MS 322 Papers of Sidney Sugarman

Sidney Sugarman

Sidney Sugarman was born in London in 1908 to Polish and Lithuanian immigrant parents. He attended London’s Regent Street Polytechnic. During the Second World War he wrote and published technical handbooks for Standard Telephones and Cables, which were engaged in the manufacture of military equipment.

From 1948 to 1968, he was the proprietor of the firm Edgar Backus, booksellers. Sugarman’s profession enabled him to build up a substantial reference library. Sugarman’s specialism was Middle East history during first half of the twentieth century, especially 1914-22, and he produced a number of publications on this subject.

Sugarman represented the Speakers’ Panel of the Board of Deputies of British Jews; was a founder member of Leicester B’nai Brith and it cultural organiser; secretary of the Bournemouth Council of Christians and Jews and vice-Chairman and information officer for the Bournemouth Jewish Representative Council.

From 1975 to 1981, he broadcast ‘Morning Thoughts’ for Jewish Holy Week on South of England BBC Radio. He worked with Revd James Parkes and with Diana Bailey compiled A bibliography of the printed works of James Parkes (Southampton University Press). From July 1966 to February 1982, he was a regular contributor to the Jewish Observer and Middle East Review.

About the collection

Sugarman’s papers have been divided into four main sections: personal material, correspondence, working papers and printed/published material, although there is, in fact, great overlap between all sections and indeed between individual files.

Sugarman’s papers include correspondence with the Council of Christians and Jews, Jon Kimche (The New Middle East); Terence Pritte (Britain and Israel); Maurice Samuelson (Jewish Observer and Middle East Review and Financial Times); with Revd Dr James and Dorothy Parkes; with Diana Bailey; and with several television and radio companies. His correspondence with the latter is mostly regarding attempts to get his research published and in protest against what he saw as the biassed reporting of the Middle East situation in the media. The collection also includes many typescripts of his works plus newspaper cuttings and other printed material relative to his research. His interest in and concern regarding Middle East affairs is paramount throughout his research. He also focused particularly on the life of T.E.Lawrence (‘Lawrence of Arabia’).

Former references:

A2005

Size:

11 boxes