Jeremy Lewis has written a definitive account of Astor and his world.

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.

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.

A fascinating, well-written and brilliantly researched account…. The book is a great achievement.

Excellent new biography.

Admiring yet fair biography… Gripping.

A lively, gossipy and affectionate biography.

Astor at last gets the posthumous recognition he deserves.

Jeremy Lewis brilliantly analyses the extraordinary family background and Astor’s won personality and manner.

He [Lewis] masters several complex strands of material, writing confidently and entertainingly, while leaving Astor’s halo justifiably intact.

Beautifully written… Lewis brilliantly evokes the golden age of a long-vanished Fleet Street.

Marvellous biography… Lewis Portrays Astor as a gifted amateur… This meticulously researched book takes us back to a lost age.

Lewis is an indefatigable, sharp-eyed researcher… With the publication of this book, David Astor the Editor is well celebrated. As a biographer, Jeremy Lewis is informative, entertaining and fair-minded.

Perceptive and absorbing biography.

[A] vivid, insightful and sometimes very funny biography… Essential reading, not just for present and aspiring editors, but for anybody who cares about newspapers.

Shot through with a magnificent sly humour.

[It] is well researched and an absorbing read.

The biggest disaster for any of the BBC’s news and current affairs slate would be The Yanis Varoufakis Show on another network

While this British Conservative minister might not agree with every single position adopted by this Greek radical socialist, I cannot but admire and applaud his courage and passion on behalf of genuinely progressive causes

The reason Varoufakis seems to have captured the imaginations of so many is that his words about the European crisis speak universal truths about democracy, capitalism and social policy

Like all great story tellers, Varoufakis’ literary flair is not just a function of stylistic prowess. He gets right inside the fears, desires and external constraints of the key players in the complex history of the Eurozone … Reading And The Weak Suffer What They Must? is like reading a gripping thriller. It is a page turner because the plot itself is a relentless sequence of astonishing twists and turns driven by the cunning ingenuity and hubristic folly of its key protagonists … This book is not just illuminating. It is a call to moral awakening and to intelligent, determined and humane political action

Beautifully illustrated… [It] overflows with entertaining detail.

Tinniswood uses lively local detail.

[It] combines a panoramic view of life and architecture in the interwar years with pin-sharp detail and the sort of springy prose that comes with complete command of the material.

This is a lively and hugely entertaining history… It’s packed with very funny anecdotes… A delight.

Tinniswood paints a vivid portrait of the period

A detailed and appreciated look at the phenomenon [of country houses]… Tinniswood writes elegantly, in complete charge of his material. The book is a joy to hold in your hand.

Wittily written and beautifully illustrated, Tinniswood’s book recreates a world far more peculiar, but at times rather more enviable, than any fictional version.

[A] compelling volume of social history.

[A] brilliant book about life in the English country house.

A scandal-packed glimpse into the glamourous Downton Abbey-esque world of English country houses… ****

A probing psychological account.