Peter Ackroyd: The Collection: Journalism, Reviews, Essays, Short Stories and Lectures

Incisive, searing, provocative, devastating ... to receive a favourable write-up from Ackroyd - who, as well as being an extremely successful writer of fiction and non-fiction himself, has been a reviewer first for the Spectator and, since 1986, the Times - might well be one of those things you'd emblazon on your tombstone.

This collection reflects his preoccupations (pretentious reviewing being one of them) and ideas, about culture in particular. A great book to dip into, revealing a man who is at the intellectual hub of a particular style of British writing.

Chatto and Windus

$89.95