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In Plain Sight: The Life and Lies of Jimmy Savile
A major source for the BBC drama The ReckoningWinner of the 2015 Gordon Burn Prize and the 2015 CWA Non-Fiction DaggerShortlisted for the Orwell Prize and the James Tait Black PrizeDan Davies has spent more than a decade on a quest to find the real Jimmy Savile, and interviewed him extensively over a period of seven years before his death. In the course of his quest, he spent days and nights at a time quizzing Savile at his homes in Leeds and Scarborough, lunched with him at venues ranging from humble transport cafes to the Athenaeum club in London and, most memorably, joined him for a short cruise aboard the QE2. Dan thought his quest had come to an end in October 2011 when Savile's golden coffin was lowered into a grave dug at a 45-degree angle in a Scarborough cemetery. He was wrong. In the last two and a half years, Dan has been interviewing scores of people, many of them unobtainable while Jimmy was alive. What he has discovered was that his instincts were right all along and behind the mask lay a hideous truth. Jimmy Savile was not only complex, damaged and controlling, but cynical, calculating and predatory. He revelled in his status as a Pied Piper of youth and used his power to abuse the vulnerable and underage, all the while covering his tracks by moving into the innermost circles of the establishment.
584 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 17, 2014
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About the author
Dan Davies
34 books47 followersDaniel Davies is a British journalist, editor and writer.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 161 reviews
April 5, 2024
Across 60 chapters, and over 600 pages, Dan Davies attempts to reveal the real Jimmy Savile. Savile was ubiquitous to those who grew up in the UK during the 60s, 70s and 80s, through his successful TV shows, charity fund raising, TV adverts, and relationships with senior establishment figures. Since his death in 2011 he has also been revealed as Britain’s most notorious and prolific sex offender of all time. This book gets to the heart of how he was able to operate with impunity and avoid prosecution.
Born into poverty in Leeds in 1926, Jimmy Savile rose to become a knight of the realm, and a confidant of Margaret Thatcher, Princess Diana, and the Prince of Wales. Along the way, he invented the concept of the club DJ, gave the BBC two of its most iconic shows (Top of the Pops and Jim’ll Fix It) and pioneered the celebrity as charity worker and fund raiser. These achievements alone make for a fascinating read, however it is Savile’s prolific and serial abuse of young and frequently vulnerable people that beggars belief. Clearly what helped Savile to operate “In Plain Sight” was his celebrity status. It is easy to forget just how popular he was during the 1970s - and to a lesser extent in the decades before and after. Unlike many reviewers, I never remember thinking Savile was dodgy or creepy. A bit weird perhaps, but not in a dangerous way. I grew up with him on “Top of the Pops” - which he pretty much invented, and of course “Jim’ll Fix It”, a Saturday night staple on BBC1 along with The Generation Game. I can well imagine being 12, 13 or 14 and being in awe of him and also trusting him - as did so many young people who encountered him. He was well practiced in grooming kids, and when necessary their parents too.
In addition to being a huge celebrity he also cultivated relationships at all levels of British society which included members of the Royal family, and Margaret Thatcher when she was Prime Minister. He was also given the run of three hospitals and was able to lure children to his car, flats, caravans etc. No wonder he considered himself untouchable and, despite many a close call, and even dropping heavy hints in interviews, he got away with abuse on a horrendous scale.
One of the most harrowing parts is the testimony, quoted verbatim, of a 12 year girl he raped whilst she was in hospital. This account powerfully brings home the monstrous nature of this type of abuse. The girl tried to get the nurses and a doctor to believe her account. The inference is that staff at Stoke Mandeville were well aware of what Savile was up to, even advising children to pretend to be asleep if he came round at night.
Savile was too canny to ever give much away over numerous interviews despite, in hindsight, some obvious clues. Sadly it was only after he had died that his victims were taken seriously and the substance of the old, dark rumours were finally heard. Savile always insisted that his great secret was that he had no secrets. Nothing could have been further from the truth - there were numerous people and establishments (BBC, the Police, doctors, nurses, friends etc.) whose complacency, corruption and complicity allowed him to systematically ruin hundreds of lives. This makes 'In Plain Sight: The Life and Lies of Jimmy Savile' a compulsive and deeply disturbing read, and one that avoids any sensationalism. Depressing, distressing and essential.
5/5
Born into poverty in Leeds in 1926, Jimmy Savile rose to become a knight of the realm, and a confidant of Margaret Thatcher, Princess Diana, and the Prince of Wales. Along the way, he invented the concept of the club DJ, gave the BBC two of its most iconic shows (Top of the Pops and Jim’ll Fix It) and pioneered the celebrity as charity worker and fund raiser. These achievements alone make for a fascinating read, however it is Savile’s prolific and serial abuse of young and frequently vulnerable people that beggars belief. Clearly what helped Savile to operate “In Plain Sight” was his celebrity status. It is easy to forget just how popular he was during the 1970s - and to a lesser extent in the decades before and after. Unlike many reviewers, I never remember thinking Savile was dodgy or creepy. A bit weird perhaps, but not in a dangerous way. I grew up with him on “Top of the Pops” - which he pretty much invented, and of course “Jim’ll Fix It”, a Saturday night staple on BBC1 along with The Generation Game. I can well imagine being 12, 13 or 14 and being in awe of him and also trusting him - as did so many young people who encountered him. He was well practiced in grooming kids, and when necessary their parents too.
In addition to being a huge celebrity he also cultivated relationships at all levels of British society which included members of the Royal family, and Margaret Thatcher when she was Prime Minister. He was also given the run of three hospitals and was able to lure children to his car, flats, caravans etc. No wonder he considered himself untouchable and, despite many a close call, and even dropping heavy hints in interviews, he got away with abuse on a horrendous scale.
One of the most harrowing parts is the testimony, quoted verbatim, of a 12 year girl he raped whilst she was in hospital. This account powerfully brings home the monstrous nature of this type of abuse. The girl tried to get the nurses and a doctor to believe her account. The inference is that staff at Stoke Mandeville were well aware of what Savile was up to, even advising children to pretend to be asleep if he came round at night.
Savile was too canny to ever give much away over numerous interviews despite, in hindsight, some obvious clues. Sadly it was only after he had died that his victims were taken seriously and the substance of the old, dark rumours were finally heard. Savile always insisted that his great secret was that he had no secrets. Nothing could have been further from the truth - there were numerous people and establishments (BBC, the Police, doctors, nurses, friends etc.) whose complacency, corruption and complicity allowed him to systematically ruin hundreds of lives. This makes 'In Plain Sight: The Life and Lies of Jimmy Savile' a compulsive and deeply disturbing read, and one that avoids any sensationalism. Depressing, distressing and essential.
5/5
July 19, 2014
If you’re afraid to read this book because you think it will contain a lot of graphic details of the sexual abuse of minors then rest assured – it doesn’t. The details of offences are kept to a minimum and there is no salaciousness in the reporting of them. In fact the book is all the more powerful because it doesn’t dwell on the details. It is a harrowing book to read because it paints an all too vivid picture of how celebrity rules and how too many of us are unwilling to challenge anyone in the public eye.
Reading this book made me realise how many signs were there that something untoward was happening and yet none of the allegations made to the police and others in a position to act on them were ever properly investigated. Nurses told patients to ‘pretend to be asleep’ and to forget about it and not make a fuss because ‘no one will believe you.’ Many knew of the rumours throughout Jimmy Savile’s long career and yet they were just accepted as something which happened and because it was JS nothing could ever be done about it because he had friends in high places and did so much for charity.
I thought the book well written and researched and it has clearly been the author’s life’s work to collect up all the information from such diverse sources. He freely admits that even as a child he didn’t like JS though found himself falling under the man’s charismatic spell during their many conversations. There are plenty of sources quoted to back up the author’s text as well as bibliography.
What came over to me most strongly from reading this book was that JS was a hugely manipulative individual – cultivating the parents of young teenage girls so that they thought nothing of it when he went off on his own with their daughters. When the girls subsequently told their parents of the assaults they were not believed because JS was a friend and wouldn’t do anything like that.
I found it disturbing, though unsurprising, that police officers to whom allegations of assault were made were quietly told to drop the investigations. Often no reason was given but equally often it was hinted that higher authority had decreed the cases should not be pursued. It seems JS’s friends in high places were always keeping an eye out for him. Hopefully current investigations into those who are still alive will root out the corruption and protect innocents from abuse in the future. Meanwhile we should all remember ‘If there is something wrong with society then there is something wrong with me.’ How often have you turned a blind eye to something which could and should have been reported?
Reading this book made me realise how many signs were there that something untoward was happening and yet none of the allegations made to the police and others in a position to act on them were ever properly investigated. Nurses told patients to ‘pretend to be asleep’ and to forget about it and not make a fuss because ‘no one will believe you.’ Many knew of the rumours throughout Jimmy Savile’s long career and yet they were just accepted as something which happened and because it was JS nothing could ever be done about it because he had friends in high places and did so much for charity.
I thought the book well written and researched and it has clearly been the author’s life’s work to collect up all the information from such diverse sources. He freely admits that even as a child he didn’t like JS though found himself falling under the man’s charismatic spell during their many conversations. There are plenty of sources quoted to back up the author’s text as well as bibliography.
What came over to me most strongly from reading this book was that JS was a hugely manipulative individual – cultivating the parents of young teenage girls so that they thought nothing of it when he went off on his own with their daughters. When the girls subsequently told their parents of the assaults they were not believed because JS was a friend and wouldn’t do anything like that.
I found it disturbing, though unsurprising, that police officers to whom allegations of assault were made were quietly told to drop the investigations. Often no reason was given but equally often it was hinted that higher authority had decreed the cases should not be pursued. It seems JS’s friends in high places were always keeping an eye out for him. Hopefully current investigations into those who are still alive will root out the corruption and protect innocents from abuse in the future. Meanwhile we should all remember ‘If there is something wrong with society then there is something wrong with me.’ How often have you turned a blind eye to something which could and should have been reported?
September 26, 2020
At first I wasn’t going to review this book. After all, I don’t have to document everything. My partner warned me that due to my sensitivity over these matters, I shouldn’t have read the book at all and she was right.
However, I also do believe that as a reader now and then it’s good to challenge oneself now and then and In Plain Sight is a Gordon Burn winner so I thought I’d go for it.
I will say that this is not an easy read. Not due to the writing style but mostly for the content. Although Davies tastefully does not go into graphic detail, there are many scenes which make for uncomfortable reading.
For those who do not know, Jimmy Savile was a pioneering DJ, Sportsman and philanthropist. He also sexually abused over 450 people, male and female ranging from the ages 5 to 75 from the late 60’s to 2009 (he died in 2011). Yet he was seen as Britain’s national treasure, with even Prince Charles as a close confidante. Due to his connections in high places he was able to get away with everything. When there was a problem his ‘friends’ would deal with it quietly.
When he died, a good number of his victims spoke up, leading to a nationwide investigation, which also made some startling discoveries.
Dan Davies divides his book into three main narratives. One is a biography of Savile, in an attempt to find the roots of his problems, the other is the allegations and the build up of Operation Yewtree. The third is the author’s own experiences with Savile, as he had interviewed and traveled with him for a number of years.
The final picture we readers get is one of a master manipulator, a money hungry psychopath, devoid of all emotions. A charmer, but one with an agenda. It is evident that he knew what he was doing and his charitable acts were a source of atonement. The author’s aim was to reveal the real side of Savile and he manages. There are some passages where he puts in some personal emotion and expresses disgust at his eating habits or his predatory habits.
In Plain Sight is a thoroughly researched work and is well written. As a disclaimer there are a good number of disturbing scenes and I would not recommend it as a casual read but if you are interested in investigative pieces or how one person can fool a nation through sheer manipulation then go ahead.
However, I also do believe that as a reader now and then it’s good to challenge oneself now and then and In Plain Sight is a Gordon Burn winner so I thought I’d go for it.
I will say that this is not an easy read. Not due to the writing style but mostly for the content. Although Davies tastefully does not go into graphic detail, there are many scenes which make for uncomfortable reading.
For those who do not know, Jimmy Savile was a pioneering DJ, Sportsman and philanthropist. He also sexually abused over 450 people, male and female ranging from the ages 5 to 75 from the late 60’s to 2009 (he died in 2011). Yet he was seen as Britain’s national treasure, with even Prince Charles as a close confidante. Due to his connections in high places he was able to get away with everything. When there was a problem his ‘friends’ would deal with it quietly.
When he died, a good number of his victims spoke up, leading to a nationwide investigation, which also made some startling discoveries.
Dan Davies divides his book into three main narratives. One is a biography of Savile, in an attempt to find the roots of his problems, the other is the allegations and the build up of Operation Yewtree. The third is the author’s own experiences with Savile, as he had interviewed and traveled with him for a number of years.
The final picture we readers get is one of a master manipulator, a money hungry psychopath, devoid of all emotions. A charmer, but one with an agenda. It is evident that he knew what he was doing and his charitable acts were a source of atonement. The author’s aim was to reveal the real side of Savile and he manages. There are some passages where he puts in some personal emotion and expresses disgust at his eating habits or his predatory habits.
In Plain Sight is a thoroughly researched work and is well written. As a disclaimer there are a good number of disturbing scenes and I would not recommend it as a casual read but if you are interested in investigative pieces or how one person can fool a nation through sheer manipulation then go ahead.
February 25, 2025
I’m rating this on the way that Dan Davies put together this comprehensive book about JS’s life, much of which came straight from the horses mouth, and also how he told of the revelations that were ’In Plain Sight’. It made for a compelling, informative, but obviously extremely horrifying read. There wasn’t any overly descriptive material regarding the crimes committed which I’m thankful for. What IS EQUALLY AS HORRIFIC as the crimes here is the sheer level of corruption of so-called trusted establishments in the UK. Where there’s money, there’s power, where there’s power, there’s freedom to do what the fuck you want to whoever you want, whenever you want.
He groomed an entire nation, me included, as I wrote to him to ‘Fix it’ for me to go and dance on Top of the Pops when I was a preteen. Thank god I didn’t get a reply from his ‘people’. I certainly matched the criteria.
Savile and men like him have a special place in hell. Charity doesn’t ‘balance the books’ down there.
He groomed an entire nation, me included, as I wrote to him to ‘Fix it’ for me to go and dance on Top of the Pops when I was a preteen. Thank god I didn’t get a reply from his ‘people’. I certainly matched the criteria.
Savile and men like him have a special place in hell. Charity doesn’t ‘balance the books’ down there.
July 7, 2025
3.5 ⭐️ = Quite Good.
Hardback.
I kind of need to let you know that I actually felt a little guilty reading this book. Because of the nature of the crimes, it felt like I was showing a morbid sense of curiosity, and there is no way that I would disrespect any of the victims at all.
I admit though, that I am a typical Libran, and I do like to hear a point of view from both sides. Obviously, this is not possible, as JS is deceased.
The book told us how Dan Davies got close to JS, even spending time on a cruise liner with him. There was a lot of information to digest and I learnt many new facts.
It shocks me how his crimes were done in plain sight. Dreadful. The pure power that he had over people enabled some people to’ look the other way’ and ignore his actions.
All I can say is, I hope you all have found a little peace now that his criminal lifestyle has been exposed. This of course will never take away your memories and your pain.
Hardback.
I kind of need to let you know that I actually felt a little guilty reading this book. Because of the nature of the crimes, it felt like I was showing a morbid sense of curiosity, and there is no way that I would disrespect any of the victims at all.
I admit though, that I am a typical Libran, and I do like to hear a point of view from both sides. Obviously, this is not possible, as JS is deceased.
The book told us how Dan Davies got close to JS, even spending time on a cruise liner with him. There was a lot of information to digest and I learnt many new facts.
It shocks me how his crimes were done in plain sight. Dreadful. The pure power that he had over people enabled some people to’ look the other way’ and ignore his actions.
All I can say is, I hope you all have found a little peace now that his criminal lifestyle has been exposed. This of course will never take away your memories and your pain.
June 7, 2015
What struck me on reading this forensic, yet admirably un-salacious account of Jimmy Saville’s life was just how ####ing blatant he was. It wasn’t just the pubic/semi-public nature of his abuse (feeling up girls in front of the ‘Top of the Pops’ cameras, for instance), but the fact that he went to such little trouble to hide it, even boasted about it. In the early 1970s Saville wrote his life story, which was serialised in a daily tabloid. In one of extract he related how he’d found himself in a caravan with six naked teenage girls and when one of their sets of parents arrived, had to throw on clothes and quickly think of an excuse.
It was far from the only time he put his own perversions so shamelessly on display.
How did such weird and eyebrow raising anecdotes not get picked up? How then did such a man keep raising, completely unhindered, through society? These are the questions the book is really trying to answer. He truly was hiding in plain sight.
When I was growing up I was very much of the opinion that there was something very wrong about Jimmy Saville. I was not alone amongst my peers in that belief. Even when I was older and Saville was no longer a fixture on TV, I can remember saying to people that all sorts of weird stuff was going to come out when he died. It only surprised me that it took ten months after his demise for it to happen.
I could see it and I’m sure millions of other people around the country could see it too. (Dan Davies could certainly see it and that’s what prompted to him to start interviewing Saville.) Yet those in charge, be it the BBC or politicians or royalty or a dozen other places of influence, couldn’t glimpse past the fundraising and the supposed appeal to kids and his alleged common touch and the complete whirlwind of the man. Even Davies admits that he started interviewing Saville to find out his secrets and one day expose him, and yet he too is somewhat seduced – going on holidays with Saville and staying in his flat, and so gets nowhere near his secrets. They were all exposed elsewhere by other people less blinded. And that’s what truly makes this book so depressing, the fact that even when people set out to stop him, or at least ask questions, Saville just bamboozled them and slipped away again and again and again – leaving traumatised victims and ruined lives in his wake.
I’m not a religious man, but I do hope that the heaven and hell of Saville’s beliefs is real, and that’s he roasting in agony as I type.
It was far from the only time he put his own perversions so shamelessly on display.
How did such weird and eyebrow raising anecdotes not get picked up? How then did such a man keep raising, completely unhindered, through society? These are the questions the book is really trying to answer. He truly was hiding in plain sight.
When I was growing up I was very much of the opinion that there was something very wrong about Jimmy Saville. I was not alone amongst my peers in that belief. Even when I was older and Saville was no longer a fixture on TV, I can remember saying to people that all sorts of weird stuff was going to come out when he died. It only surprised me that it took ten months after his demise for it to happen.
I could see it and I’m sure millions of other people around the country could see it too. (Dan Davies could certainly see it and that’s what prompted to him to start interviewing Saville.) Yet those in charge, be it the BBC or politicians or royalty or a dozen other places of influence, couldn’t glimpse past the fundraising and the supposed appeal to kids and his alleged common touch and the complete whirlwind of the man. Even Davies admits that he started interviewing Saville to find out his secrets and one day expose him, and yet he too is somewhat seduced – going on holidays with Saville and staying in his flat, and so gets nowhere near his secrets. They were all exposed elsewhere by other people less blinded. And that’s what truly makes this book so depressing, the fact that even when people set out to stop him, or at least ask questions, Saville just bamboozled them and slipped away again and again and again – leaving traumatised victims and ruined lives in his wake.
I’m not a religious man, but I do hope that the heaven and hell of Saville’s beliefs is real, and that’s he roasting in agony as I type.
July 18, 2014
A very interesting read; the author interviewed Savile on many occasions before his death - and before the scale of his crimes was known (although there were always rumours). The book covers Savile’s life, the timeline of the story of the TV expose, and the testimony of many victims and witnesses of his attacks.
What becomes clear is that many people were aware of what Savile was doing for many years, although whether through complicity, corruption (to the very highest levels), or fascination with celebrity, nobody told. When victims did approach people in authority, they were ignored.
This book isn’t just hastily cobbled together, it’s obviously been in progress for some time, although because the investigation is still ongoing there are frustrating ommissions and occasional repetition as the book is rewritten to accommodate new evidence. And Savile himself is an expert at manipulation and obfuscation, so some stories will, unfortunately, never be told; hints of corruption and murder will likely never be resolved one way or another.
It’s well written (I read almost the whole thing in a single long-distance flight), and while it isn‘t a classic true crime book, it’s more than a cheap cash-in and goes a long way in showing how crimes of this magnitude were hidden for so long: really, they weren’t; we just chose to look the other way.
What becomes clear is that many people were aware of what Savile was doing for many years, although whether through complicity, corruption (to the very highest levels), or fascination with celebrity, nobody told. When victims did approach people in authority, they were ignored.
This book isn’t just hastily cobbled together, it’s obviously been in progress for some time, although because the investigation is still ongoing there are frustrating ommissions and occasional repetition as the book is rewritten to accommodate new evidence. And Savile himself is an expert at manipulation and obfuscation, so some stories will, unfortunately, never be told; hints of corruption and murder will likely never be resolved one way or another.
It’s well written (I read almost the whole thing in a single long-distance flight), and while it isn‘t a classic true crime book, it’s more than a cheap cash-in and goes a long way in showing how crimes of this magnitude were hidden for so long: really, they weren’t; we just chose to look the other way.
October 6, 2016
Hindsight is 20/20, but I always found Jimmy Savile repulsive; his gurning and medieval hairdo always creeped me out as a kid. I never suspected him, though, of the levels of depravity that surfaced after his death. A man with 'tourettes of the soul', a man who groomed an entire nation, a man who hid behind the charity work he profited shamelessly from, a man feted by Thatcher and the Royal family. At first it's not even the relentless abuse that wears you down, but the sheer emptiness of Savile that galls; the hollow facade, the endless rehearsed anecdotes, the robotic maintenance of the tiresome persona that allowed him to act on his dark compulsions for decades.
It was only the chapter, 'Your Porter Hurt Me', that really brings home the consequences of his actions. The mundanity of it, the casualness that spoke volumes of his sense of self-entitlement; the phrase, 'the banality of evil', could have been coined specifically for him. What really rankles is how far the cover up of Savile and his ilk went, right into the highest echelons of British power structures, from Whitehall to Westminster. What grates is, lying beyond justice in an unmarked grave, he got away with it. As you reach the end of this book, run yourself a bath - you'll need it.
It was only the chapter, 'Your Porter Hurt Me', that really brings home the consequences of his actions. The mundanity of it, the casualness that spoke volumes of his sense of self-entitlement; the phrase, 'the banality of evil', could have been coined specifically for him. What really rankles is how far the cover up of Savile and his ilk went, right into the highest echelons of British power structures, from Whitehall to Westminster. What grates is, lying beyond justice in an unmarked grave, he got away with it. As you reach the end of this book, run yourself a bath - you'll need it.
February 6, 2016
This is a very difficult book to read as I like many thought warmly of Jimmy Savile for so many years, and can you blame us? Here was a man who from such humble and hard working beginnings led an extraordinary life. From his early years as a miner (and I use that word with trepidation ) his short spell as a wrestler, his love of marathon running, his virtual creation of the British TV institute “Top of the Pops” and his equally electrifying Jim’ll fix it, a programme that for so many years was at the heart of BBC Saturday night entertainment. Then there was his memorable road safety ads, the famous clunk-click phrase followed by his equally renowned promotion of British Rail “This is the age of the train” He was friends to the powerful and famous, Prince Charles, Margaret Thatcher (who fought for years to obtain his OBE) and even the late Princess Diana sought him out so eager were they to ask his advice and be seen in his company....but against this all and against the charity money he raised was a monster of a man who used his position of celebrity to sexually abuse and destroy the lives of so many.
In Plain Sight by Dan Davies is a monumental book and a compulsive colourful and chilling read. This is a book that was researched for many years and over the course of that time Davies interviewed and spoke with Savile on numerous occasions, yet he always felt that there was a dark untold side to this seemingly affable gent.....and how right he was. It is with great sadness that Savile was not exposed during his lifetime and that those who were abused had not the courage to come forward (or indeed if they did were not believed) at an earlier time. Society and our obsession with celebrity must bear so much of the responsibility and blame for we kept this vile individual on a pedestal for so long even thought the crimes that he committed were done....in plain sight.....
In Plain Sight by Dan Davies is a monumental book and a compulsive colourful and chilling read. This is a book that was researched for many years and over the course of that time Davies interviewed and spoke with Savile on numerous occasions, yet he always felt that there was a dark untold side to this seemingly affable gent.....and how right he was. It is with great sadness that Savile was not exposed during his lifetime and that those who were abused had not the courage to come forward (or indeed if they did were not believed) at an earlier time. Society and our obsession with celebrity must bear so much of the responsibility and blame for we kept this vile individual on a pedestal for so long even thought the crimes that he committed were done....in plain sight.....
June 16, 2016
As one might expect this was a bleak and depressing read, but it was also a frustrating one. Davies has done thorough research (including spending some time with his subject before his death and subsequent abject discrediting), and as a result his catalogue of Savile's crimes is as unrelenting as his reporting of the constant stream of patter, boasting anecdotes and weak jokes with which he successfully concealed them. The book is well researched, but not well-written - some sentences are awkward and others are incomplete or even ambiguous.
And, of course, the subject matter is consistently horrifying.
I'm not a "true crime" reader, but like most of my generation I knew Savile as a dominating presence in the media throughout my childhood, and I'd hoped from this to get some understanding of why he behaved in the ways he did, how it must have felt for him to spend his entire life in deception or denial, and how he was able to make authorities including the BBC, the government and the royal family complicit in his crimes. Davies is good on the last point (though there are still some accounts of complicity which simply beggar belief), but on the first has little to offer beyond speculation. (Was Savile himself abused as a child? One story he told was of a sexual experience at the hands of an older woman when he was twelve - though typically he made it a boast, rather than an account of abuse - but he was such a habitual and barefaced liar that it's impossible to know what reliance to place on it.) On the second point Davies is unable, to his own frustration, to penetrate past Savile's teflon facade to any sense of his inner life.
Ultimately one is left with a wearying sense of what it felt like to be in Savile's presence when he wasn't raping, molesting and abusing children and women, and an exhaustive awareness of the extent of his offences - if not of their effect on his victims - but little real understanding of the man.
And, of course, the subject matter is consistently horrifying.
I'm not a "true crime" reader, but like most of my generation I knew Savile as a dominating presence in the media throughout my childhood, and I'd hoped from this to get some understanding of why he behaved in the ways he did, how it must have felt for him to spend his entire life in deception or denial, and how he was able to make authorities including the BBC, the government and the royal family complicit in his crimes. Davies is good on the last point (though there are still some accounts of complicity which simply beggar belief), but on the first has little to offer beyond speculation. (Was Savile himself abused as a child? One story he told was of a sexual experience at the hands of an older woman when he was twelve - though typically he made it a boast, rather than an account of abuse - but he was such a habitual and barefaced liar that it's impossible to know what reliance to place on it.) On the second point Davies is unable, to his own frustration, to penetrate past Savile's teflon facade to any sense of his inner life.
Ultimately one is left with a wearying sense of what it felt like to be in Savile's presence when he wasn't raping, molesting and abusing children and women, and an exhaustive awareness of the extent of his offences - if not of their effect on his victims - but little real understanding of the man.
July 18, 2022
Very thorough, very well written. Combines a genuine biography tracing the rise and decline of Savile's extraordinary career including as a racing cyclist, miner, wrestler, club manager, pretty much inventing the disco, on to the bit we all know as radio DJ, tv presenter, fundraiser and marathon runner, to being one of the managers of Broadmoor and eventual if reluctant retirement. A very odd man. I was glued to the pages again, but by some morbid fascination. How did it happen? How did he get away with it for so long? How did he get such access to hospitals and institutions? A bizarre sequence of events. The wrong man in the wrong place and time. I am glad we have learned a lesson as a nation, but at the cost of so much harm to so many people that he wasn't stopped sooner.
I have probably been unfair ranking this as low as 3 stars. My only complaint would be the distasteful subject matter, and it being too long. A bit more editing could have made reading a bit less of an ordeal, but then it's nothing to the ordeal his victims faced.
I have probably been unfair ranking this as low as 3 stars. My only complaint would be the distasteful subject matter, and it being too long. A bit more editing could have made reading a bit less of an ordeal, but then it's nothing to the ordeal his victims faced.
March 3, 2018
It became very clear as the book unfolded just what a slippery character Savile was, and I admire Davies for persisting in his attempts to get to know his subject. As was remarked upon in the book, the man was a pure psychopath and the scale of his deceptions and manipulations was incredible. I found the insights from the psychological professionals particularly interesting. One psychiatrist suggests that Savile's behaviours were a projection of the unbearable feelings within himself.
The final few chapters felt rushed, as if Davies just wanted to get the book over and done with, which was a shame as this is where he attempts to sum up the culture of complicity which allowed the offending to take place. The diversity of individuals and institutions caught up in Savile's web of crime was staggering and ultimately Davies suggests that Savile groomed the nation.
The style of writing is quite journalistic and could do with some more editing. Certainly towards the end of the book, there were many sentences that were missing words and the use of acronyms was inconsistent.
I'm not sure it would be right to say that I enjoyed this book; the subject matter was hideous and at times I was revolted by what I was reading. However, as previous reviewers have said, the gruesome details of the acts of abuse themselves were not sensationalised. This is a book that will stay with me and give me a lot to think about for a long time to come.
The final few chapters felt rushed, as if Davies just wanted to get the book over and done with, which was a shame as this is where he attempts to sum up the culture of complicity which allowed the offending to take place. The diversity of individuals and institutions caught up in Savile's web of crime was staggering and ultimately Davies suggests that Savile groomed the nation.
The style of writing is quite journalistic and could do with some more editing. Certainly towards the end of the book, there were many sentences that were missing words and the use of acronyms was inconsistent.
I'm not sure it would be right to say that I enjoyed this book; the subject matter was hideous and at times I was revolted by what I was reading. However, as previous reviewers have said, the gruesome details of the acts of abuse themselves were not sensationalised. This is a book that will stay with me and give me a lot to think about for a long time to come.
August 13, 2021
Fascinating book, if hard to stomach at times.
Savile totally had me fooled; I’d grown up watching him on Jim’ll Fix it in the early 1980s, I’d watch every week with my grandma and she’d say what a character he was. We even wrote to him, but luckily I was never picked. I’m glad grandma never knew what a monster he truly was, she’d have been aghast. I can actually remember feeling quite affronted when the revelations started to come out just after he’d died, initially cynical and put out that allegations were being made about someone no longer able to defend himself. I got over that.Reading this, unbelievable as it seems he got away with it for so long and so many opportunities were missed to prevent him from hurting children, it’s clear he groomed a nation.
Fortunately there’s little graphic detail about what he actually did and more about his constant bluster and arrogance from an author who interviewed him a number of times in his later years. The author has also spent time with Savile’s victims, giving them a voice which will stay with me. It was quite an insight.
Recommended.
Savile totally had me fooled; I’d grown up watching him on Jim’ll Fix it in the early 1980s, I’d watch every week with my grandma and she’d say what a character he was. We even wrote to him, but luckily I was never picked. I’m glad grandma never knew what a monster he truly was, she’d have been aghast. I can actually remember feeling quite affronted when the revelations started to come out just after he’d died, initially cynical and put out that allegations were being made about someone no longer able to defend himself. I got over that.Reading this, unbelievable as it seems he got away with it for so long and so many opportunities were missed to prevent him from hurting children, it’s clear he groomed a nation.
Fortunately there’s little graphic detail about what he actually did and more about his constant bluster and arrogance from an author who interviewed him a number of times in his later years. The author has also spent time with Savile’s victims, giving them a voice which will stay with me. It was quite an insight.
Recommended.
May 24, 2024
Brilliant. Even if you've never heard of Jimmy Saville i recommend this. He was the ultimate monster. Completely detestable.
August 8, 2018
It's not until the last 60 or 70 pages when the author begins to go into the full extent of Savile's crimes (which range into the 100's), which is probably because nobody knew about the crimes until after he'd died. There were always rumours swirling, but nothing concrete, nothing proven. Complaints were made over a period of decades, but because Savile had connections at the very top of British society - the Royals, Charles and Diana, Thatcher, the upper classes generally - and the Yorkshire police were in his pocket (amongst other things), nothing was ever done.
This is more a straight biography of an "odd" individual, a typically British "eccentric" who just happened to be a sexual psycopath and bully, and it could have benefited from some ruthless editing, and tighter focus points - there's quite a bit of repetition, and an avalanche of names which can be a bit confusing at times, but it wasn't too bad.
This is more a straight biography of an "odd" individual, a typically British "eccentric" who just happened to be a sexual psycopath and bully, and it could have benefited from some ruthless editing, and tighter focus points - there's quite a bit of repetition, and an avalanche of names which can be a bit confusing at times, but it wasn't too bad.
September 16, 2015
A truly horrific but must-read book. Dan Davies avoids sensationalism and provides real insight into how a major celebrity could lead a barely concealed double life as a serial sex offender. There's no graphic stuff thankfully but the testimony of some of the victims is hard to read sometimes. I , like many, wrongly thought that this kind of thing couldn't happen again in the post social media age of 24/7 digital scrutiny. This book is a warning that celebrity , money and power can always confound our media , police, politicians as well as the public.
January 5, 2018
If you think you know all about JS - which I thought I did - I have to say you really have no idea until you’ve read this. At once sickening, compelling, shocking; brilliantly written true crime: you really want to put it down but you can’t.
July 5, 2020
What an evil man Savile was. On the day he died I was having lunch with a retired sound engineer who had worked in television for many years. When we heard the news his exact words were ‘He was a bad man. A very bad man.'. He didn’t elaborate, but clearly everybody knew what was going on.
August 5, 2016
I will review this, but I need time to process what I've just read. It's been a troubling and unsettling read but I'm glad I've read it.
December 2, 2021
OK. It certainly wasn't pacey. In parts quite dull. Well researched though.
January 18, 2021
When I was growing up, I loved shows like Jim'll fix it, It's a knockout & Rolf on Saturday OK! Sadly all those memories were destroyed when Operation Yewtree exposed our favourite TV show hosts as paedophiles, who preyed on the young & vulnerable 😡
As much as this book was hard reading in places, it was a fascinating insight into the predatory mind of Jimmy. How he constantly craved to be the centre of attention, whether through his fundraising or attending someone's wedding or funeral in garish clothing, to japing around to get himself noticed.
It's sickening when you read that they had allegations made about him as far back as the 70's but it took another 30 years before it all came to light. He was very good at manipulating people & this was his way of making sure he was never found out.
He was a key holder at Broadmoor the 'hospital' for the criminally insane, had his own rooms at Stoke Mandeville hospital, was made an OBE for his services & fundraising for charities, again all a cover up so he could gain access to the young & vulnerable. He seemed to think that these were 'privileges' that he was rightly entitled to.
This mammoth 584 pager I'm ashamed to say has taken just over 24 hours to read, as I couldn't put it down. It's totally changed perceptions of the show we all aspired to be on as kids & I'm so glad Jim never fixed it for me!
𝗜 𝗴𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗮 5 ⭐ 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴
As much as this book was hard reading in places, it was a fascinating insight into the predatory mind of Jimmy. How he constantly craved to be the centre of attention, whether through his fundraising or attending someone's wedding or funeral in garish clothing, to japing around to get himself noticed.
It's sickening when you read that they had allegations made about him as far back as the 70's but it took another 30 years before it all came to light. He was very good at manipulating people & this was his way of making sure he was never found out.
He was a key holder at Broadmoor the 'hospital' for the criminally insane, had his own rooms at Stoke Mandeville hospital, was made an OBE for his services & fundraising for charities, again all a cover up so he could gain access to the young & vulnerable. He seemed to think that these were 'privileges' that he was rightly entitled to.
This mammoth 584 pager I'm ashamed to say has taken just over 24 hours to read, as I couldn't put it down. It's totally changed perceptions of the show we all aspired to be on as kids & I'm so glad Jim never fixed it for me!
𝗜 𝗴𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗮 5 ⭐ 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴
September 10, 2019
You know how in American Psycho Patrick Bateman goes round openly admitting to all the horrible stuff he's doing and people just laugh him off or ignore him so you're never really sure if he's actually saying it or if it's all in his head? Well, same with Jimmy Savile.
The whole Savile story broke a little while after his death in 2011. I was living in London at the time and didn't know much about who he was - but the story was everywhere and continued for months as more victims come forward. Dan Davies was probably part way through writing this biography when Savile died in Oct 2011 and therefore In Plain Sight is a strange mix of standard biography smushed together with the story of the revelations/investigations/police-and-political-coverups of his widespread abuse of minors. A career of abuse that spanned 60 odd years.
Davies doesn't go quite deep enough down the rabbit hole. Implicated in the Savile network are police, journalists, the BBC, politicians, even royalty. Savile's participation in an elite pedophile ring is bleedingly obvious - but that would be a whole other, more dangerous book. Here Davies is content to present Savile - contradiction and complexity that he was. In Plain Sight is shocking without being revelatory, perceptive but not comprehensive, and ultimately compelling.
The whole Savile story broke a little while after his death in 2011. I was living in London at the time and didn't know much about who he was - but the story was everywhere and continued for months as more victims come forward. Dan Davies was probably part way through writing this biography when Savile died in Oct 2011 and therefore In Plain Sight is a strange mix of standard biography smushed together with the story of the revelations/investigations/police-and-political-coverups of his widespread abuse of minors. A career of abuse that spanned 60 odd years.
Davies doesn't go quite deep enough down the rabbit hole. Implicated in the Savile network are police, journalists, the BBC, politicians, even royalty. Savile's participation in an elite pedophile ring is bleedingly obvious - but that would be a whole other, more dangerous book. Here Davies is content to present Savile - contradiction and complexity that he was. In Plain Sight is shocking without being revelatory, perceptive but not comprehensive, and ultimately compelling.
October 14, 2022
The author calls Saville a playing card - people only saw whichever side he chose to show them. His loyal secretary (unceremoniously sacked and sued after 30 years) remains convinced of his innocence. As do his friends. Many others testify to his assaults. The scale of Saville’s offending is breathtaking. He uses what the author calls “the power of oddness”. Saville was cunning and devious. He understood that power, cultivated this strange image which makes you doubt what’s true and what isn’t. His hypnotic drone of a voice almost intentionally created to mesmerise audiences. His understanding of the power of PR to build the bricks behind which he could hide. Saville was a complex, malevolent individual and this is a well written, in depth look at his life, his motivations, personality and offending.
July 13, 2022
Big up my guy jimmy saville, he this book truly showed me how innocent he was. 🐐
July 22, 2022
An extremely well written book that leaves one wondering why he got away with what he did for so long and why so many people covered up for him.I hope they never have a decent nights sleep for the rest of their remaining lives.
November 10, 2022
Sechzig Jahre lang war Jimmy Savile eine bekannte und beliebte Persönlichkeit in den britischen Medien. Er war das Gesicht von Top of the Pops, gründete Jim'll fix it, in dem er Kindern ihre Wünsche erfüllte, war Organisator von Wohltätigkeitsveranstaltungen und guter Freund des britischen Königshauses. Seine Beerdigung war ein nationales Ereignis. Aber nur ein Jahr später wurde seine Grabstelle unkenntlich gemacht, um sein Andenken vom Erdboden verschwinden zu lassen.
Wie konnte es dazu kommen? Wie konnte ein Mann sechs Jahrzehnte lang mindestens 200 Kinder und Jugendliche missbrauchen, ohne dass jemand etwas merkte?
Meine Meinung
Ich kann das Motiv von Dan Davies, ein Buch über Jimmy Savile schreiben zu wollen, nicht nachvollziehen. Auf der einen Seite sagt er gleich zu Anfang, dass er seit er Savile als Kind das erste Mal sah, ihn nicht mochte. Auf der anderen Seite trifft er sich über Jahre hinweg regelmäßig mit einem Mann, den er nicht mag, vor dem er sich manchmal wegen seiner teilweise unappetitlichen Art regelrecht ekelte. War es Faszination oder der Wunsch, sein Treiben öffentlich zu machen? Denn Davies hatte schon früh einen Verdacht, dass Savile nicht der Gutmensch war, der er vorgab zu sein.
Es war bei Weitem nicht so, dass niemand etwas wusste. Savile stand schon früh im Fokus der Polizei. Schon in den 60er Jahren wusste man von Parties und minderjährigen Mädchen, die ihn ständig umgaben. Eine Ausrede, die ich immer wieder gelesen habe, war: Damals gab es das Wort Pädophiler noch nicht. Wir konnten uns nicht vorstellen, dass da etwas Schlimmes passierte.
Mehr als einmal haben Mädchen von dem erzählt, was ihnen angetan wurde. Oft war es so, dass ihre Eltern ihnen glaubten, aber nicht zu Polizei ginggen um ihre Kinder zu schützen. Und wenn doch die Polizei ermittelte, was viel zu selten passierte, drohte Savile mit seiner Bekanntheit und seinen Verbindungen. Niemand wollte sich mit ihm anlegen.
Es war schlimm zu lesen, was alles passiert ist. Noch schlimmer war, dass es bekannt war. Aber die Menschen schwiegen. Aus Angst um ihren Arbeitsplatz, aus Scham oder deshalb, weil sie sich nicht vorstellen konnten dass das wirklich passierte. Und das macht es so schrecklich: wie viel mehr ist passiert, was unter den Teppich gekehrt worden ist?
Jemand aus dem Untersuchungsausschuß bringt es auf den Punkt als er sagt, dass die britische Gesellschaft sich fragen muss, wie sie diesem Menschen sein Treiben so lange erlauben konnte.
In plain sight erzählt eine furchtbare Geschichte und es ist das erste Mal dass ich nicht froh bin, beim Lesen bis zum Ende durchgehalten zu haben.
Wie konnte es dazu kommen? Wie konnte ein Mann sechs Jahrzehnte lang mindestens 200 Kinder und Jugendliche missbrauchen, ohne dass jemand etwas merkte?
Meine Meinung
Ich kann das Motiv von Dan Davies, ein Buch über Jimmy Savile schreiben zu wollen, nicht nachvollziehen. Auf der einen Seite sagt er gleich zu Anfang, dass er seit er Savile als Kind das erste Mal sah, ihn nicht mochte. Auf der anderen Seite trifft er sich über Jahre hinweg regelmäßig mit einem Mann, den er nicht mag, vor dem er sich manchmal wegen seiner teilweise unappetitlichen Art regelrecht ekelte. War es Faszination oder der Wunsch, sein Treiben öffentlich zu machen? Denn Davies hatte schon früh einen Verdacht, dass Savile nicht der Gutmensch war, der er vorgab zu sein.
Es war bei Weitem nicht so, dass niemand etwas wusste. Savile stand schon früh im Fokus der Polizei. Schon in den 60er Jahren wusste man von Parties und minderjährigen Mädchen, die ihn ständig umgaben. Eine Ausrede, die ich immer wieder gelesen habe, war: Damals gab es das Wort Pädophiler noch nicht. Wir konnten uns nicht vorstellen, dass da etwas Schlimmes passierte.
Mehr als einmal haben Mädchen von dem erzählt, was ihnen angetan wurde. Oft war es so, dass ihre Eltern ihnen glaubten, aber nicht zu Polizei ginggen um ihre Kinder zu schützen. Und wenn doch die Polizei ermittelte, was viel zu selten passierte, drohte Savile mit seiner Bekanntheit und seinen Verbindungen. Niemand wollte sich mit ihm anlegen.
Es war schlimm zu lesen, was alles passiert ist. Noch schlimmer war, dass es bekannt war. Aber die Menschen schwiegen. Aus Angst um ihren Arbeitsplatz, aus Scham oder deshalb, weil sie sich nicht vorstellen konnten dass das wirklich passierte. Und das macht es so schrecklich: wie viel mehr ist passiert, was unter den Teppich gekehrt worden ist?
Jemand aus dem Untersuchungsausschuß bringt es auf den Punkt als er sagt, dass die britische Gesellschaft sich fragen muss, wie sie diesem Menschen sein Treiben so lange erlauben konnte.
In plain sight erzählt eine furchtbare Geschichte und es ist das erste Mal dass ich nicht froh bin, beim Lesen bis zum Ende durchgehalten zu haben.
March 20, 2018
I'm not even sure why I decided to read this book, and it wasn't an easy read. Jimmy Savile was so much a part of people's lives, especially in the 1970's and 1980's. I never liked him as a DJ, he was irritating and too old. But I was intrigued to learn more about the man behind the facade.
It appears that the facade was kept up carefully throughout his long life, with cracks appearing as he aged, the author believes he might have been diminishing mentally. There are two things I can't get out of my head, powerfully conveyed by the author. One: The story of his conditions to attend an Annual Ball in Otley. The organisers invited him to try and liven up the stuffy occasion. Among his conditions to agree to this, "6 dolly birds" from the area to act as his "bodyguards" and to be housed in a tent next to his that night. The fact that the organisers agreed to this defies belief; furthermore some of the girls were daughters of the Councillors. Now, this is the climate I grew up in, and I can remember a lot of groping and inappropriate behaviour that we were expected to laugh off. In Plain Sight.
Two: The horrifying and heart-stopping account given by the woman who, as a 12 year old patient at Stoke Mandeville hospital, was told to go to the TV room as she was bored in the ward after having her tonsils removed. Unfortunately she encounters a hospital porter who shows her where the TV room is and then rapes her. She told a nurse, who said don't tell anyone. She posted a letter into the hospital postbox asking someone to fetch her Dad because a hospital porter hurt her. It's heart breaking, and it's worse because the staff all knew what was going on.
The Nation as a whole was hoodwinked by this awful man, and quite simply, his persona was weird, he was odd- in Plain Sight, as in under all our noses.
The other point the author explores is the fascinating effect 'Jim'll Fix It" had on Savile. One of the best-loved Saturday evening shows, it was a real heartwarmer. Savile felt in the spotlight and was compelled to "go straight". His behaviour on those shows is decidedly more subdued.
It's a long book, and there is a lot of investigation into why West Yorkshire Police didn't pick up on many markers through the decades. But times change, and he got away with it because of attitudes during the 1970's especially. Look at the entertainers he took down with him eventually. Household names we all loved and trusted. It's a pity he never got his come- uppance. He'll never know his grave was smashed to bits. Where's the justice?
It appears that the facade was kept up carefully throughout his long life, with cracks appearing as he aged, the author believes he might have been diminishing mentally. There are two things I can't get out of my head, powerfully conveyed by the author. One: The story of his conditions to attend an Annual Ball in Otley. The organisers invited him to try and liven up the stuffy occasion. Among his conditions to agree to this, "6 dolly birds" from the area to act as his "bodyguards" and to be housed in a tent next to his that night. The fact that the organisers agreed to this defies belief; furthermore some of the girls were daughters of the Councillors. Now, this is the climate I grew up in, and I can remember a lot of groping and inappropriate behaviour that we were expected to laugh off. In Plain Sight.
Two: The horrifying and heart-stopping account given by the woman who, as a 12 year old patient at Stoke Mandeville hospital, was told to go to the TV room as she was bored in the ward after having her tonsils removed. Unfortunately she encounters a hospital porter who shows her where the TV room is and then rapes her. She told a nurse, who said don't tell anyone. She posted a letter into the hospital postbox asking someone to fetch her Dad because a hospital porter hurt her. It's heart breaking, and it's worse because the staff all knew what was going on.
The Nation as a whole was hoodwinked by this awful man, and quite simply, his persona was weird, he was odd- in Plain Sight, as in under all our noses.
The other point the author explores is the fascinating effect 'Jim'll Fix It" had on Savile. One of the best-loved Saturday evening shows, it was a real heartwarmer. Savile felt in the spotlight and was compelled to "go straight". His behaviour on those shows is decidedly more subdued.
It's a long book, and there is a lot of investigation into why West Yorkshire Police didn't pick up on many markers through the decades. But times change, and he got away with it because of attitudes during the 1970's especially. Look at the entertainers he took down with him eventually. Household names we all loved and trusted. It's a pity he never got his come- uppance. He'll never know his grave was smashed to bits. Where's the justice?
August 2, 2014
In The New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract, writing about the deadball-era star Hal Chase, Bill James asks:
In this remarkably absorbing biography of the late (Sir) Jimmy Savile--Bevin Boy, competitive cyclist, dance hall maestro, disc jockey, professional wrestler, BBC TV & Radio 1 fixture, pitch-man, charity fundraiser, compulsive marathon-runner, counselor to royalty, serial rapist & pedophile, Knight of the British Empire--journalist Dan Davies has another literary analog in mind: Joseph Conrad's legendarily inscrutable and obfuscatory Mr. Kurtz. Hence, the original title of this book was to have been (incorporating one of Savile's trademark phrases) "Apocalypse Now Then".
Were this simply a finger-wagging cataloging of Savile's posthumously revealed sex crimes, In Plain Sight would be a tedious, exhausting read. But in the decade before Savile's death (and those revelations), Davies spent a great deal of time interviewing and profiling him, attempting to penetrate (with varying degrees of success) the carefully maintained facade of this curious man. By structuring the biography such that the chapters would alternate between Savile's life story (and the author's encounters with him) on the one hand, and the present day revelations of police commissions and victims' recollections on the other, Davies draws an unforgettable portrait of a man who was many things--engaging, awful, pitiable, menacing, generous, miserly, cavalier, penitent, brilliant, and most of all, deceptive. In Savile's own words, "Most people don't realize I'm working 'deep cover' until it's too late."
Indeed.
Could he really have existed, or was he perhaps invented by Robert Louis Stevenson, along with the Master of Ballantrae, Long John Silver, and the good Dr. Jekyll?...There is some evidence to say that he appeared in the flesh, but I lean more toward the invention theory.
In this remarkably absorbing biography of the late (Sir) Jimmy Savile--Bevin Boy, competitive cyclist, dance hall maestro, disc jockey, professional wrestler, BBC TV & Radio 1 fixture, pitch-man, charity fundraiser, compulsive marathon-runner, counselor to royalty, serial rapist & pedophile, Knight of the British Empire--journalist Dan Davies has another literary analog in mind: Joseph Conrad's legendarily inscrutable and obfuscatory Mr. Kurtz. Hence, the original title of this book was to have been (incorporating one of Savile's trademark phrases) "Apocalypse Now Then".
Were this simply a finger-wagging cataloging of Savile's posthumously revealed sex crimes, In Plain Sight would be a tedious, exhausting read. But in the decade before Savile's death (and those revelations), Davies spent a great deal of time interviewing and profiling him, attempting to penetrate (with varying degrees of success) the carefully maintained facade of this curious man. By structuring the biography such that the chapters would alternate between Savile's life story (and the author's encounters with him) on the one hand, and the present day revelations of police commissions and victims' recollections on the other, Davies draws an unforgettable portrait of a man who was many things--engaging, awful, pitiable, menacing, generous, miserly, cavalier, penitent, brilliant, and most of all, deceptive. In Savile's own words, "Most people don't realize I'm working 'deep cover' until it's too late."
Indeed.
March 27, 2023
In Plain Sight by Dan Davies
Several years ago when I was working for BBC radio I took a call, off air from a listener. She told me she was ringing in to explain why she was going to refuse to pay her TV licence. She said it was due to abuse she suffered at the hands of Jimmy Savile. It was long before his death and the subsequent catalogue of his life of abusing. Even then though, and from memory it must have been the late 1990's, there were rumours about him. I spent a good few minutes listening to the caller, giving her time to speak. I recall tearful emotion in her voice but also a quiet anger. She wouldn't go into details about the abuse, where and when etc., and I gently told her she must report it to the authorities. I asked her if she would like to talk more to me about what happened, face to face with in an interview I could record. She replied that she would, if she was taken to court for refusing to pay her licence fee, as she would tell the magistrates the reason why. She gave me her name and number and I called her a few times but her mind had changed. She told me there was no point in refusing to pay the licence fee as no one would believe her story.
Sadly, my caller turned out to be one of scores, if not hundreds of teenagers abused by Savile. After all the TV docs and newspaper articles about him, Dan Davies' In Plain Sight is by far the most comprehensive account of Savile's life, what he was responsible for, how he managed it, and how police, BBC, hospitals, professional people failed to stop him despite some knowledge. He doesn't provide complete answers as to how Savile got away with it. It's clear from his own research and attempts to interview those people with knowledge that there are so many who still refuse to reveal the shocking truth.
Davies writes that he was fascinated by Savile from childhood, keeping scrapbooks of clippings about him but always sensing, he claims, something evil about him. His book is largely based on numerous interviews Savile gave him mainly at his flat in Leeds. He describes how difficult it was to get Savile to open up, but chillingly reveals how he gave clues not only to him but to other interviewers. He includes the well documented episodes of Savile brazenly abusing guests on his TV shows.
Savile's rise from a back street in Leeds, his short time as a miner and then the life in showbusiness from early party DJ through to TV and radio household name, charity fundraiser, friend of former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and of our now king Charles; it's all in the book and it's a gripping but unpleasant read. There are near graphic episodes Davies relates and you're filled with a sense of disgust, sadness and regret at so many lives ruined, some ended, by Savile's evil. You're also left with anger that those who did see what he was doing and reported it, were not believed. Why? Because either those it was reported to either dismissed the claims due to his great charitable works and the public adulation he commanded, or that they were in on it.
It's quite clear from Davies's book that a group of police officers were regular visitors to Savile's flat. He attempts to find out how deep into the police was Savile's influence. There's a similar suspicion of Savile and a group of local businessmen in Scarborough. Davies relates how nurses reported him interfering with hospital patients, in one case while a child's parent was present. He writes how a BBC producer saw acts being performed in a dressing room.
Davies also digs further than others by investigating whether Savile was a member of a paedophile ring, a group of powerful men including the former Liberal heavyweight politician Cyril Smith and former Conservative politicians, who abused youngsters trafficked to a south London house for abuse.
Revelatory is Davies's account of former sixties pirate Radio Caroline DJ Ray Teret, who, for many years both worked and acted with Jimmy Savile. Davies relates part of a court case against Teret for sex abuse in which the judge equivocally states that Savile and Teret abused victims together.
Davies only touches on Savile's religious faith, trying to explain that Savile followed the mediaeval belief in Catholicism of doing more good than bad in one's life as a way of getting to heaven. In that topic, I wrote a letter to The Tablet after Savile's death which was published, pointing out that confession, if Savile ever did confess, is only deemed true if the confession includes full redemption and sorrow, a plea for forgives, and a vow to never repeat. In Savile's case, his lifelong actions would make confession questionable. Davies writes that when his body was found, his fingers were crossed. I've been trying to work out how he managed to do that in the final throes of death.
Davies gives the reader a good insight into Savile's childhood, his family, his odd relationship with his mother, his lack of a relationship with his father, and only scant details of how he got on with older siblings. There's a hint of abuse within the family but no evidence is given.
Despite this being the definitive account of Savile, this book is lacking in those six areas. Despite the author's wealth of research from countless interviews, more forensic work and proving interviews are required of surviving family members, priests and figures in the church who he met and even confided in (though the rules of the confessional may sadly stunt that attempt), surviving business, police, hospital, charity officials and politicians who should be encouraged to reveal more, though they would probably refuse.
Why? Because we owe it to those who endure life, their days, their hopes, their futures ruined by Savile.
Also, while they're still alive, those surviving dj's from the 60's and 70's who may know more, should be approached. Davies has an account of one. I've spoken to a few myself and they're happy to talk about how they attended orgies in London and how when pirate radio fans came out to see them on the ships, the boys would go off the engine room and the girls to their cabins.
Though Savile wasn't a pirate radio DJ, he was there when the likes of the now discredited John Peel and others came ashore and developed and enjoyed the excesses of pop stardom Djs in the 1970's. Those DJs will tell you how women offered themselves to them, something which Davies describes as one of the temptations every DJ, on the radio or not, faced.
That leads me on to one final thought, which is a somewhat distasteful juxtaposition to the hordes of Savile's victims. It is that there were probably similar numbers who consensually cavorted and more with Savile. Davies doesn't touch on them, probably because they remain silent.
Several years ago when I was working for BBC radio I took a call, off air from a listener. She told me she was ringing in to explain why she was going to refuse to pay her TV licence. She said it was due to abuse she suffered at the hands of Jimmy Savile. It was long before his death and the subsequent catalogue of his life of abusing. Even then though, and from memory it must have been the late 1990's, there were rumours about him. I spent a good few minutes listening to the caller, giving her time to speak. I recall tearful emotion in her voice but also a quiet anger. She wouldn't go into details about the abuse, where and when etc., and I gently told her she must report it to the authorities. I asked her if she would like to talk more to me about what happened, face to face with in an interview I could record. She replied that she would, if she was taken to court for refusing to pay her licence fee, as she would tell the magistrates the reason why. She gave me her name and number and I called her a few times but her mind had changed. She told me there was no point in refusing to pay the licence fee as no one would believe her story.
Sadly, my caller turned out to be one of scores, if not hundreds of teenagers abused by Savile. After all the TV docs and newspaper articles about him, Dan Davies' In Plain Sight is by far the most comprehensive account of Savile's life, what he was responsible for, how he managed it, and how police, BBC, hospitals, professional people failed to stop him despite some knowledge. He doesn't provide complete answers as to how Savile got away with it. It's clear from his own research and attempts to interview those people with knowledge that there are so many who still refuse to reveal the shocking truth.
Davies writes that he was fascinated by Savile from childhood, keeping scrapbooks of clippings about him but always sensing, he claims, something evil about him. His book is largely based on numerous interviews Savile gave him mainly at his flat in Leeds. He describes how difficult it was to get Savile to open up, but chillingly reveals how he gave clues not only to him but to other interviewers. He includes the well documented episodes of Savile brazenly abusing guests on his TV shows.
Savile's rise from a back street in Leeds, his short time as a miner and then the life in showbusiness from early party DJ through to TV and radio household name, charity fundraiser, friend of former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and of our now king Charles; it's all in the book and it's a gripping but unpleasant read. There are near graphic episodes Davies relates and you're filled with a sense of disgust, sadness and regret at so many lives ruined, some ended, by Savile's evil. You're also left with anger that those who did see what he was doing and reported it, were not believed. Why? Because either those it was reported to either dismissed the claims due to his great charitable works and the public adulation he commanded, or that they were in on it.
It's quite clear from Davies's book that a group of police officers were regular visitors to Savile's flat. He attempts to find out how deep into the police was Savile's influence. There's a similar suspicion of Savile and a group of local businessmen in Scarborough. Davies relates how nurses reported him interfering with hospital patients, in one case while a child's parent was present. He writes how a BBC producer saw acts being performed in a dressing room.
Davies also digs further than others by investigating whether Savile was a member of a paedophile ring, a group of powerful men including the former Liberal heavyweight politician Cyril Smith and former Conservative politicians, who abused youngsters trafficked to a south London house for abuse.
Revelatory is Davies's account of former sixties pirate Radio Caroline DJ Ray Teret, who, for many years both worked and acted with Jimmy Savile. Davies relates part of a court case against Teret for sex abuse in which the judge equivocally states that Savile and Teret abused victims together.
Davies only touches on Savile's religious faith, trying to explain that Savile followed the mediaeval belief in Catholicism of doing more good than bad in one's life as a way of getting to heaven. In that topic, I wrote a letter to The Tablet after Savile's death which was published, pointing out that confession, if Savile ever did confess, is only deemed true if the confession includes full redemption and sorrow, a plea for forgives, and a vow to never repeat. In Savile's case, his lifelong actions would make confession questionable. Davies writes that when his body was found, his fingers were crossed. I've been trying to work out how he managed to do that in the final throes of death.
Davies gives the reader a good insight into Savile's childhood, his family, his odd relationship with his mother, his lack of a relationship with his father, and only scant details of how he got on with older siblings. There's a hint of abuse within the family but no evidence is given.
Despite this being the definitive account of Savile, this book is lacking in those six areas. Despite the author's wealth of research from countless interviews, more forensic work and proving interviews are required of surviving family members, priests and figures in the church who he met and even confided in (though the rules of the confessional may sadly stunt that attempt), surviving business, police, hospital, charity officials and politicians who should be encouraged to reveal more, though they would probably refuse.
Why? Because we owe it to those who endure life, their days, their hopes, their futures ruined by Savile.
Also, while they're still alive, those surviving dj's from the 60's and 70's who may know more, should be approached. Davies has an account of one. I've spoken to a few myself and they're happy to talk about how they attended orgies in London and how when pirate radio fans came out to see them on the ships, the boys would go off the engine room and the girls to their cabins.
Though Savile wasn't a pirate radio DJ, he was there when the likes of the now discredited John Peel and others came ashore and developed and enjoyed the excesses of pop stardom Djs in the 1970's. Those DJs will tell you how women offered themselves to them, something which Davies describes as one of the temptations every DJ, on the radio or not, faced.
That leads me on to one final thought, which is a somewhat distasteful juxtaposition to the hordes of Savile's victims. It is that there were probably similar numbers who consensually cavorted and more with Savile. Davies doesn't touch on them, probably because they remain silent.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 8, 2021
This book is both chilling (it’s comprehensive - what feels like an exhaustive chronology of Saville’s life and his crimes even though it clearly can’t capture the full range of his offences over decades) and also slightly unfulfilling. You go through it feeling increasing disbelief that he managed to get away with it all in spite of his behaviour being so monstrous and so fundamentally visible - helped by the author clearly having been on an extended mission to break through the facade while Saville was alive.
Ultimately, and as the author makes clear, there was more than enough known throughout his life for anyone interested to ask questions and stop Saville in his tracks. We not only chose not to but a combination of entrenched willingness to tolerate paedophilia; a lack of care for vulnerable people; and police corruption meant that it was just easier to allow Saville to go unchecked until he was dead. As a story it’s both unbelievable and sadly mundane - no-one with any power had an incentive to stop him, so he didn’t get stopped. I’d recommend it to anyone interested in understanding how it happened - the book itself is very sad but incredibly well-researched and never crosses the line into a gratuitous true-crime style story.
Ultimately, and as the author makes clear, there was more than enough known throughout his life for anyone interested to ask questions and stop Saville in his tracks. We not only chose not to but a combination of entrenched willingness to tolerate paedophilia; a lack of care for vulnerable people; and police corruption meant that it was just easier to allow Saville to go unchecked until he was dead. As a story it’s both unbelievable and sadly mundane - no-one with any power had an incentive to stop him, so he didn’t get stopped. I’d recommend it to anyone interested in understanding how it happened - the book itself is very sad but incredibly well-researched and never crosses the line into a gratuitous true-crime style story.
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