Closing the circle: The best of Way of the world

by Auberon Waugh

A collection of the best of The Way of the World, Auberon Waugh's deliciously funny and acutely observed column in the Daily Telegraph, with an introduction by Waugh's successor on the Way of the World, satirist and best-selling author, Craig Brown.. In it Auberon Waugh muses on subjects of national importance and discusses more parochial happenings near his Somerset home. How should he, as President, Chairman and only known member of Vespa, the Venerable Society for the Protection of Adulterers, react to the news that scientists have produced a device that can trace the exact location of errant husbands? And what can he do to ensure the church fete's underwater baby-racing competition takes place despite safety warnings from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents? Certain threads run through his columns - the battle against draconian drink-driving laws, the beneficial effects of smoking on children, the efforts to enshrine the memory of Fred Hill, who died while in Pentonville prison, jailed for refusing to wear a motorcycle helmet. There are a few triumphs - Waugh allows himself some pleasure when it is revealed that, as he had been saying for years, hamburgers and mar

Genres: Essays

496 pages, Hardcover

First published November 9, 2001

About the author

Auberon Alexander Waugh was a British journalist and novelist, and eldest son of the novelist Evelyn Waugh. He was widely known by his nickname "Bron”.

Waugh's career spanned journalism, fiction, and editing; he authored five novels, including The Foxglove Saga (1960) and Consider the Lilies (1968), and contributed political columns to outlets such as The Spectator from 1967 and The Daily Telegraph. His most enduring satirical work was the "Diary" column in Private Eye, which he wrote from 1970 to 1986, often provoking outrage with its parodies and polemics. From the 1980s until his death, he edited Literary Review, shaping its profile through his editorial leadership and "From the Pulpit" essays.

Waugh's defining characteristics included an acerbic wit and a penchant for vendettas, leading to notable controversies such as a 1970 libel suit against The Spectator that he won and a 1979 parliamentary candidacy for the fringe Dog Lovers' Party. Despite health setbacks, including a spinal injury from National Service in 1958, he maintained a prolific output, earning two What the Papers Say awards for his influence in British journalism. His memoirs, Will This Do? (1991), encapsulated his irreverent worldview

Reviews

[Andrew Darling · Rating 3 out of 5]

Auberon Waugh has always made me laugh, but - like father, like son - his humour seemed to diminish as he grew older. The early Private Eye diaries of Auberon Waugh were splendid - an excellent gag on every page and pretty well on every line. You have to work quite a lot harder to find such rewards in his Way of the World pieces in the Torygraph, which too frequently seem to consist of the waspishness without the leavening wit.

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

One wonders if the gift comes with the genes. Even when his point of view departs radically from my own (which is not often), his writing is always a delight - sharp, skilled; outrageously, gorgeously funny and satisfying. Would love to have known this man.