The Sunday Times bestselling edition of Chips Channon's remarkable diaries. 'The greatest
British diarist of the 20th century. An astonishing achievement. By turns frivolous and
profound.' Ben Macintyre The Times'Wickedly entertaining. Genuinely shocking and still
revelatory.' Andrew Marr New Statesman'An irresistible saucy read . . . One of the most
impressive editions of our time.' The Telegraph'They're among the most glittering and enjoyable
diaries ever written' Observer____________________________________ Born in Chicago in 1897
'Chips' Channon settled in England after the Great War married into the immensely wealthy
Guinness family and served as Conservative MP for Southend-on-Sea from 1935 until his death in
1958. His career was unremarkable. His diaries are quite the opposite. Elegant gossipy and
bitchy by turns they are the unfettered observations of a man who went everywhere and who knew
everybody. Whether describing the antics of London society in the interwar years or the
growing scandal surrounding his close friends Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson during the
abdication crisis or the mood in the House of Commons in the lead up to the Munich crisis his
sense of drama and his eye for the telling detail are unmatched. These are diaries that bring a
whole epoch vividly to life. ________________________________ 'Fascinating and sometimes a key
historical record. And the man could write.' Daily Mirror'Fascinating stuff.' The
Spectator'Gripping reading.' The Sunday Times'Chips perfectly embodied the qualities vital to
the task: a capacious ear for gossip a neat turn of phrase a waspish desire to tell all and
easy access to the highest social circles across Europe.' Jesse Norman Financial Times'A
masterpiece of storytelling and character assassination.' Guardian
