Summary
Few newspaper editors are remembered beyond their lifetimes, but David Astor is a great exception to the rule. Growing up surrounded by astonishing wealth (the family home was so large it included a miniature railway to transport meals to the dining room) Astor’s early life was far from idyllic. At Oxford he suffered the first of the bouts of depression that were to blight his life, and he became a lost soul for much of the Thirties but when he took the Observer on in 1948 he converted a stai…
Book Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780099552123 |
|---|---|
| ISBN-10: | 0099552124 |
| Author: | Jeremy Lewis |
| Publisher: | Vintage Publishing |
| Imprint: | Vintage |
| Format: | Paperback |
| Number of Pages: | 432 |
| Release Date: | 15 March 2017 |
| Weight: | 593g |
| Dimensions: | 234mm x 153mm x 31mm |
You Can Find This Book In
What They're Saying
Critics Review
Jeremy Lewis has written a definitive account of Astor and his world. – Robert McCrum * Observer *
Lewis’s affectionate and endearing biography is also a nostalgic celebration of the liberal intelligentsia and metropolitan elite…from the 1940s to the 1970s. There are many rewards in this book, which is full of old Fleet Street gossip, big names and good jokes. – Richard Davenport-Hines * The Times *
Jeremy Lewis’s excellent new biography brings out both sides of this complex figure, tracing the contradictions of his character to his privileged but painfully conflicted upbringing… He gives a marvellous description of the golden age of the Observer. – John Campbell * Financial Times *
A fascinating, well-written and brilliantly researched account…. The book is a great achievement. – Piers Brendon
Excellent new biography. – Richard Astor * Observer *
Admiring yet fair biography… Gripping. – Nicholas Shakespeare * Daily Telegraph *
A lively, gossipy and affectionate biography. * The Economist *
Astor at last gets the posthumous recognition he deserves. * Oldie *
Jeremy Lewis brilliantly analyses the extraordinary family background and Astor’s won personality and manner. – Peter Wilby * New Statesman *
He [Lewis] masters several complex strands of material, writing confidently and entertainingly, while leaving Astor’s halo justifiably intact. – Andrew Lycett * Spectator *
About The Author
Jeremy Lewis
Jeremy Lewis, a former publisher and the deputy editor of the Oldie, has written three volumes of autobiography and biographies of Cyril Connolly, Tobias Smollett, and Allen Lane, the founder of Penguin Books. Shades of Greene- One Generation of an English Family was published by Cape in 2010.
Returns
This item is eligible for free returns within 30 days of delivery. See our returns policy for further details.