MAX BEAVERBROOK: Not Quite A Gentleman

Financial magician, flamboyant politician, minister in both World Wars, press baron, serial philanderer, Winston Churchill's boon companion in the dark days of 1940-41 and in his later years, Max Beaverbrook was without doubt one of the most colourful characters of the first half of the 20th century. Born and brought up in the Scottish Presbyterian vastness of north-east Canada, he escaped to make his fortune in Canadian financial markets. By 1910 when he emigrated to Britain at the age of 31, Beaverbrook was already a multimillionaire. With a seat in the House of Commons and then a peerage, he came to know all the senior figures in both British and Canadian politics. In acquiring the Daily Express, he not only built it into a news empire, but used its considerable influence to campaign for his own pet causes. Charles Williams covers not only Beaverbrook's journalistic and political career, but also his at times questionable financial dealings, his wide circle of friends and his many relationships with women. Above all it is a story of 80 years of entrepreneurism, political dogfights, wars, sex and grand living, of fame, fortune and influence. Lady Diana Cooper once described Beaverbrook as 'this strange attractive gnome with an odour of genius about him.' 566 pages with reasonable quality but numerous and interesting black and white illus.