The Alien The Alien is the extraordinary life story of an immigrant who arrived in Britain at sixteen speaking little English and became well-known as a media personality, entrepreneur, and the nation’s tourism supremo.
Born Gunter Keese in Hitler’s Germany, he changed his name to William Davis and adopted British citizenship. Lord Beaverbrook made him City Editor of the Evening Standard at 25 and he went on to become financial editor of The Guardian and a regular broadcaster presenting the Money Programme on TV and the World at One on radio.
But what really astonished the Establishment was his appointment as editor of Punch at a time when it was still world famous as a ‘uniquely British institution’. How could they have chosen a German? Private Eye dubbed him ‘Kaiser Bill’, a label that stuck throughout his nine successful years in the job. Bill also founded the award-winning magazine High Life, and in the early 1990’s was chairman of the British Tourist Authority and the English Tourist Board.
His frank and entertaining autobiography gives a fascinating insight into the challenges faced by an immigrant and offers witty, iconoclastic observations on British attitudes today. It is a compelling read for friend and foe alike.