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I S S U E 2 7 1 • S U M M E R 2 0 1 1

Ed’s letter…

OUR SOPHISTICATED computer has finally digested the 2,000 replies to our recent readership survey. With my customary reservations about the value of all market research, I can reveal: a) that what most people like most about The Oldie are the cartoons. b) that the most popular supermarket is Sainsbury’s (46 per cent),

closely followed by Waitrose (41 per cent). c) that 82 per cent of you give to charity three or more times a year.

This data only confirms what I knew before, namely that you are all (100 per cent) a discerning, sophisticated and charitable group of citizens.

RICHARD INGRAMS

FREE! The Oldie Review of Books Our quarterly literary supplement contains features, comment and objective summaries of reviews of 50 of the most-talked about books

C O N T E N T S

Review of Books

R E V I E W O F T H E R E V I E W S Review of Books

Whatthecriticssaid

OVER 50

OVER 50 OF THE BEST BOOKS COVERED INCLUDING Niall Ferguson David Gilmour Katherine Swift Duff Hart-Davis E M Delafield Melvyn Bragg

Caradoc King J R Ackerley Janet Malcolm Paul Bailey Justin Cartwright Joshua Foer Laura Hillenbrand Hisham Matar

Javier Cercas Sarah Brown Michael Capuzzo H R F Keating NormanParkinson Andrea Wulf Simon Barnes …and many more

The Murder Room: the frightening world of true crime

Four hundred years of the King James Bible Cities: three of the best books

A R O U N D - U P O F R E V I E W S • N O T J U S T T H E B E S T S E L L E R S

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12

12 BORN TO BE WILD Virginia McKenna is eighty

A YEAR IN THE COUNTRY Andrew Kerr on working for Randolph Churchill 20

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Cover illustration by: Martin Honeysett

32

31 I ONCE MET Vera Woolf on her encounter with Mervyn Peake

THE DEATH OF LITTLE BOB Charles Elliott mourns the passing of his lawnmower 46

28 BRIEF ENCOUNTERS Nigel Fountain meets Serena and finds out how quickly you can fall through the net how quickly you can fall through the net

32 STILL WITH US John McEwen meets butcher Phillip Cramer

40 PEARLS OF WISDOM Still radical: Melanie McFadyean talks to Miriam Karlin

50 PAY UP TO PLAY THE GAME You cannot be serious: Janie Hampton compares the 2012

compares the 2012

and 1948 Olympics and 1948 Olympics

COME TO ANOLDIE LITERARY

LUNCH SEE PAGE 51

What’s a celebrity? Rant, page 29

What’s a celebrity? Rant, page 29