Cairncross differed from the other Cambridge spies in his political outlook and motivation; he didn't work closely with any of them. Suspected as the 'Fifth Man', his identity was confirmed ... read more
Beautifully attuned to her subject, CA unravels Sebald's work from his life with subtlety and sympathy. She has previously written a marvellous biography of Primo Levi.
Ambassador for Henry VIII, Lord Protector of Edward VI, queen-maker and marriage broker for Mary, Paget continued to wield influence at Elizabeth I's court. He kept his head - by a whisker -... read more
Slim but far-reaching memoir of the author's brush with suicide, framed as the consequence of familial trauma and isolation. Superbly written, this bears honourable comparison with William S... read more
A re-issue of this charming, episodic memoir of the great illustrator's early life, filled with his sketches; he himself called it "an autobiographical fragment". Published here in a pocket... read more
Hannah Arendt's first book was about one of the most important and complicated figures in German romanticism, although her gender and Jewishness set her uneasily amongst her contemporaries.