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A Very English Scandal: Sex, Lies and a Murder Plot at the Heart of the Establishment
Behind oak-panelled doors in the House of Commons, men with cut-glass accents and gold signet rings are conspiring to murder. It's the late 1960s and homosexuality has only just been legalised, and Jeremy Thorpe, the leader of the Liberal party, has a secret he's desperate to hide. As long as Norman Scott, his beautiful, unstable lover is around, Thorpe's brilliant career is at risk. With the help of his fellow politicians, Thorpe schemes, deceives, embezzles - until he can see only one way to silence Scott for good.
The trial of Jeremy Thorpe changed our society forever: it was the moment the British public discovered the truth about its political class. Illuminating the darkest secrets of the Establishment, the Thorpe affair revealed such breath-taking deceit and corruption in an entire section of British society that, at the time, hardly anyone dared believe it could be true.
The trial of Jeremy Thorpe changed our society forever: it was the moment the British public discovered the truth about its political class. Illuminating the darkest secrets of the Establishment, the Thorpe affair revealed such breath-taking deceit and corruption in an entire section of British society that, at the time, hardly anyone dared believe it could be true.
340 pages, Hardcover
First published May 5, 2016
About the author
John Preston
15 books150 followersJohn Preston is the arts editor and television critic of the Sunday Telegraph. He is the author of three highly acclaimed novels, including Kings of the Roundhouse (2005), and a travel book, Touching the Moon. He lives in London.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 470 reviews
January 19, 2019
If you were in any doubt about how the British establishment protects its own, then this book will dispel any lingering doubts.
I had only hazy memories of “the Thorpe affair” from my teenage years. I had other things on my mind. The Thorpe affair of the 1970s was a British political and sex scandal that ended the career of Jeremy Thorpe, the leader of the Liberal Party and MP for North Devon. Calling this book 'A Very English Scandal' is particularly apt as a combination of the era's anti-homosexual attitudes and legislation, along with class and privilege, make for a very English story.
Behind the confident, urbane public figure of Jeremy Thorpe lay a repressed homosexual, who was up to his neck in subterfuge and intrigue, and ultimately became embroiled in a high profile court case to answer charges of conspiracy to murder and incitement to murder.
This wonderfully engrossing and informative book takes the reader through a step by step journey, from Thorpe's earliest days, and to the scandal which ultimately led to to his political destruction. The small compromises and deceits, many seemingly insignificant, by Thorpe’s friends and confidants, many of whom were in thrall to him, are brilliantly evoked. These compromises also destroyed many of his associates, as well as Thorpe himself.
Ultimately Thorpe was found not guilty but many were, rightly, unconvinced that justice had been done and Thorpe was effectively frozen out of public life. There's a strong suggestion that the not guilty verdict was a worse punishment for Thorpe, who hated being marginalised for the remainder of his life.
'A Very English Scandal' is as readable as any novel and, for anyone interested in the era, it's a very compelling, accessible and enjoyable read. A real page turner, and a very entertaining mix of drama, tragedy and farce.
5/5
I had only hazy memories of “the Thorpe affair” from my teenage years. I had other things on my mind. The Thorpe affair of the 1970s was a British political and sex scandal that ended the career of Jeremy Thorpe, the leader of the Liberal Party and MP for North Devon. Calling this book 'A Very English Scandal' is particularly apt as a combination of the era's anti-homosexual attitudes and legislation, along with class and privilege, make for a very English story.
Behind the confident, urbane public figure of Jeremy Thorpe lay a repressed homosexual, who was up to his neck in subterfuge and intrigue, and ultimately became embroiled in a high profile court case to answer charges of conspiracy to murder and incitement to murder.
This wonderfully engrossing and informative book takes the reader through a step by step journey, from Thorpe's earliest days, and to the scandal which ultimately led to to his political destruction. The small compromises and deceits, many seemingly insignificant, by Thorpe’s friends and confidants, many of whom were in thrall to him, are brilliantly evoked. These compromises also destroyed many of his associates, as well as Thorpe himself.
Ultimately Thorpe was found not guilty but many were, rightly, unconvinced that justice had been done and Thorpe was effectively frozen out of public life. There's a strong suggestion that the not guilty verdict was a worse punishment for Thorpe, who hated being marginalised for the remainder of his life.
'A Very English Scandal' is as readable as any novel and, for anyone interested in the era, it's a very compelling, accessible and enjoyable read. A real page turner, and a very entertaining mix of drama, tragedy and farce.
5/5
November 10, 2016
John Preston writes from real-life events, in this case a very public murder trial involving a homosexual Member of Parliament, Jeremy Thorpe, and his liaisons during the 1960s and 70s. The case highlights the difficulties faced by closeted gays where anti-sodomy laws were still on the books, though in the summer of 1967, homosexuality was no longer outlawed between consenting adults at least 21 years of age. But passing a law is not the same as eliminating the stigma of the designation, and gays in politics were reluctant to let their sexual preferences be known lest their bid for reelection be lost.
The case of Jeremy Thorpe, elected the youngest leader of the Liberal Party in a century, was a complicated and sordid affair. To hide an earlier sexual liaison with a handsome but unstable young man, Thorpe engaged his friends and colleagues in a scheme to kill the man to prevent news of his homosexuality emerging. It is a remarkable bit of research for a case nearly fifty years old.
Thorpe was apparently a talented politician, though as I remarked in a review about Ben MacIntyre’s account of Kim Philby, charm is hard to understand unless we see/experience it. Anyway, Thorpe had a good name for faces and was a good conversationalist, but he wasn’t a very good minister and he was a bad friend, casual with relationships, and greedy for power at any cost.
What was queer about this true crime story was the compliance of Thorpe’s colleagues and hangers-on. Preston posits that one colleague and friend, Peter Bessell, was so interested in preserving Thorpe’s warm attentions that he consistently did things against his own interests. In Preston’s narrative, Bessell was a worthy friend though a weak and incompetent man, money running like water through his hands, losing his inheritance and many loans several times with get-rich schemes that never seemed to work out.
The case went to court, and an ambitious lawyer took Thorpe’s defense. Thorpe was acquitted of the attempted murder, but he lost his seat and wasn’t ever able to regain his previous standing. Thorpe imagined that he would lose his leadership role because he was homosexual, but in fact he lost it because he was a conniving, murderous liar with no great ambition except to further his power.
The research into this period and people was painstakingly thorough and intimate. Near the end, in the hardcover bound edition, I came across several pages of excellent reprinted glossy photographs I hadn’t realized were there. They add a necessary visual component to the characters in the drama, rounding out our impressions of the persons herein described.
The book came out this year, released in the U.S. this fall by Other Press. If a reader has any interest in how murder comes to be contemplated, this is an excellent introduction. For writers, it may be a useful character study to see just what combination of traits and events can push someone to the edge. Just be aware that if you are unhappy over elections or do-nothing ambitious politicians with revolting personal failings, this may just send you over the edge. I really admired what Preston was able to do to recreate the conditions for murder, but I can't say I enjoyed reading about a(nother) corrupt politician. Bad timing.
The case of Jeremy Thorpe, elected the youngest leader of the Liberal Party in a century, was a complicated and sordid affair. To hide an earlier sexual liaison with a handsome but unstable young man, Thorpe engaged his friends and colleagues in a scheme to kill the man to prevent news of his homosexuality emerging. It is a remarkable bit of research for a case nearly fifty years old.
Thorpe was apparently a talented politician, though as I remarked in a review about Ben MacIntyre’s account of Kim Philby, charm is hard to understand unless we see/experience it. Anyway, Thorpe had a good name for faces and was a good conversationalist, but he wasn’t a very good minister and he was a bad friend, casual with relationships, and greedy for power at any cost.
What was queer about this true crime story was the compliance of Thorpe’s colleagues and hangers-on. Preston posits that one colleague and friend, Peter Bessell, was so interested in preserving Thorpe’s warm attentions that he consistently did things against his own interests. In Preston’s narrative, Bessell was a worthy friend though a weak and incompetent man, money running like water through his hands, losing his inheritance and many loans several times with get-rich schemes that never seemed to work out.
The case went to court, and an ambitious lawyer took Thorpe’s defense. Thorpe was acquitted of the attempted murder, but he lost his seat and wasn’t ever able to regain his previous standing. Thorpe imagined that he would lose his leadership role because he was homosexual, but in fact he lost it because he was a conniving, murderous liar with no great ambition except to further his power.
The research into this period and people was painstakingly thorough and intimate. Near the end, in the hardcover bound edition, I came across several pages of excellent reprinted glossy photographs I hadn’t realized were there. They add a necessary visual component to the characters in the drama, rounding out our impressions of the persons herein described.
The book came out this year, released in the U.S. this fall by Other Press. If a reader has any interest in how murder comes to be contemplated, this is an excellent introduction. For writers, it may be a useful character study to see just what combination of traits and events can push someone to the edge. Just be aware that if you are unhappy over elections or do-nothing ambitious politicians with revolting personal failings, this may just send you over the edge. I really admired what Preston was able to do to recreate the conditions for murder, but I can't say I enjoyed reading about a(nother) corrupt politician. Bad timing.
April 29, 2017
This would be unbelievable if it weren't a true story! I only had a vague idea of the Jeremy Thorpe affair and envy those who lived through it as a live news story. Preston has done a superb job of reconstructing the case which involves gay sex (at a time when it was officially illegal), blackmail, lies, fraud and an outrageous murder conspiracy, all taking place within the highest echelons of Parliament and the Liberal party.
Preston allows the characters to be complicated, not least Thorpe himself, who stood against apartheid, for example, yet thought nothing of abusing his own privileged status and conducted himself throughout with an unassailable sense of entitlement.
The misconduct, hypocrisy, bare-faced lies and criminal behaviour of MPs is breathtakingly, even to a contemporary audience with a cynical view of the political establishment. And Preston doesn't pass up the opportunity to remind us that some of the players have only recently been uncovered as being involved in child abuse at the time of this story.
Truly, if this had been the plot of a fiction book I would have been scathingly deriding its unbelievability! A brilliantly readable account of a political scandal, and a wry reconstruction of a moment in history which saw the demise of the Liberal party and the election of Margaret Thatcher. I suspect this will be one of my non-fiction favourites of the year.
Preston allows the characters to be complicated, not least Thorpe himself, who stood against apartheid, for example, yet thought nothing of abusing his own privileged status and conducted himself throughout with an unassailable sense of entitlement.
The misconduct, hypocrisy, bare-faced lies and criminal behaviour of MPs is breathtakingly, even to a contemporary audience with a cynical view of the political establishment. And Preston doesn't pass up the opportunity to remind us that some of the players have only recently been uncovered as being involved in child abuse at the time of this story.
Truly, if this had been the plot of a fiction book I would have been scathingly deriding its unbelievability! A brilliantly readable account of a political scandal, and a wry reconstruction of a moment in history which saw the demise of the Liberal party and the election of Margaret Thatcher. I suspect this will be one of my non-fiction favourites of the year.
March 23, 2021
I CHECKED THE EBOOK EDITION OUT FROM MY LOCAL LIBRARY. USE THE LIBRARY, FOLKS, THEY NEED US!
The Emmy-winning TV series available on Amazon is an ideal adaptation of the story told in this book.
The morality play that was Jeremy Thorpe's life is hard to misunderstand: Bisexual in a time when any taint of same-sex love was fatal to a career in any walk of publis life, Thorpe resorted to attempted murder of his younger, unstable ex-lover when he reached power in Parliament. Like any good scandal, this one only *starts* with the title event; as proceedings widen their cast, many renowned British figures of the era are mentions...men whose own sexual misdeeds far, far exceeded Thorpe's consensual buggery. Ironically, Thorpe's attempt to forestall scandal is what brought him down (shades of Nixon and Trump!), as he was acquitted of the charge of attempted murder but was never again any force in British politics.
A thumping good read, a slice of history that we cannot seem to keep from replaying, and a story to make one grateful the world has changed as much as it has.
The Emmy-winning TV series available on Amazon is an ideal adaptation of the story told in this book.
The morality play that was Jeremy Thorpe's life is hard to misunderstand: Bisexual in a time when any taint of same-sex love was fatal to a career in any walk of publis life, Thorpe resorted to attempted murder of his younger, unstable ex-lover when he reached power in Parliament. Like any good scandal, this one only *starts* with the title event; as proceedings widen their cast, many renowned British figures of the era are mentions...men whose own sexual misdeeds far, far exceeded Thorpe's consensual buggery. Ironically, Thorpe's attempt to forestall scandal is what brought him down (shades of Nixon and Trump!), as he was acquitted of the charge of attempted murder but was never again any force in British politics.
A thumping good read, a slice of history that we cannot seem to keep from replaying, and a story to make one grateful the world has changed as much as it has.
June 8, 2019
Jeremy Thorpe was a highly respected politician, who was a member of parliament between 1959 and 1979, and leader of the Liberal Party between 1967 and 1976.
On the surface he was a young talent - in parliamentary terms - whose natural charm and ability to have people want to serve and work with him belied a far more complex and dangerous character.
The 1960s into the mid-1970s was still very much a time where people in positions of authority and professions were revered and respected. The background to the 1960s is really one of establishment and trying to comes to terms with change and is far less freer as is ordinarily painted; in truth the 1970s reaps the real changes in laws and acceptance of what the 1960s strove to change around women's rights, employment rights and sexuality for example.
It is this era of respect, reverence and slow change that binds the story of Jeremy Thorpe to his eventual downfall. Thorpe was a homosexual - something still illegal and quite unacceptable in the early 1960s in mainstream life let alone for a MP then and into the 1970s.
In 1961 he met a young man called Norman Josiffe (later Norman Scott), and began a sexual relationship with him. From here the story begins and we see the challenges to both men and the behaviour: both unstable, worried, anxious, deeply disturbed and convinced they are behaving in their best interests.
What follows in this fine book by John Preston is a story that reads like a fictional politico-thriller. We read of Scott's life in mental and sexual turmoil and his attempts to have returned by Thorpe a important National Insurance Card (something in 1960s Britain that without one cannot legally work). Thorpe however, has friends and others help him both to support Scott financially as well as keep him away from him and his public life.
Central to the plot and events are a series of letters written by Scott, Thorpe and latterly Peter Bessell - himself a successful and influential MP who is deeply loyal to Thorpe and also befriends Scott; to me he is a lost soul who suffers too much for Thorpe and certainly helps Bessell's mental and health decline as his involvement in the Thorpe/Scott affair continues. Bessell is a nice guy, a hopeless businessman, a loyal friend and just simply stupid in his decision making.
These letters depict a picture of events but not conclusively. Written to extract information, support or indeed seek the return of the National Insurance Card they are also rebuffs, pleading, obfuscatuion and dishonest.
The letters are central to police investigations, later newspaper stories, senior parliamentarians' involvement and plans to kill Scott. Ideas are discussed, suggestions made, people identified and approached. Money is exchanged and murder is attempted. Much of this preparatory work is done by another Thorpe supporter and follower David Holmes.
The culmination of the story - and there is much I have not covered in this review - is the trial of Thorpe, Holmes and 2 other men charged with conspiracy to murder Scott*. Thorpe is additionally charged with incitement to murder. This is further excitement for the public and sheer disgust for the establishment. The sight of a serving MP and former leader of a major political party was something extraordinary yet - and remember this is the time of a country riven by failing services and strikes, Punk music and various other social changes - all shocking and suggestive of the establishment falling to new depths or possibly apart.
* Thorpe resigned under pressure in 1976 following the trial of Andrew Newton, an airline pilot for charges of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life. It was Newton who made the failed attempt to murder Scott by shooting him. He shot Scott's dog and failed to kill Scott.
The trial involves George Carmen QC and makes his name too.
Ultimately the jury find all accused not guilty. The outfall of this is also interesting as the lives of people change.
Within the book are numerous characters who are known in public life at this time come to touch the story. Some will surprise, some will make you groan as you will today understand more about them and their lives after their deaths, and others are perhaps new.
The research appears to be comprehensive using court papers, newspaper articles, contemporary interviews and books plus many discussions with surviving players or those who are related to or have ownership of various papers. Sources and the relevant people are all recorded at the book's end.
Thorpe was a interesting politician who had some major successes and campaigned for much that we respect today around anti-racism and being solidly anti-apartheid. He took the Liberal's forward following the influential and successful Joe Grimond's departure. But his life and indeed his legacy was and remains overshadowed by his relationship with Scott (Scott's was also influenced and probably ruined too). Had he been able to admit he was gay with no impact on his life or career one wonders how far he could have taken himself and the Liberal party.
Overall, this is a fascinating and very readable book about events and people that played a very big part in British politics and events during the 1960s and 1970s. It leaves me wondering too how people who are MPs can act so rashly...then I look at today's inept and self-serving crop on all sides of the house and can easily see the same rashness and stupidity daily...
On the surface he was a young talent - in parliamentary terms - whose natural charm and ability to have people want to serve and work with him belied a far more complex and dangerous character.
The 1960s into the mid-1970s was still very much a time where people in positions of authority and professions were revered and respected. The background to the 1960s is really one of establishment and trying to comes to terms with change and is far less freer as is ordinarily painted; in truth the 1970s reaps the real changes in laws and acceptance of what the 1960s strove to change around women's rights, employment rights and sexuality for example.
It is this era of respect, reverence and slow change that binds the story of Jeremy Thorpe to his eventual downfall. Thorpe was a homosexual - something still illegal and quite unacceptable in the early 1960s in mainstream life let alone for a MP then and into the 1970s.
In 1961 he met a young man called Norman Josiffe (later Norman Scott), and began a sexual relationship with him. From here the story begins and we see the challenges to both men and the behaviour: both unstable, worried, anxious, deeply disturbed and convinced they are behaving in their best interests.
What follows in this fine book by John Preston is a story that reads like a fictional politico-thriller. We read of Scott's life in mental and sexual turmoil and his attempts to have returned by Thorpe a important National Insurance Card (something in 1960s Britain that without one cannot legally work). Thorpe however, has friends and others help him both to support Scott financially as well as keep him away from him and his public life.
Central to the plot and events are a series of letters written by Scott, Thorpe and latterly Peter Bessell - himself a successful and influential MP who is deeply loyal to Thorpe and also befriends Scott; to me he is a lost soul who suffers too much for Thorpe and certainly helps Bessell's mental and health decline as his involvement in the Thorpe/Scott affair continues. Bessell is a nice guy, a hopeless businessman, a loyal friend and just simply stupid in his decision making.
These letters depict a picture of events but not conclusively. Written to extract information, support or indeed seek the return of the National Insurance Card they are also rebuffs, pleading, obfuscatuion and dishonest.
The letters are central to police investigations, later newspaper stories, senior parliamentarians' involvement and plans to kill Scott. Ideas are discussed, suggestions made, people identified and approached. Money is exchanged and murder is attempted. Much of this preparatory work is done by another Thorpe supporter and follower David Holmes.
The culmination of the story - and there is much I have not covered in this review - is the trial of Thorpe, Holmes and 2 other men charged with conspiracy to murder Scott*. Thorpe is additionally charged with incitement to murder. This is further excitement for the public and sheer disgust for the establishment. The sight of a serving MP and former leader of a major political party was something extraordinary yet - and remember this is the time of a country riven by failing services and strikes, Punk music and various other social changes - all shocking and suggestive of the establishment falling to new depths or possibly apart.
* Thorpe resigned under pressure in 1976 following the trial of Andrew Newton, an airline pilot for charges of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life. It was Newton who made the failed attempt to murder Scott by shooting him. He shot Scott's dog and failed to kill Scott.
The trial involves George Carmen QC and makes his name too.
Ultimately the jury find all accused not guilty. The outfall of this is also interesting as the lives of people change.
Within the book are numerous characters who are known in public life at this time come to touch the story. Some will surprise, some will make you groan as you will today understand more about them and their lives after their deaths, and others are perhaps new.
The research appears to be comprehensive using court papers, newspaper articles, contemporary interviews and books plus many discussions with surviving players or those who are related to or have ownership of various papers. Sources and the relevant people are all recorded at the book's end.
Thorpe was a interesting politician who had some major successes and campaigned for much that we respect today around anti-racism and being solidly anti-apartheid. He took the Liberal's forward following the influential and successful Joe Grimond's departure. But his life and indeed his legacy was and remains overshadowed by his relationship with Scott (Scott's was also influenced and probably ruined too). Had he been able to admit he was gay with no impact on his life or career one wonders how far he could have taken himself and the Liberal party.
Overall, this is a fascinating and very readable book about events and people that played a very big part in British politics and events during the 1960s and 1970s. It leaves me wondering too how people who are MPs can act so rashly...then I look at today's inept and self-serving crop on all sides of the house and can easily see the same rashness and stupidity daily...
May 5, 2016
Serious, but entertaining insight into one UK establishment coverup of the 60s & 70s
I remember this scandal having huge impact in the late 70s when I was a teenager. I had expected this book to be quite a dull resume of the trial and associated events, but from the start you are thrust (literally!) into the warts and all detail of the case.
I found the book an entertaining read and some aspects are almost farce like. There are sections do go into some detail that some may find unnecessary, but the book does give some great portraits of the characters involved, none of whom end up unblemished.
However on serious side it does show the lengths the “establishment” went in this period to protect one of their own even in the face of mounting evidence of financial fraud and attempted murder, making it quite pertinent in the light of recent Savile and Cyril Smith revelations.
Overall it reads like a fictional political thriller and I would recommend for anyone who enjoys books about power, politics and English history.
I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
I remember this scandal having huge impact in the late 70s when I was a teenager. I had expected this book to be quite a dull resume of the trial and associated events, but from the start you are thrust (literally!) into the warts and all detail of the case.
I found the book an entertaining read and some aspects are almost farce like. There are sections do go into some detail that some may find unnecessary, but the book does give some great portraits of the characters involved, none of whom end up unblemished.
However on serious side it does show the lengths the “establishment” went in this period to protect one of their own even in the face of mounting evidence of financial fraud and attempted murder, making it quite pertinent in the light of recent Savile and Cyril Smith revelations.
Overall it reads like a fictional political thriller and I would recommend for anyone who enjoys books about power, politics and English history.
I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
April 23, 2017
I'm old enough to remember the Jeremy Thorpe trial (I even have a reference to it in my novel The Lying Game). If you don't know or remember it then you can read this as an almost murder mystery. John Preston's research has been so extensive with so many detailed first hand accounts that he has been able to novelise the story. Personally, I like this approach although some may prefer a more academic historical approach. Certainly the cast of characters could have come straight out of a lurid political thriller. Although it all happened 30-40 years ago, I suspect that the way that the establishment rallied round to protect their own hasn't changed that much. It is also a lesson not to be taken in by lying amoral charmers and that loyalty to close friends can be taken too far.
And has there ever been a more innocent or sadder victim of crime than Rinka the dog?
And has there ever been a more innocent or sadder victim of crime than Rinka the dog?
July 3, 2018
The title of this book really doesn't do justice to what's inside -- not only is it about "sex, lies, and a murder plot," but more interesting to me is a look at the seamy, nasty, hypocritical, unethical and corrupt underbelly of British politics (and I'm sure what happened here in the 1960s and 1970s continues today and not just in Britain). Plus, reading very closely into what Mr. Preston has written here, there is also a brief examination into the past illegality of homosexuality and how that got turned around as time went by. It's absolutely amazing, eye opening and well worth every second of time put into it.
more here:
http://www.nonfictionrealstuff.com/20...
more here:
http://www.nonfictionrealstuff.com/20...
June 15, 2018
What a cover up !
Jeremy Thorpe , M.P, member of the privy council. Accused of conspiracy to murder.
Norman Scott: victim, once lover of Jeremy Thorpe. Horse lover.
Interesting drama
Deceit
Cover ups
Money
Blackmailing
The stiff upper lip cracking
Jeremy Thorpe , M.P, member of the privy council. Accused of conspiracy to murder.
Norman Scott: victim, once lover of Jeremy Thorpe. Horse lover.
Interesting drama
Deceit
Cover ups
Money
Blackmailing
The stiff upper lip cracking
April 17, 2016
I was only a child when the scandal involving the leader of the Liberal Party, Jeremy Thorpe, exploded so, although I was aware of it, I did not know the details. As English politics have always interested me, I was keen to read this and certainly found it an engrossing book.
Events begin in 1965 when Liberal MP Peter Bessell was invited to dinner by Jeremy Thorpe – an MP since 1959 and a rising star in the Party. Thorpe confided that he wanted to be the leader of the Liberal Party; he also confessed that a young man he had had an affair with – Norman Josiffe – had written to his mother claiming to be his lover. This was at a time when homosexuality was still illegal and Thorpe was aware that his indiscrete love affairs could make him vulnerable to blackmail.
Norman Josiffe (who later renamed himself Norman Scott) was a young man who was staying with a friend of Thorpe’s when he first met him. When he found himself in trouble he turned to Thorpe and he took compromising letters from the man’s house he was staying with – at first to thank Thorpe for his kindness, intending to return them, and, later, as a form of insurance for himself. For Josiffe turned out to be a troubled, difficult and volatile young man. Once his relationship with Thorpe ended, he became demanding and, despite Bessell attempting to both help, and silence, him, he failed at a stream of ‘new starts’ and felt his troubles were exacerbated by Thorpe.
Meanwhile, Thorpe married and became leader of the Liberal Party. This upward trajectory in his career meant he was vulnerable to scandal and Josiffe was able to provide it. As Josiffe seemed willing to unload his worries, and tell his story, to just about everyone he came across it seems more amazing that this scandal did not erupt earlier than it did. However, Thorpe was certainly a charismatic man and seemed to inspire a lot of people to help him, including Peter Bessell – who did his best to recover compromising letters from Josiffe despite his own personal, and financial, worries.
Although this is a serious book, about financial fraud, power, ambition and attempted murder, this is also an often funny read, full of larger than life characters and very English situations. The politician who tried to reform the law on homosexuality when he was really obsessed with badgers and who, when sent excrement through the post was told by his secretary that he had received some pate, but he had thrown it out as it wouldn’t keep; or David Steel who heard of the Thorpe scandal just before going caravanning with his wife and children and spent every night attempting to camp near a phone box to hear the latest news….
This then is England in the late Sixties and Seventies. A time of the three day week, blackouts and strikes. There are also other characters in this book whose scandals were uncovered after their deaths; most notably Cyril Smith and Jimmy Saville. Both Normal Josiffe/Scott and Jeremy Thorpe seemed to blame each other for ruining the others life and Thorpe became obsessed with ridding himself of the younger man for good. This desire for murder led to the Old Bailey in 1979 and a dramatic trial. This is an exciting read in parts, almost unbelievable in others and still this scandal has the ability to shock. Interesting for anyone who enjoys books about politics or English history. Lastly, I received a copy of this book from the publishers, via NetGalley, for review.
Events begin in 1965 when Liberal MP Peter Bessell was invited to dinner by Jeremy Thorpe – an MP since 1959 and a rising star in the Party. Thorpe confided that he wanted to be the leader of the Liberal Party; he also confessed that a young man he had had an affair with – Norman Josiffe – had written to his mother claiming to be his lover. This was at a time when homosexuality was still illegal and Thorpe was aware that his indiscrete love affairs could make him vulnerable to blackmail.
Norman Josiffe (who later renamed himself Norman Scott) was a young man who was staying with a friend of Thorpe’s when he first met him. When he found himself in trouble he turned to Thorpe and he took compromising letters from the man’s house he was staying with – at first to thank Thorpe for his kindness, intending to return them, and, later, as a form of insurance for himself. For Josiffe turned out to be a troubled, difficult and volatile young man. Once his relationship with Thorpe ended, he became demanding and, despite Bessell attempting to both help, and silence, him, he failed at a stream of ‘new starts’ and felt his troubles were exacerbated by Thorpe.
Meanwhile, Thorpe married and became leader of the Liberal Party. This upward trajectory in his career meant he was vulnerable to scandal and Josiffe was able to provide it. As Josiffe seemed willing to unload his worries, and tell his story, to just about everyone he came across it seems more amazing that this scandal did not erupt earlier than it did. However, Thorpe was certainly a charismatic man and seemed to inspire a lot of people to help him, including Peter Bessell – who did his best to recover compromising letters from Josiffe despite his own personal, and financial, worries.
Although this is a serious book, about financial fraud, power, ambition and attempted murder, this is also an often funny read, full of larger than life characters and very English situations. The politician who tried to reform the law on homosexuality when he was really obsessed with badgers and who, when sent excrement through the post was told by his secretary that he had received some pate, but he had thrown it out as it wouldn’t keep; or David Steel who heard of the Thorpe scandal just before going caravanning with his wife and children and spent every night attempting to camp near a phone box to hear the latest news….
This then is England in the late Sixties and Seventies. A time of the three day week, blackouts and strikes. There are also other characters in this book whose scandals were uncovered after their deaths; most notably Cyril Smith and Jimmy Saville. Both Normal Josiffe/Scott and Jeremy Thorpe seemed to blame each other for ruining the others life and Thorpe became obsessed with ridding himself of the younger man for good. This desire for murder led to the Old Bailey in 1979 and a dramatic trial. This is an exciting read in parts, almost unbelievable in others and still this scandal has the ability to shock. Interesting for anyone who enjoys books about politics or English history. Lastly, I received a copy of this book from the publishers, via NetGalley, for review.
September 11, 2018
It is said that American political scandals are usually about money, while British political scandals are usually about sex. In A VERY ENGLISH SCANDAL we have an excellent example of a scandal prompted by the latter. In fact, the small sums of money paid to the potential blackmailer eventually furnished a trail that tracks the corruption, but the real story lies in the fear of the head of the UK's Liberal political party of his own homosexuality, and the lengths he and his cronies will go to cover it up. This despite the fact that during the period at hand (1960s-1970s) homosexuality in that country went from a punishable offense to a mere matter of reputation.
John Preston tells this story very well, though I for one would not type this book as a total work of journalism: surely some of the conversations reported at thirty years' remove depend on the techniques of New Journalism more than documented reportage. In a sense, then, A VERY ENGLISH SCANDAL is a "nonfiction novel" not unlike Truman Capote's IN COLD BLOOD. That notwithstanding, this book is an excellent account of a long-term scandal, and the extent to which the British Establishment would go to protect itself. Probably the audience for the book on this side of the Pond will be largely self-selected: if you think you'd be interested in a (to us) under-reported scandal that holds up an unflinching mirror to British sexual mores and political wavering, this book is well worth reading. If not, leave it alone.
John Preston tells this story very well, though I for one would not type this book as a total work of journalism: surely some of the conversations reported at thirty years' remove depend on the techniques of New Journalism more than documented reportage. In a sense, then, A VERY ENGLISH SCANDAL is a "nonfiction novel" not unlike Truman Capote's IN COLD BLOOD. That notwithstanding, this book is an excellent account of a long-term scandal, and the extent to which the British Establishment would go to protect itself. Probably the audience for the book on this side of the Pond will be largely self-selected: if you think you'd be interested in a (to us) under-reported scandal that holds up an unflinching mirror to British sexual mores and political wavering, this book is well worth reading. If not, leave it alone.
June 9, 2018
What an eye opening and captivating read this was!
John Preston's book provides an informative but also shocking insight into the behind the scene affairs of a high profile politician, the Liberal leader Jeremy Thorpe in the 60s and 70s. The book has everything you would expect from a good thriller except that - this is a true story!
Normally, I am not overly interested in politics, however, living in the UK for the past 10 years, I wanted to learn more about the events that have shaken the trust of the people in their political leaders and are still being discussed 50 years on. Also, having grown up in a post-communist country where the new democratic system (or perhaps not so new anymore - 30 years is quite a long time!) is regularly threatened by corruption and populism, and the democratic countries of the 'West' are often set as an example, I was intrigued to discover the details.
A Very English Scandal is well written, thoroughly researched book with a few authentic letters from Thorpe. It documents the events of how Jeremy Thorpe, who was secretly gay, meets a young and vulnerable Norman Scott and the two have a sexual relationship. With the Thorpe's rising profile and success, he starts to see Norman as a nuisance and becomes keen to dispose of Norman who threatens to expose their relationship to the public.
This is a really interesting book that I would recommend to anyone interested in the UK affairs or in politics in general.
John Preston's book provides an informative but also shocking insight into the behind the scene affairs of a high profile politician, the Liberal leader Jeremy Thorpe in the 60s and 70s. The book has everything you would expect from a good thriller except that - this is a true story!
Normally, I am not overly interested in politics, however, living in the UK for the past 10 years, I wanted to learn more about the events that have shaken the trust of the people in their political leaders and are still being discussed 50 years on. Also, having grown up in a post-communist country where the new democratic system (or perhaps not so new anymore - 30 years is quite a long time!) is regularly threatened by corruption and populism, and the democratic countries of the 'West' are often set as an example, I was intrigued to discover the details.
A Very English Scandal is well written, thoroughly researched book with a few authentic letters from Thorpe. It documents the events of how Jeremy Thorpe, who was secretly gay, meets a young and vulnerable Norman Scott and the two have a sexual relationship. With the Thorpe's rising profile and success, he starts to see Norman as a nuisance and becomes keen to dispose of Norman who threatens to expose their relationship to the public.
This is a really interesting book that I would recommend to anyone interested in the UK affairs or in politics in general.
March 14, 2019
Penguin Books (UK) VikingDescription: In 1979, Jeremy Thorpe, the rising star of the Liberal Party, stood trial for conspiracy to murder. It was the first time that a leading British politician had stood trial on a murder charge. It was the first time that a murder plot had been hatched in the House of Commons. And it was the first time that a prominent public figure had been exposed as a philandering homosexual. With all the pace and drama of a thriller, A Very English Scandal is an extraordinary story of hypocrisy, deceit and betrayal at the heart of the British Establishment.
Opening: PART I: A Dinner at the House of Commons: One evening in February 1965, a man with a fondness for mohair suits, an unusaually wrinkled face and a faint resemblance to Humphrey Bogart walked into the member's dining room at the House of Commons. His name was Peter Bessell and he was the Liberal MP for Bodmin in Cornwall.
Take one callous homosexual rapist with eyes on Number 10 Downing Street, and you end up with this train wreck. If you could envisage the non-payment of NI employer contributions as the horse's nail: “For the want of a nail the shoe was lost,Preston's biography of Thorpe also brushes up against the Profumo Affair, and we also come smack bang up against the paedophile Liberal MP from Rochdale, Cyril Smith.
For the want of a shoe the horse was lost,
For the want of a horse the rider was lost,
For the want of a rider the battle was lost,
For the want of a battle the kingdom was lost,
And all for the want of a horseshoe-nail.”
On page 173, just when I thought the sleaze and hypocrisy could not become any worse we are treated to this eye-opening encounter:
Thorpe decided to use some of MacKay's money on a new party political broadcast. He was keen that the party should engage with younger voters, and he cast around for a suitable format in which to put across his message. It's unclear who suggested that he should appear in front of an invited audience with the disc jockey Jimmy Savile, but it was an idea Thorpe eagerly embraced. [..] At one point a member of the audience asked if it was ever permissible to break the law in this country. Both men vigorously shook their heads. "I believe this country is a democracy where ther is no need to break the law," said Thorpe. "There are sufficient democratic outlets without having to do so." Savile nodded his agreement.And on page 186, Johnny Savile:
Jeremy Thorpe with Cyril Smith. Liberal party, police and MI5 concealed MP Cyril Smith's industrial-scale child abuse
Leo Abse - a white hat in a flouncy shirt who pushed for pro homosexual legislation
Clement Freud
David Steel - please note, Mr Steel was nowt but a good guy. His picture here is because of how white he turned when he heard Mr Norman Scott tell his tale. You have heard me regale at length before about the writing getting in the way of the story: Preston tells the story without curlicues to distract from the hideously breathtaking events; jounalism at its best. 'Just the facts ma'am' is what I crave and what was delivered. It seems entirely natural that this is the first read after the Panama Papers where I have to employ a money laundering shelf. Now I need to give my brain a scrub to rid myself of these corrupters of the common good.
13.05.2015: Jeremy Thorpe: Inquiry into claims police altered evidence
Police to investigate 'suppressed evidence' from Jeremy Thorpe trial
James Baldwin's Giovanni's Room
May 12, 2018
The year of my birth, 1979, coincided with the former Leader of the Liberal Party and then still a sitting MP, Jeremy Thorpe, being charged with conspiracy to murder at the Old Bailey. Whilst doubts will inevitably remain about the strict accuracy and narrative license of John Preston in his forensic account of the origins and climax of the Thorpe Affair it undoubtedly makes for highly absorbing reading. Regardless of how much Preston’s own interpretation is present, that the raw material involves all the elements that would make for a far-fetched thriller cannot have hindered his cause in portraying a scandal which appears to have been a blatant abuse of power and has all the hallmarks of an attempt by the British Establishment to close ranks.
The story has its origins in the early 1960’s when Jeremy Thorpe, the rising star of the Liberal Party met the acquaintance of nineteen-year-old Norman Scott (then Josiffe) and a homosexual affair between the pair ensued. Thorpe’s subsequent decision to share the matter with a fellow Liberal MP for Bodmin, Peter Bessell, and the series of events that followed are chronicled within A Very English Scandal and climax with Thorpe’s acquittal for conspiring to murder at the Old Bailey. Far from being the dry account of being pure factual accuracy, Preston’s account brings the personalities involved and everything from the mood of the electorate, the state of the economy to the public attitude on homosexuality into the arena, thereby creating a real sense of atmosphere and knife-edge tension. Vivid characterisation, choice soundbites and colourful snippets bring the events to life and Preston has a knack for the dramatic, skewering his readers with salacious revelations, jaw-dropping details of blackmail, corruption and deceit all making for a throughly gripping read. That so many of the individuals involved in the fray are to this day household names to anyone with a passing interest in British politics adds pertinence.
An Old Estonian, Thorpe’s arrogance, sense of supreme entitlement and incredible talent for inspiring loyalty in colleagues and voters alike seems shocking. More so is his seemingly obsessive quest to destroy anyone who tarnished his reputation and was perceived as a threat and the extent of his disloyalty as he sacrificed confidantes, former friends and misappropriated party funds from people who placed their trust in him. It seems that as long as Thorpe could invoke others to deal with his messes with his public persona intact he was more than happy to wilfully betray those he had knowingly inveigled into the scheming fray.
Preston does a solid job of conveying not only Thorpe’s charisma and flair that so appealed to the electorate but just how powerless Peter Bessell and Oxford peer, David Holmes, were in his thrall with both willing to lose their own reputations and careers for the sake of basking in the magnetic presence of Thorpe and his approval. That Thorpe was a vainglorious and amoral liar is evident and the extent of Thorpe’s increasingly delusional state of mindset and complete sense of entitlement makes for quite astonishing reading. For impulsive Bessell swept along on a tide and devoted to Thorpe, being in the thick of the drama seemingly encouraged his actions and misguided seems the kindest verdict, but for a completely besmirched thirty-nine-year-old Norman Scott, regardless of his own mistakes and past, that he was treated appallingly is left in no doubt. Few, if any, of the players in this shocking account come out with their reputations intact and the full extent of the cover up that ensued is elucidated in Preston’s excellent account.
A thoroughly fascinating story that proved revelatory, highly readable and frankly very gripping! Highly recommended.
The story has its origins in the early 1960’s when Jeremy Thorpe, the rising star of the Liberal Party met the acquaintance of nineteen-year-old Norman Scott (then Josiffe) and a homosexual affair between the pair ensued. Thorpe’s subsequent decision to share the matter with a fellow Liberal MP for Bodmin, Peter Bessell, and the series of events that followed are chronicled within A Very English Scandal and climax with Thorpe’s acquittal for conspiring to murder at the Old Bailey. Far from being the dry account of being pure factual accuracy, Preston’s account brings the personalities involved and everything from the mood of the electorate, the state of the economy to the public attitude on homosexuality into the arena, thereby creating a real sense of atmosphere and knife-edge tension. Vivid characterisation, choice soundbites and colourful snippets bring the events to life and Preston has a knack for the dramatic, skewering his readers with salacious revelations, jaw-dropping details of blackmail, corruption and deceit all making for a throughly gripping read. That so many of the individuals involved in the fray are to this day household names to anyone with a passing interest in British politics adds pertinence.
An Old Estonian, Thorpe’s arrogance, sense of supreme entitlement and incredible talent for inspiring loyalty in colleagues and voters alike seems shocking. More so is his seemingly obsessive quest to destroy anyone who tarnished his reputation and was perceived as a threat and the extent of his disloyalty as he sacrificed confidantes, former friends and misappropriated party funds from people who placed their trust in him. It seems that as long as Thorpe could invoke others to deal with his messes with his public persona intact he was more than happy to wilfully betray those he had knowingly inveigled into the scheming fray.
Preston does a solid job of conveying not only Thorpe’s charisma and flair that so appealed to the electorate but just how powerless Peter Bessell and Oxford peer, David Holmes, were in his thrall with both willing to lose their own reputations and careers for the sake of basking in the magnetic presence of Thorpe and his approval. That Thorpe was a vainglorious and amoral liar is evident and the extent of Thorpe’s increasingly delusional state of mindset and complete sense of entitlement makes for quite astonishing reading. For impulsive Bessell swept along on a tide and devoted to Thorpe, being in the thick of the drama seemingly encouraged his actions and misguided seems the kindest verdict, but for a completely besmirched thirty-nine-year-old Norman Scott, regardless of his own mistakes and past, that he was treated appallingly is left in no doubt. Few, if any, of the players in this shocking account come out with their reputations intact and the full extent of the cover up that ensued is elucidated in Preston’s excellent account.
A thoroughly fascinating story that proved revelatory, highly readable and frankly very gripping! Highly recommended.
July 9, 2019
"National Insurance is my lifeblood". This non sequitur was uttered by Norman Scott at a trial in England in 1979. The trial was that of four men for the conspiracy to murder a fifth man - Norman Scott. Scott escaped murder, but his dog was killed in the attempt. Of the four men on trial, one was Jeremy Thorpe, the retired head of Britain's Liberal Party. Norman Scott and Jeremy Thorpe had had an affair some years earlier and Thorpe had promised to take care of Scott, but rather, took his National Insurance card and wouldn't give it back and Scott found it difficult to find work without the card. Okay, is all this inane? Does it make any sense? No, of course not, but British scandals rarely do make sense but they are so damn much fun to read about. Particularly when written by a master, John Preston, whose dryness and wit is apparent throughout the book, "A Very English Scandal:Sex, Lies, and a Murder Plot in the Houses of Parliament".
I'm sure everyone reading this review has heard of the John Profumo/Mandy Rice-Davies/Christine Keeler scandal, which led to bringing down the Conservative-led government of Alec Douglas-Home in 1964. Lounging around the great house of Cliveden, engaging in random sexual couplings, the Profumo scandal had possible security risks - Keeler having slept with both Profumo and a Soviet naval attache - but at it's heart it was a fairly conventional sex scandal. The Jeremy Thorpe scandal was a lot juicier - the main characters were far more interesting and venality ran through the case - from action to the eventual trial.
Jeremy Thorpe was a Liberal politician at a time when the party was quite small. I think at it's height, it had 14 members of Parliament. But it was useful in working with the other two, larger parties. Thorpe was a man who thought quite highly of himself and his position in Britain's public life. However, it was in his private life that things got a bit messy. Jeremy Thorpe was gay and would slip in and out of the closet when he wanted. When he met Norman Scott, a young, sexy equestrian, he fell into desire. The two men had a long affair - off and on - as Thorpe would reel Scott back to him when the "off" periods went on too long. And this is where the National Insurance card came into play. For some reason, Thorpe kept the card, perhaps as a way of controlling Scott.
The other main player was another Liberal MP, Peter Bessell. Thorpe and Bessell were close friends, though Bessell was a womaniser. Jeremy Thorpe used Peter Bessell to get him out of jams - both in his public and private lives. Bessell was often charged with the care of Norman Scott, who for years, was "around" wanting things, like his Insurance card. Both MPs also were involved in squeezing money from a Bahamian political donor to support the party...and some behind the scenes activities. I guess you can say that Jeremy Thorpe was in the middle of a house of cards, which came tumbling down in the 1970's and which affected more than just the few people involved in the court case.
John Preston's book is a fascinating look at the private lives led behind the public lives in Britain in the 1960's and 1970's. His writing is just perfect for the subject. I really, really liked this book.
I'm sure everyone reading this review has heard of the John Profumo/Mandy Rice-Davies/Christine Keeler scandal, which led to bringing down the Conservative-led government of Alec Douglas-Home in 1964. Lounging around the great house of Cliveden, engaging in random sexual couplings, the Profumo scandal had possible security risks - Keeler having slept with both Profumo and a Soviet naval attache - but at it's heart it was a fairly conventional sex scandal. The Jeremy Thorpe scandal was a lot juicier - the main characters were far more interesting and venality ran through the case - from action to the eventual trial.
Jeremy Thorpe was a Liberal politician at a time when the party was quite small. I think at it's height, it had 14 members of Parliament. But it was useful in working with the other two, larger parties. Thorpe was a man who thought quite highly of himself and his position in Britain's public life. However, it was in his private life that things got a bit messy. Jeremy Thorpe was gay and would slip in and out of the closet when he wanted. When he met Norman Scott, a young, sexy equestrian, he fell into desire. The two men had a long affair - off and on - as Thorpe would reel Scott back to him when the "off" periods went on too long. And this is where the National Insurance card came into play. For some reason, Thorpe kept the card, perhaps as a way of controlling Scott.
The other main player was another Liberal MP, Peter Bessell. Thorpe and Bessell were close friends, though Bessell was a womaniser. Jeremy Thorpe used Peter Bessell to get him out of jams - both in his public and private lives. Bessell was often charged with the care of Norman Scott, who for years, was "around" wanting things, like his Insurance card. Both MPs also were involved in squeezing money from a Bahamian political donor to support the party...and some behind the scenes activities. I guess you can say that Jeremy Thorpe was in the middle of a house of cards, which came tumbling down in the 1970's and which affected more than just the few people involved in the court case.
John Preston's book is a fascinating look at the private lives led behind the public lives in Britain in the 1960's and 1970's. His writing is just perfect for the subject. I really, really liked this book.
June 1, 2017
I grew up during the 1970s and became briefly involved in the Young Liberals. Thus, I witnessed the unfolding of this scandal and the demise of Thorpe from a political point of view without really understanding the personal tragedy for all involved in this torrid case. John Prestons account of the Thorpe affair is solidly written without prurience or tabloid tendencies. For me this seemed deliberate- to try and write the account with flair and trippingly off the tongue would perhaps have mirrored too much the personality of Thorpe himself in his heyday....tipping his hat and working the crowd. Indeed, the story itself is consistently jaw dropping and all Preston has to do is to tell it reliably and with some sympathy and empathy for al parties. Bessell is his keystone and Thorpe, Scott and others underpin the Bessell point of view. Every character in the story seems larger than life and Preston goes to some lengths to tell the story and outline the backstory of each character. He still has Carman to reveal towards the end to enliven the story. He even succeeds with Scott- almost an impossible job but he is one of the few who is still alive and therefore readily available to interview at length. That such a plot could have come about at the behest of Thorpe beggars belief and even though many parts of the story are familiar it is still a compelling tale.
Preston calls it a very English Scandal but makes little of the title over and above the establishment looking after its own. There is another book to be written about the dark side of the seventies that weaves together Saville, Cyril Smith and others and the Thorpe scandal is part of that. For now Prestons solid account is perhaps an update on earlier books and reminds us again that those who are laughed at when they speak of conspiracy theories at the top may need to be taken more seriously- think the Daniel Morgan case or the rumours of child abuse at high levels-unbelievable??? So would Thorpe have been if it wasn't actually true. Truth is also really stranger than fiction here. A goodread but the writing is little intent on being flat and informative- I for one might have wanted a more stylish eloquent read and apart from fiction such as the David Peace novels i am still waiting for that dark non-fiction book that weaves all those horror stories together from way back.
Preston calls it a very English Scandal but makes little of the title over and above the establishment looking after its own. There is another book to be written about the dark side of the seventies that weaves together Saville, Cyril Smith and others and the Thorpe scandal is part of that. For now Prestons solid account is perhaps an update on earlier books and reminds us again that those who are laughed at when they speak of conspiracy theories at the top may need to be taken more seriously- think the Daniel Morgan case or the rumours of child abuse at high levels-unbelievable??? So would Thorpe have been if it wasn't actually true. Truth is also really stranger than fiction here. A goodread but the writing is little intent on being flat and informative- I for one might have wanted a more stylish eloquent read and apart from fiction such as the David Peace novels i am still waiting for that dark non-fiction book that weaves all those horror stories together from way back.
August 18, 2021
A true and fascinating tale of power, politics, intrigue, sex, risk-taking, cover-ups, trials and one dead dog. Margaret Thatcher makes an appearance, with vague promises to make the country great again (whatever that meant).
Well-written and interesting for those who know nothing of the times, as well as for those who have some memories. Surreal, insightful and gripping. Well done.
A true story which is indeed unbelievable, but only because truth is stranger than fiction.
Well-written and interesting for those who know nothing of the times, as well as for those who have some memories. Surreal, insightful and gripping. Well done.
A true story which is indeed unbelievable, but only because truth is stranger than fiction.
January 8, 2018
You think politics is seamy now; just wait till you read this jaw-dropping account of the Jeremy Thorpe affair.
Although this is nominally non-fiction, it does read like a combination of thriller and farce.
At the heart is darkness though; an attempt on the life of a former lover by a political party leader.
Also driving it is are the problems of being a politician in an era when sex between men was illegal, and being openly gay was career-ending.
But any sympathy for Jeremy Thorpe won't last long. He appears as a conniving narcissist - a man with few if any principles; prepared to use people and then cast them away once they become inconvenient.
It also becomes clear that he was neither a competent politician or plotter. His ham-fisted and increasingly desperate attempts to clear up his problems are comedically bad.
Preston is a novelist, and very much writes this as if it is fiction. That does raise questions about just how much of it we can trust. Unrecorded conversations are reported as fact, and Preston does not add a historian's qualifications. It's well-researched and there are some new sources that Preston has tapped into, but some of it at least has to be speculative.
But I confess I banished my doubts and just surrendered to the compelling narrative. Apart from the oleaginous Thorpe, there is also a fantastic supporting cast, from brilliant but flawed barrister George Carman to airline pilot Andrew Newton, the most incompetent and unlikely hired gun you could ever encounter.
At the heart though is the hapless Peter Bessell - a fellow Liberal MP, who gets drawn into helping Thorpe deal with impending scandal. He is the book's anti-hero, and the source of much of the detail.
This also though becomes the story of a cover-up. The Establishment colluding to protect its own. And not just Thorpe. Cyril Smith is among that supporting cast, and there is even a walk-on part for Jimmy Savile.
But in the end Thorpe profits little; his career ruined in any case.
It's no wonder with source material this good that a BBC adaptation starring Hugh Grant and Ben Wishaw is imminent.
Although this is nominally non-fiction, it does read like a combination of thriller and farce.
At the heart is darkness though; an attempt on the life of a former lover by a political party leader.
Also driving it is are the problems of being a politician in an era when sex between men was illegal, and being openly gay was career-ending.
But any sympathy for Jeremy Thorpe won't last long. He appears as a conniving narcissist - a man with few if any principles; prepared to use people and then cast them away once they become inconvenient.
It also becomes clear that he was neither a competent politician or plotter. His ham-fisted and increasingly desperate attempts to clear up his problems are comedically bad.
Preston is a novelist, and very much writes this as if it is fiction. That does raise questions about just how much of it we can trust. Unrecorded conversations are reported as fact, and Preston does not add a historian's qualifications. It's well-researched and there are some new sources that Preston has tapped into, but some of it at least has to be speculative.
But I confess I banished my doubts and just surrendered to the compelling narrative. Apart from the oleaginous Thorpe, there is also a fantastic supporting cast, from brilliant but flawed barrister George Carman to airline pilot Andrew Newton, the most incompetent and unlikely hired gun you could ever encounter.
At the heart though is the hapless Peter Bessell - a fellow Liberal MP, who gets drawn into helping Thorpe deal with impending scandal. He is the book's anti-hero, and the source of much of the detail.
This also though becomes the story of a cover-up. The Establishment colluding to protect its own. And not just Thorpe. Cyril Smith is among that supporting cast, and there is even a walk-on part for Jimmy Savile.
But in the end Thorpe profits little; his career ruined in any case.
It's no wonder with source material this good that a BBC adaptation starring Hugh Grant and Ben Wishaw is imminent.
August 16, 2017
Jeremy Thorpe was once the center of a scandalous murder for hire trial in England. At one time the head of the Liberal party and an apparently well-liked MP, Thorpe was tried for trying to hire somebody to kill off a loose-cannon of a guy who was at one time his homosexual lover. He and his would-be hit men talked of tossing his body down a Cornish tin mine, encasing his feet in cement and dropping him in the English Channel, and my favorite, killing him in the middle of the Big Cypress Swamp in Florida with hopes the alligators would eat his body.
There is controversy to this day as to why but the result of the man's trial was acquittal although it's quite clear that he did encourage various men to "save me from this meddlesome Scott." Unfortunately he chose men of great ineptitude. The whole book reads like a Dudley Moore/Peter Cook satire.
There is controversy to this day as to why but the result of the man's trial was acquittal although it's quite clear that he did encourage various men to "save me from this meddlesome Scott." Unfortunately he chose men of great ineptitude. The whole book reads like a Dudley Moore/Peter Cook satire.
February 6, 2019
Unfortunately, I was only able to view the first part of the TV adaptation made from this book, so decided to read it to find out what happened. While the story is almost too wild to believe, it is certainly both revelatory and entertaining. My only qualms stem from the almost exhaustive detail Preston provides, some of which minutiae seems extraneous (e.g.., do we really need three pages about a vasectomy bill that bears no relevance to the proceedings?). Although he does an admirable job of connecting the various dots, the case covers so many decades and is so convoluted that it is often a mite difficult to follow, with so many characters, it is helpful to have an index in the back to help one keep track - although the fact there are FIVE characters with the first name of Norman doesn't help matters!
September 30, 2024
The amount of politicians who were credited posthumously with child abuse allegations was wild. Well-told but would have benefitted from more contemporary parliamentary politics.
January 24, 2018
I read this as part of a reading group I belong to and all of us enjoyed the book.
This is quite a fascinating and almost unbelievable story of Jeremy Thorpe's rise to leader of the Liberal Party. It is told over a few years at the height of Thorpe's parliamentary career, through to his self inflicted, reckless demise.
Told in the main from the perspective of Peter Bessell, this is an absolutely riveting story of the dangers of homosexuality by a member of Parliament at a time that it was illegal. Being illegal, any whisper of homosexual behaviour was open to blackmail and, in this case, led to attempted murder.
Jeremy Thorpe obviously had a charm and charisma among his Party members and constituents which back in the 1960s and early 1970s would not be easily visible to viewers on television news programmes or radio reports. The book starts roughly at the time that Thorpe met his nemesis, Norman Scott (or Joliffe as he was in the beginning.) Norman Scott seemed to be under Thorpe's spell, yet at the same time he appeared to be a sponger, always going back to the moneyed man when he was broke with the same excuse of the missing National Insurance card – why didn't he speak with the relevant employment office of the time and request a new card for himself? Once the 'get rid/murder' words had been spoken, there was an unease that they were truly meant – they were, but because this was so unbelievable from an MP I wasn't sure that the intent was the actual killing of someone.
The highlight of the book is Part 4, set later in 1979, in which the court case takes place. We are introduced to George Carman QC representing Thorpe and Judge Peter Taylor. The summing up is so biased that it is embarrassing, giving further validation of the accusation of an establishment cover up.
I thought it was alarming the ease of which money intended for the Liberal Party disappeared to Thorpe's private funds, and that corruption was probably rife in those days. It is also disturbing that there were known cover ups which have since come to light from that time of Jeremy Thorpe, Jimmy Saville and Cyril Smith who seemed to have been well acquainted, were reported and covered up.
I obviously have my own political views and they may differ from other people's, and equally, others' views will differ from mine. I don't like reading of politics in fiction and I wouldn't normally read a political memoir or biography but this one, amazingly, doesn't touch on political views at all.
The book is well written in a sensible chronological, almost diary form in parts, which makes for easy flowing reading. If this were fiction, readers would say it was too far fetched to be believed. A really good memoir of politicians without the politics.
This is quite a fascinating and almost unbelievable story of Jeremy Thorpe's rise to leader of the Liberal Party. It is told over a few years at the height of Thorpe's parliamentary career, through to his self inflicted, reckless demise.
Told in the main from the perspective of Peter Bessell, this is an absolutely riveting story of the dangers of homosexuality by a member of Parliament at a time that it was illegal. Being illegal, any whisper of homosexual behaviour was open to blackmail and, in this case, led to attempted murder.
Jeremy Thorpe obviously had a charm and charisma among his Party members and constituents which back in the 1960s and early 1970s would not be easily visible to viewers on television news programmes or radio reports. The book starts roughly at the time that Thorpe met his nemesis, Norman Scott (or Joliffe as he was in the beginning.) Norman Scott seemed to be under Thorpe's spell, yet at the same time he appeared to be a sponger, always going back to the moneyed man when he was broke with the same excuse of the missing National Insurance card – why didn't he speak with the relevant employment office of the time and request a new card for himself? Once the 'get rid/murder' words had been spoken, there was an unease that they were truly meant – they were, but because this was so unbelievable from an MP I wasn't sure that the intent was the actual killing of someone.
The highlight of the book is Part 4, set later in 1979, in which the court case takes place. We are introduced to George Carman QC representing Thorpe and Judge Peter Taylor. The summing up is so biased that it is embarrassing, giving further validation of the accusation of an establishment cover up.
I thought it was alarming the ease of which money intended for the Liberal Party disappeared to Thorpe's private funds, and that corruption was probably rife in those days. It is also disturbing that there were known cover ups which have since come to light from that time of Jeremy Thorpe, Jimmy Saville and Cyril Smith who seemed to have been well acquainted, were reported and covered up.
I obviously have my own political views and they may differ from other people's, and equally, others' views will differ from mine. I don't like reading of politics in fiction and I wouldn't normally read a political memoir or biography but this one, amazingly, doesn't touch on political views at all.
The book is well written in a sensible chronological, almost diary form in parts, which makes for easy flowing reading. If this were fiction, readers would say it was too far fetched to be believed. A really good memoir of politicians without the politics.
May 12, 2018
The story of a government MP who uses and abuses his position of power to not only funnel funds but also amazingly to arrange the murder of his on/off lover Norman Scott, makes for surreal reading. Jeremy Thorpe was a respected eloquent Liberal MP and under the guise of a suave persona he was frightened to reveal to his friends, and in particular his constituents, that he was homosexual. In the politically correct world we live today such a revelation would have had little impact in comparison to the frightened and conservative attitude of 60/70's Britain.
Norman Scott had received and retained a number of sensitive and very private letters from his lover. Thorpe was terrified that Scott would use this correspondence to blackmail him and reveal to the world at large secrets of his personal life. When all attempts to retrieve the letters failed Jeremy Thorpe unbelievably decided his only real option was to arrange the execution of Scott. What follows is somewhat farcical; when the hired gunman shoots Norman Scott's dog and turns the weapon to his intended target the said gun jams leaving the hired executioner no option but to flee leaving in his wake a frightened and perplexed Scott.
The world of politics is often a murky arena where the privileged few appear to operate without any thought for the feelings of others and more importantly refusing to accept any accountability. Yet equally the morals we purport to hold today seem no better than the misguided assumptions of 60/70's London. We need look no further than the recent "Windrush" scandal where the home secretary Amber Rudd clearly lied when questioned by a select committee. The fact that the government then replaced the disgraced MP with an ethnically acceptable minister cannot escape the sour taste of duplicity.
"A very English Scandal" was certainly a very informative, witty and entertaining read. The trial that followed the bungled assassination attempt resulted in Jeremy Thorpe being acquitted but it marked the end of his political career. His government seat disappeared under the march of conservatism and the emergence of a new firebrand, the dictatorial residency of one Margaret Thatcher. The novel also makes mention of Cyril Smith, one time heavyweight Liberal MP for Rochdale, and Jimmy Savile a well known TV personality. It is equally disheartening to realise that these repulsive individuals were able to carry out such vile acts of sexual abuse of the innocent never to be unmasked until after their deaths, even though there was overwhelming evidence. In the case of Cyril Smith the Greater Manchester Police, for their own reasons, choose not to bring Smith to justice in his lifetime and for that they should hang their heads in shame.
Norman Scott had received and retained a number of sensitive and very private letters from his lover. Thorpe was terrified that Scott would use this correspondence to blackmail him and reveal to the world at large secrets of his personal life. When all attempts to retrieve the letters failed Jeremy Thorpe unbelievably decided his only real option was to arrange the execution of Scott. What follows is somewhat farcical; when the hired gunman shoots Norman Scott's dog and turns the weapon to his intended target the said gun jams leaving the hired executioner no option but to flee leaving in his wake a frightened and perplexed Scott.
The world of politics is often a murky arena where the privileged few appear to operate without any thought for the feelings of others and more importantly refusing to accept any accountability. Yet equally the morals we purport to hold today seem no better than the misguided assumptions of 60/70's London. We need look no further than the recent "Windrush" scandal where the home secretary Amber Rudd clearly lied when questioned by a select committee. The fact that the government then replaced the disgraced MP with an ethnically acceptable minister cannot escape the sour taste of duplicity.
"A very English Scandal" was certainly a very informative, witty and entertaining read. The trial that followed the bungled assassination attempt resulted in Jeremy Thorpe being acquitted but it marked the end of his political career. His government seat disappeared under the march of conservatism and the emergence of a new firebrand, the dictatorial residency of one Margaret Thatcher. The novel also makes mention of Cyril Smith, one time heavyweight Liberal MP for Rochdale, and Jimmy Savile a well known TV personality. It is equally disheartening to realise that these repulsive individuals were able to carry out such vile acts of sexual abuse of the innocent never to be unmasked until after their deaths, even though there was overwhelming evidence. In the case of Cyril Smith the Greater Manchester Police, for their own reasons, choose not to bring Smith to justice in his lifetime and for that they should hang their heads in shame.
January 31, 2019
A scream! I was laughing on the DLR.
Bits:
"Then, in January 1962, a former patient at the Ashurst Clinic called 'Jane R' turned up in London. While they were both in hospital, she and Josiffe had become friends. At her suggestion, they had discharged themselves and rented a house in Polstead Road, North Oxford, together with another Littlemore patient called Ian B. It was a disastrous arrangement from the very start. On their first night there Ian had tried to seduce Josiffe. Running downstairs to the kitchen to tell Jane what had happened, Josiffe found her on her knees with her head in the oven. Pulling her out by her feet, he had to smash a window with a chair to get rid of the glass."
"Thorpe referred to Ted Heath as 'The plum pudding around which no one has succeeded in lighting the brandy.'"
"Afterwards Lord Arran was asked why homosexual law reform had succeeded, while his efforts to protect the rights of badgers had not. Arran paused, and then said ruminatively, 'There are not many badgers in the House of Lords.'"
"'Wouldn't it look rather odd if he falls off his bar stool stone-dead?'
'You can apologize to the landlord and ask him to direct you to the nearest mine-shaft.'"
"Marriage had done nothing to dispel his air of unworldliness. Cantley had once tried a case in which a 23-year-old man had applied for damages after being badly injured in a bulldozer accident. Told that the injuries had affected the man's sex life, he asked if he was married. Learning that he was not, a puzzled Cantley said, 'Well, I can't see how it affects his sex life'."
Did you know that Jeremy's sister killed herself?
Bits:
"Then, in January 1962, a former patient at the Ashurst Clinic called 'Jane R' turned up in London. While they were both in hospital, she and Josiffe had become friends. At her suggestion, they had discharged themselves and rented a house in Polstead Road, North Oxford, together with another Littlemore patient called Ian B. It was a disastrous arrangement from the very start. On their first night there Ian had tried to seduce Josiffe. Running downstairs to the kitchen to tell Jane what had happened, Josiffe found her on her knees with her head in the oven. Pulling her out by her feet, he had to smash a window with a chair to get rid of the glass."
"Thorpe referred to Ted Heath as 'The plum pudding around which no one has succeeded in lighting the brandy.'"
"Afterwards Lord Arran was asked why homosexual law reform had succeeded, while his efforts to protect the rights of badgers had not. Arran paused, and then said ruminatively, 'There are not many badgers in the House of Lords.'"
"'Wouldn't it look rather odd if he falls off his bar stool stone-dead?'
'You can apologize to the landlord and ask him to direct you to the nearest mine-shaft.'"
"Marriage had done nothing to dispel his air of unworldliness. Cantley had once tried a case in which a 23-year-old man had applied for damages after being badly injured in a bulldozer accident. Told that the injuries had affected the man's sex life, he asked if he was married. Learning that he was not, a puzzled Cantley said, 'Well, I can't see how it affects his sex life'."
Did you know that Jeremy's sister killed herself?
March 6, 2019
A fascinating story, particularly after having watched the mini-series based on it.
August 20, 2019
I remember sitting down to watch the TV adaptation of this book last year, before I knew this book existed or anything about the real-life cover-up it describes, and laughing over how ridiculous this all was, how unreal. Then my parents started reminiscing on when the scandal all came out in the late 1970s, leaving me speechless that any of it was close to truth. I'm both ashamed of being so entertained (and if this was a fictional crime thriller I'd be bashing it for being too outlandish) and horrified at the incompetence, lies, blackmails, and hypocrisy at the heart of our establishment. Can't say I believe that much has changed either. The brief mentions of Jimmy Saville and Cyril Smith were sickening as well... Anyway, I really recommend either this or the BBC TV series (which was very closely adapted). Some may prefer a more academic approach in covering these topics, but I enjoyed this very readable, almost "novelised" structure, which seems to have been possible thanks to Preston's extensive research and access to first-hand accounts.
October 29, 2020
"No sane person talks of murder - and certainly not two MPs in the House of Commons"
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Spoilers/ Review for A Very English Scandal
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A Very English Scandal focuses on infamous (for reasons you'll see why) Liberal MP for North Devon, The Right Honourable Jeremy Thorpe. His story begins in the 1960s when Harold Wilson (Labour) was Prime Minister. At a meeting with fellow Liberal MP, Peter Bessell, of his homosexual encounters. A few weeks later Jeremy tells Peter of threatening letters he's received from Norman Liance Josiffe, claiming Jeremy and Norman were once gay lovers. Then we go back in time and explore the relationship between Jeremy and Norman, the Profumo Affair, Norman's downfall, Jeremy's involvement and unwillingness to help. We also see how Jeremy went from leader of the Liberal Party to scandalous court case which involves a dead dog and an unbelievable stories. Only thing is; it may be unbelievable but it happened...
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I did this one at the back end of September. Sometime ago I saw the BBC version. Why you ask? Mostly because it was adapted by @russelltdavies63 (Russell was the Mastermind behind the Ecclestone/Tenant era of Doctor Who and is a fantastic writer!)
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I liked this one. It's a good exploration of how attitudes to homosexuality have developed in the UK since the legalisation back in the day, something the book explores, especially how the UK took steps to legalise homosexuality. It's very worrying how Thorpe's response to the problem of Norman is worrying. Jeremy is a bit of an egotist it seems. Self centred too. It's mad to think that is how Thorpe's mind worked. The book also shows how the media was always so keen to defame (as in discredit) Norman yet didn't dare touch Jeremy for a start. I feel the court case could have had a touch more depth to it but overall I really liked it! It's surprising how it explores so much in a little over 300 pages!
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Overall 4/5 ⭐
Have you read A Very English Scandal? What did you think of it?
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Spoilers/ Review for A Very English Scandal
.
A Very English Scandal focuses on infamous (for reasons you'll see why) Liberal MP for North Devon, The Right Honourable Jeremy Thorpe. His story begins in the 1960s when Harold Wilson (Labour) was Prime Minister. At a meeting with fellow Liberal MP, Peter Bessell, of his homosexual encounters. A few weeks later Jeremy tells Peter of threatening letters he's received from Norman Liance Josiffe, claiming Jeremy and Norman were once gay lovers. Then we go back in time and explore the relationship between Jeremy and Norman, the Profumo Affair, Norman's downfall, Jeremy's involvement and unwillingness to help. We also see how Jeremy went from leader of the Liberal Party to scandalous court case which involves a dead dog and an unbelievable stories. Only thing is; it may be unbelievable but it happened...
.
I did this one at the back end of September. Sometime ago I saw the BBC version. Why you ask? Mostly because it was adapted by @russelltdavies63 (Russell was the Mastermind behind the Ecclestone/Tenant era of Doctor Who and is a fantastic writer!)
.
I liked this one. It's a good exploration of how attitudes to homosexuality have developed in the UK since the legalisation back in the day, something the book explores, especially how the UK took steps to legalise homosexuality. It's very worrying how Thorpe's response to the problem of Norman is worrying. Jeremy is a bit of an egotist it seems. Self centred too. It's mad to think that is how Thorpe's mind worked. The book also shows how the media was always so keen to defame (as in discredit) Norman yet didn't dare touch Jeremy for a start. I feel the court case could have had a touch more depth to it but overall I really liked it! It's surprising how it explores so much in a little over 300 pages!
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Overall 4/5 ⭐
Have you read A Very English Scandal? What did you think of it?
April 18, 2018
Dog lovers’ party: an enjoyably sordid romp through the enjoyably sordid Jeremy Thorpe: now he, and the cast of seedy men in blazers and cravats are mostly dead, John Preston goes full tilt at a juicy bit of scandalare. Setting the scene is the portentous use of the term ‘homosexual’ in the manner of a Home Counties magistrate emphasising the first syllable (or my GP, elderly, straight and Scottish, giving me my first HIV test - “are you a practising home-oh-sex-you-all?”...me: “it’s the only way to get better at it”). But it soon settles in to both a rollicking good political comedy thriller and a slice of social history, with Leo Abuse trying to persuade a bunch of scaredy-cat old queers to support his sexual offences bill. He only helps out when they’re busy. “I don’t want gays flaunting themselves,” says Abse. Good luck with that, dear.
One of his earliest supporters was the Earl of Arran, ‘Boofy’ to his intimates, a heliotrope-faced old backwoodsman who was surprisingly progressive in his attitudes to gays and badgers. He seems to have found a match in his wife, Fiona (of course), for “the Countess of Arran was a champion powerboat racer, who shared his love of badgers.” When the bill squeaked through on one vote and presumably some Vaseline, Boofy was asked why his efforts to help our black and white friends hadn’t been quite so successful: “There aren’t many badgers in the House of Lords.”
The tragedy of Thorpe is not that he was a screamer - and a bit of a goer - in an era when these things were seen as not just a sign of moral turpitude, but any of your goddam business, but that he fell for Norman Scott, an unstable stable boy with the look of a young Ken Dodd. Helen of Troy’s face may have launched a thousand shits, but Scott’s was more likely to have you covering the mirrrors, indeed any shatterable objects: did you get the number of the bus that ran you over, love? And yet he was abysmally treated - an esatablishment scapegoat for whom only Auberon Waugh ever seemed to show much sympathy. Forget Owen Jones, if you want to know how the establishment gets away with it, join the Dog Lovers’ Party.
One of his earliest supporters was the Earl of Arran, ‘Boofy’ to his intimates, a heliotrope-faced old backwoodsman who was surprisingly progressive in his attitudes to gays and badgers. He seems to have found a match in his wife, Fiona (of course), for “the Countess of Arran was a champion powerboat racer, who shared his love of badgers.” When the bill squeaked through on one vote and presumably some Vaseline, Boofy was asked why his efforts to help our black and white friends hadn’t been quite so successful: “There aren’t many badgers in the House of Lords.”
The tragedy of Thorpe is not that he was a screamer - and a bit of a goer - in an era when these things were seen as not just a sign of moral turpitude, but any of your goddam business, but that he fell for Norman Scott, an unstable stable boy with the look of a young Ken Dodd. Helen of Troy’s face may have launched a thousand shits, but Scott’s was more likely to have you covering the mirrrors, indeed any shatterable objects: did you get the number of the bus that ran you over, love? And yet he was abysmally treated - an esatablishment scapegoat for whom only Auberon Waugh ever seemed to show much sympathy. Forget Owen Jones, if you want to know how the establishment gets away with it, join the Dog Lovers’ Party.
August 12, 2017
I loved this book. It was the classic page turner - just how bad would things get for Liberal politician Jeremy Thorpe - or rather how bad would be get. The research and writing style are excellent and the result is an informative but also deeply entertaining story of British 20th Century politics.
May 2, 2020
Going into this book, I knew very little about this story. I was aware of the BBC miniseries starring Hugh Grant and aware that it involved a British politician in a gay relationship, but that's where my knowledge stopped. What a crazy fucking story this is. It's so twisty and turny that if it were a real novel, there's no way you'd believe it. Most of the time, I didn't believe it.
It's very hard to root for anyone in this story because they're all shifty shady men only interested in self-preservation but I think we can all agree the true villain of this story is Jeremy Thorpe. Between the rape and manipulation of Norman Josiffe/Scott, and the smear campaigns as well as the murder plot, he came across as such a despicable character. Even in his friendship with Peter Besell, it seemed very one-sided and he constantly used Besell and took advantage of his friendship to save himself. I thoroughly hated him.
But this book was a very interesting read and I'm definitely interested in watching the miniseries now.
It's very hard to root for anyone in this story because they're all shifty shady men only interested in self-preservation but I think we can all agree the true villain of this story is Jeremy Thorpe. Between the rape and manipulation of Norman Josiffe/Scott, and the smear campaigns as well as the murder plot, he came across as such a despicable character. Even in his friendship with Peter Besell, it seemed very one-sided and he constantly used Besell and took advantage of his friendship to save himself. I thoroughly hated him.
But this book was a very interesting read and I'm definitely interested in watching the miniseries now.
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