David Fingleton
When an Australian law graduate, now Geoffrey Robertson QC, decided to remain here and practise at the English bar after his studies at Oxford, he blew a breath of fresh air through our legal estab- lishment. His memoirs, The Justice Game (Chatto & Windus, £20), are a gripping read and demonstrate how wide is the ter- ritory he has covered since helping John Mortimer to defend Oz at the Old Bailey during his Oxford summer vacation. He has appeared in most leading civil rights cases in recent years — from ABC and Gay News to The Romans in Britain, Matrix Churchill, and Neil Hamilton MP and the Guardian — and if there are times when the thrust- ing advocate sounds rather pleased with himself, he certainly has plenty to be pleased about.
My best bedtime read of the year was Robert Harris's Archangel (Hutchinson, £16.99) which accounted for two sleepless nights. The plot, about searching for Joe Stalin's legacy, is a little far-fetched, but the Russian research is first-class, the char- acterisation powerful, and the local detail spot-on. Above all, it has tremendous pace, and yet is elegantly written. If only all thrillers were like this.
As the writer of a regular restaurant col- umn I depend on guides. There are several that are well researched and competently written, but the one that is also fun to read is Harden's London Restaurants 1999, (Hardens Guides, £7.95). Brothers Robert and Peter Harden left City jobs to research a London restaurant guide, with input from friends and contacts. Now, in its eighth edi- tion, reader input has become massive, but the Hardens still manage to visit almost every one of the 1,200 listed restaurants themselves. The result is not only authori- tative and accurate but also abounds in good sense and wit and does not hesitate to level strictures where due. This year's essay on 'The Chain Gang' (a guide to restaurant groups) gives particular pleasure.
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