John Grigg
Two excellent memoirs: John Rae's Delusions of Grandeur (HarperCollins, £16.99) and Alistair Horne's A Bundle from Britain (Macmillan, £17.99). Rae, who was headmaster of Westminster for 16 years, gives an admirably candid (though not vulgarly tell-all) account of his life. Writing with a light, ironic touch he shows how much the successful exercise of authority depends upon bluff and luck. What he reveals about the problems of running a school is clearly applicable to other forms of power. Home's book is an unusual story of childhood and adolescence. A poor little rich boy, unhappy at home and at school, he was sent to America in 1940. There he found human warmth in abundance, but nevertheless often felt isolated, and was embarrassed at not being in his own coun- try during an epic period. He has the streak of masochism necessary for honest auto- biography.
Most overrated books? Any that are not written by the supposed authors. Since John F. Kennedy was awarded a Pulitzer prize for a book he didn't write this rotten practice has been gaining ground relent- lessly.
Previous page
