18 DECEMBER 1982, Page 46

Alan Watkins

Tests of whether 1 am enjoying a book: Do I look forward to spending an evening with it? Do I then try to ration myself? Do I do this even if I am reviewing the book (com- pulsion being the enemy of enjoyment)? Susan Crosland's Tony Crosland (Cape) passed all three tests. She is one of those writers who appear to be trying to tell the truth rather than to create an effect. Patrick Marnham's The Private Eye Story (Deutsch) was excellent fun. I could not see why the Spectator's reviewer felt the need to be quite so pompous about it. Frank Johnson's selection Out of Order (Robson) is worth buying for the Introduction alone — a hilarious account of what he would laughingly call his career. ra