Reward in the listings
Sir: Until I read Christopher Hitchens' complaint about Anthony Howard's review of his own book (Letters, 19 June), I had decided to swallow my irritation about Howard's review of my book, Tiny Row- land: A Rebel Tycoon (29 May). But since Hitchens' complaint is identical to my own, I will ignore the truism that authors' com- plaints are boring. For Howard, I believe, is guilty of something worse than casual care- lessness.
In the review of my book, Howard com- plained that my 'timing was wrong' about a telephone conversation between Rowland and himself. Now, just as in Hitchens' case, the clearly noted source of that date was Howard himself. The 'mistake' was either Howard's originally or, as I suspect, in writ- ing his review he sought credence to bolster his otherwise unprovable complaint that my accuracy about Rowland and the Observer was 'wobbly'.
In fact, it is Howard's detail which was wobbly. To prove that I am a political ingenue, he further insisted that Rowland was on good terms with Mrs Thatcher until March 1985 when Tebbit 'fatally waved through' the Fayeds' bid for the House of Fraser. In truth, the breach between Row- land and Thatcher occurred 15 months, ear- lier in January 1984 when the Observer launched its serial attack on Mark Thatch- er's commercial activities in the Oman and allegedly implicated Mrs Thatcher in secret lobbying.
Was Howard merely careless or some- thing worse? Just as in Hitchens' case, my book also contains a particular criticism of Howard. Namely that, like Donald Trelford and Melvyn Marckus, Howard did not effectively resist Rowland's interference in the newspaper's content. Howard — I quoted an Observer journalist — was 'virtu- ally saluting at his desk when Tiny rang'. Significantly, Howard subsequently said that he did not appreciate my inclusion of that comment.
Since Howard's flawed review, I have re- read several of his past oeuvres. With few exceptions, the formula is identical: faint praise damned with apparently authorita- tive, factual corrections suggesting incom- petent authorship.
Unlike Hitchens, I do not seek an apolo- gy or another review. My reward is that, unlike Howard's literary offerings, my book is on the bestseller list.
Tom Bower
10 Thurlow Road, London NW3
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