Man of Letters: The Extraordinary Life and Times of Literary Impresario Rupert Hart-Davis

by Philip Ziegler

The author retraces the life of a giant in cultural and literary criticism, covering his relationships with Sir Laurence Olivier, Countess Dame Peggy Ashcroft, T. S. Eliot, Paul Robeson, and Somerset Maugham, among others.

340 pages, Hardcover

First published May 10, 2005

About the author

Philip Ziegler was a British biographer and historian known for his meticulously researched works on historical figures and events. After studying at Eton and New College, Oxford, he served in the British Foreign Service, with postings in Laos, South Africa, Colombia, and NATO. He later transitioned into publishing and writing, eventually becoming a distinguished biographer.
His notable works include Mountbatten: The Official Biography, Edward VIII: The Official Biography, and The Black Death. He also wrote about figures such as Lord Melbourne, Harold Wilson, and George VI. Over the years, Ziegler contributed to major publications like The Spectator, The Times, and History Today.
His personal life was marked by tragedy when his first wife was killed during a home invasion in Bogotá in 1967. He later remarried and continued his literary career until his passing in 2023 at the age of 93.