About the Author

Philip Ziegler was a diplomat before becoming an editorial director at the publishers William Collins. His many books include acclaimed biographies of Laurence Olivier, William IV, Lady Diana Cooper, Lord Mountbatten and Harold Wilson, as well as the classic history of the Black Death.

Reviews

Ziegler is an elegant, unfailingly lucid writerOne of the most experienced and versatile biographers of his generation. - Observer.Ziegler writes with urbanity and wit but is unflinching in his judgments. - Times Literary Supplement.Fascinating. - on The Black Death.A skillful historian. - Kirkus Reviews.