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Rating: 
Summary: No lightweight-a man of substance
Review: One of the irritating things about what he is most remembered for-his gardening books-really quite distorts and sadly misrepresents the man, Beverley Nichols. This book goes some way to redressing the balance and this sharp witted, keen observer of the human condition has been fairly dealt with in this biography. The after effect, one hopes is that all three in the 'Allways/Glatton' trilogy will finally be available one day and thus the pinacle of his writing prowess will be there for all to see. Too long he was treated as a lightweight. Yes, he wrote for the lighter end of the market. But he was always coming up with surprises. 'A Village in a Valley' and 'A Thatched Roof', part of the Glatton era, are simply marvellous classics of English country life. The well perceived eccentricities, the sadness of spinsters' lonely lives and the wit of his characters are unequalled. There are times when he can really make you cry at a turn of phrase. His one-liners are smilingly memorable. This biography does go a long way to explaining this complex, talented man. We are left feeling sad that he is no longer amongst us, that no more gems of prose shall flow from him, yet happy that he lived and left behind a rich pallete of writing. My advice to anyone would be search around and get hold of these writings-many available on Amazon.com. The diversity, depth and pathos, not forgetting the humour, will impress you.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Biography
Review: This was a great read, and gave true insight into one of the worlds most celebrated Garden essayists of the 20th century. Connors brings to life the Beverley many fans never got to see, as many of his readers only read his Gardening books. Nichols holds to his credit several autobiographies, no less than five mysteries, several political novels, and multiple weekly columns in various American and British newspapers and magazines. Beverley was also a noted composer, and even appeared in film. His good looks and charm allowed him a very versatile carreer. The novel unravlels fact from fiction, as many readers assumed his novels were all unadulterated fact. The truth is he mixed fiction with many of his books, lending a skewed vision of the author-and one that Connor does a brilliant job straightening out. Mr. Nichols worked with Connor on this book, and had help from Beverley's life long companion/friend Cyril Butcher. The book outlines his upbringing in a whirlwind society of notable people and places to his fascinating life filled with so many that sometimes the biography reads more like a "Who's Who" of the 20's through the 70's. Beverley was friends or friendly with some of the most noteworthy people of the day, including Beaton, Coward, and Maughm. It is not a scandal biography, rather a warm portrait of an amazingly entertaining man. The photographs in the book are wonderfully clear, and allow the reader a glimpse of his childhood, adolesence, and later years. Again, he is shown with many celebrities of his time. There are bits that reveal a sad, depressed Beverley who struggeled with finance-and chapters about the socialite Beverley who never gave up an opportunity to hob nob and make new social alliances. Other parts reveal the very full romantic life of Nichols. All together, a charming portrait of one of Britains most notable men. This book is a must for all Nichols fans!
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