Arnold Lunn

Born in London in 1888, Arnold Lunn became one of the key early figures in British skiing. He is widely credited with helping develop modern slalom racing and with promoting alpine sport through organizing, writing, and advocacy. He was knighted in 1952 for services to British skiing and Anglo-Swiss relations.

Lunn was also a remarkably productive author, writing on far more than sport. Alongside books on skiing and mountaineering, he published travel writing, memoir, and religious apologetics. His conversion to Roman Catholicism became an important part of his public life, and he took part in well-known debates about belief and skepticism.

For listeners coming to him as an author, what stands out is the mix of firsthand adventure and strong-minded argument. Whether he was describing snow, mountains, or ideas, he wrote with the confidence of someone who had been deeply involved in the worlds he described.