16 APRIL 1983, page 26

Sugar

John Braine Look Out, Doctor! Dr Robert Clifford (Pelham Books £7.95) 'W hat signifies,' says someone, 'giving halfpence to common beggars? TheY only lay it out in gin and......

Polymath

Peter Quennell Benjamin Franklin: A Biography Ronald W. Clark (Weidenfeld & Nicolson £18.50) D uring the second half of the 18th cen- tury, two foreigners, David Hume and......

Oscar

Frank Longford The Last Testament of Oscar Wilde Peter Ackroyd (Hamish Hamilton £7.95) T t is 50 years since I was asked to review a 'book for The Spectator. At that time I was......