Andrew Mango | |
|---|---|
 Mango in 2009 at a conference inAnkara, Turkey | |
| Born | 14 June 1926 Istanbul, Turkey |
| Died | 6 July 2014(2014-07-06) (aged 88) London, United Kingdom |
| Occupation | Author |
| Language | English, Turkish |
| Nationality | British |
| Education | English High School for Boys |
| Alma mater | SOAS, University of London |
| Notable awards | Order of Merit of the Republic of Turkey (1998) |
Andrew James Alexander Mango (14 June 1926 – 6 July 2014) was a British BBC employee and author.
Andrew Mango was born inIstanbul, one of three sons of Alexander Mango, an Italian-Greek barrister and hisWhite Russian wife Adelaide Damonov; the ByzantinistCyril Mango was his younger brother. He was brought up in Istanbul and mastered a number of languages.[1] Mango graduated from theEnglish High School for Boys in Istanbul. He held degrees from theSchool of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, including a doctorate inPersian literature. He moved to theUnited Kingdom in 1947 and lived inLondon until his death.[1]
Mango worked as a press officer in the British Embassy atAnkara. He joined theBBC World Service as a student and spent his entire career in the External Services, rising to be Turkish Programme Organiser and then Head of the South European Service. He retired in 1986.[2] He died at the age of 88 on 6 July 2014. His death was announced byRichard Moore, the British Ambassador to Turkey.[2][3]
His background in Persian and Arabic studies allowed Mango to masterOttoman Turkish. He wrote his PhD thesis at theSOAS onAlexander the Great. Where he later throughout his career would also lecture as guest, and advise on modern Turkish studies.
Mango published his first book in 1968, while he was working for the BBC. After his retirement his productivity increased. His book onKemal Atatürk, from 1999, established an international reputation.[5] The biography was notably translated into Persian byHooshmand Dehghan[6][7] and has been reprinted several times in Iran.[8]
