About the Author

David Butterfield is a Fellow of Queens’ College, Cambridge, and Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Classics. His academic research covers Latin literature, ancient philosophy and the history of scholarship. Previous books have studied the philosopher-poet Lucretius, the polymath Varro and the scholar-poet A.E. Housman. Outside the classical world, he has written regularly on any subject other than politics for The Spectator, where he is a contributing editor.

Reviews

"Butterfield's highly readable romp through its history reminds members of The Spectator club—it has always had a very clubby feeling—of editorial triumphs and disasters, commercial horrors and some remarkable luck."
*Literary Review*

"Few journals have cut such a dash through history and culture as The Spectator, and none have lasted as long. David Butterfield has immersed himself to excellent effect in the British magazine’s billion-word digitized archives, paying tribute to a unique institution as influential now as at any time in its 10,000 issue history. . . . Butterfield’s book demonstrates that [The Spectator] has simultaneously helped make and mirror the British psyche, and to read it is not just to read the mind of the British right, but also the heart of a complex country."
*Chronicles*

"The Spectator: the greatest magazine in the English language."
*Prime Minister Boris Johnson*

"A gem of a book—in the hands of a superb writer. Butterfield’s attention to detail is fabulous, his storytelling magnificent and his playful affection for these often larger than life characters makes them leap off the page. A delight."
*Emily Maitlis, Newsnight (UK)*

"More than individually surprising discoveries about people and their strange ways, this history presents an intriguing moving picture of life inside Britain’s oldest weekly."
*Christopher Howse, Daily Telegraph (UK)*

"A rich and beautifully crafted chronicle, often hilarious and always informative."
*A. N. Wilson, author of Prince Albert: The Man Who Saved the Monarchy*

"The Spectator has always had its own mind—and its own life. David Butterfield has written a first-class biography of that life: the highs and lows, the feuds and affairs, the best jokes, the worst decisions—it's a treasure trove. A brilliantly readable history of the magazine, its life and its times."
*Fraser Nelson, editor of The Spectator*