Smooth Operator: The Life and Times of Cyril Lakin, Editor, Broadcaster and Politician

Smooth Operator: The Life and Times of Cyril Lakin, Editor, Broadcaster and Politician
ISBN-10
191364085X
ISBN-13
9781913640859
Series
Smooth Operator
Category
Biography & Autobiography
Pages
350
Language
English
Published
2021-10-05
Publisher
Parthian Books
Author
Geoff Andrews

Description

From a humble background in Barry, where his father was a butcher and local politician in the formative years of the new town, Cyril Lakin studied at Oxford, survived the First World War, and went on to become a Fleet Street editor, radio presenter and war-time member of parliament. As literary editor of both the Daily Telegraph and the Sunday Times, Lakin was at the centre of a vibrant and radical generation of writers, poets and critics, many of whom he recruited as reviewers. He gained a parliamentary seat and served in the National Government during World War II. The different worlds he inhabited, from Wales to Westminster, and across class, profession and party, were facilitated by his relaxed disposition, convivial company, and ability to cultivate influential contacts. An effective talent-spotter and catalyst for new projects, he preferred pragmatism over ideology and non-partisanship in politics: a moderate Conservative for modern times.

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