David Butterfield is a Fellow of Queens' College, Cambridge, and Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Classics. His academic research covers Latin literature, ancient philosophy and the history of scholarship. Previous books have studied the philosopher-poet Lucretius, the polymath Varro and the scholar-poet A.E. Housman. Outside the classical world, he has written regularly on any subject other than politics for The Spectator, where he is a contributing editor.
A gem of a book--in the hands of a superb writer. Butterfield's attention to detail is fabulous, his storytelling magnificent and his playful affection for these often larger than life characters makes them leap off the page. A delight. --Emily Maitlis, Newsnight (UK) A rich and beautifully crafted chronicle, often hilarious and always informative. --A. N. Wilson, author of Prince Albert: The Man Who Saved the Monarchy More than individually surprising discoveries about people and their strange ways, this history presents an intriguing moving picture of life inside Britain's oldest weekly. --Christopher Howse, Daily Telegraph (UK) In the glutinous consensus of New Britain, The Spectator is a refuge for logic, fun and good writing. It challenges the orthodoxy, whatever that happens to be. It will continue to set the political agenda, and to debunk it. --Prime Minister Boris Johnson