We are living in a Hesiodic golden age for biographies. Name your favorite dead person, and I will give you the ISBN of a good biography of him written in the last 20 years. The obscurity of your enthusiasms be damned: I assure you that someone has written at least a short, competent life. Even the quixotic British parliamentarians Enoch Powell and Michael Foot, two of my favorite post-war politicians, have received the deluxe, 600-plus page treatment. (As I write this, a sly rogue named Rory Stewart is working on a joint biography of both men, having doubtless figured out that there are enough of us Powellite cum Footians to ensure that a few thousand copies get moved.)
Martin Walther examines Richard Bradford’s new bio of Martin Amis.

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  1. rifflenonfiction reblogged this from millionsmillions
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  3. stillsavage said: Powellites? Jesus Christ, I wouldn’t admit to that quite so loudly if I were him.
  4. millionsmillions posted this