Supplement and later for the Sunday Telegraph and The Observer. He currently divides his time between London and County Westmeath, Ireland, where he is the chairman of the Irish Tree Society and honorary custodian of Tullynally Castle.
The Scramble for Africa: The White Man's Conquest of the Dark Continent from 1876 to 1912 is a comprehensive and popular history of the Scramble for Africa. The book's central theme is the contrast between the humanitarian motives of David Livingstone, and the profit-taking of King Léopold, and how the different players dealt with the conflict. The book addresses underlying motives and economics, without losing sight of the individuals whose personalities and actions drove much of the Scramble. It has been reprinted a number of times since its first appearance in 1990.
Books authored or co-authored by Thomas Pakenham:
| Peerage of Ireland | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Frank Pakenham |
Earl of Longford 2001– |
Succeeded by Incumbent |
| Peerage of the United Kingdom | ||
| Preceded by Frank Pakenham |
Baron Pakenham 2001– |
Succeeded by Incumbent |