Charles Ritchie was a renowned Canadian diplomat whose career spanned some of the most significant events of the 20th century and, at the time of writing this brief entry, saw him stationed in London during the tumult of World War II. Amidst the chaos, Ritchie meticulously chronicled his experiences in a series of diaries that would eventually garner widespread acclaim when published. Yet, even for a diarist as accomplished as Ritchie, he occasionally grappled with self-doubt and questioned the authenticity of his own accounts.

The Diary Entry

4 December 1941

Thinking over what I have written. What a pack of lies intimate journals are, particularly if one tries too hard to be truthful.

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Further Reading

There are four volumes of Ritchie’s diaries:

• An Appetite for Life: The Education of a Young Diarist, 1924-1927
• The Siren Years: A Canadian Diplomat Abroad, 1937-1945
• Diplomatic Passport: More Undiplomatic Diaries, 1946-1962
• Storm Signals: More Undiplomatic Diaries, 1962-1971 

They are all fantastic but I recommend beginning with The Siren Years, which I believe to be the most entertaining and a good entry point. It was also the first to be published.

Also…

• Charles Ritchie at Wikipedia
• Charles Ritchie’s 1995 obituary in the Independent