The Indefatigable Asa Briggs

Asa Briggs’s energy fuelled him to write more than fifty books, including five formidable volumes on the history of broadcasting. At the zenith of his fame he was one of the best-known historians of his generation, his name on a cover a guarantee of substantial sales.

From humble beginnings in the back streets of Keighley, he rose to become a peer of the realm, one of the Great and the Good. He was Vice-Chancellor of Sussex, the most fashionable of the new universities, and Chancellor of the Open University, the largest. He became President of the Workers’ Educational Association, reflecting his deep commitment to a more equal society. His own life illustrated the power of education to overcome disadvantage.

But for all his success, his was also a story of frustration and disappointment. He took on too much, and in later life was unable to juggle his commitments as once he could. Moreover, the world around him had changed. Once at the centre of things, he found himself on the periphery.

The inner life of Asa Briggs was more turbulent than it appeared from the outside. Even those who thought they knew him well may be surprised by the revelations in this fascinating biography.

Adam Sisman worked in publishing before becoming a full-time writer. His last book, 'Boswell's Presumptuous Task', was awarded the National Book Critics Circle Award for biography and (like his first book, a biography of A.J.P. Taylor) was shortlisted for several other prizes on both sides of the Atlantic. He has acted as a judge for various prizes, including the Whitbread Awards, and is an occasional broadcaster on radio and television and a reviewer. He is married and lives near Bath.

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