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Sign up todayA Very English Scandal
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Learn moreThe basis for a television mini-series starring Hugh Grant, now a nominee for an Emmy Award
A behind-the-scenes look at the desperate, scandalous private life of a British MP and champion manipulator, and the history-making trial that exposed his dirty secrets
As a member of Parliament and leader of the Liberal Party in the 1960s and ’70s, Jeremy Thorpe’s bad behavior went under the radar for years. Police and politicians alike colluded to protect one of their own. In 1970, Thorpe was the most popular and charismatic politician in the country, poised to hold the balance of power in a coalition government.
But Jeremy Thorpe was a man with a secret. His homosexual affairs and harassment of past partners, along with his propensity for lying and embezzlement, only escalated as he evaded punishment. That is, until a dark night on the moor with an ex-lover, a dog, and a hired gun led to consequences that even his charm and power couldn’t help him escape.
Dubbed the “Trial of the Century,” Thorpe’s climactic case at the Old Bailey in London was the first time that a leading British politician had stood trial on a murder charge, and the first time that a murder plot had been hatched in the House of Commons. And it was the first time that a prominent public figure had been exposed as a philandering gay man in an era when homosexuality had only just become legal.
With the pace and drama of a thriller, A Very English Scandal is an extraordinary story of hypocrisy, deceit, and betrayal at the heart of the British establishment.
John Preston is a former Arts Editor of the Evening Standard and the Sunday Telegraph. For ten years he was the Sunday Telegraph‘s television critic and one of its chief feature writers. His most recent book, A Very English Scandal, was published to great acclaim in 2016 and turned into BAFTA-winning BBC drama series.
Matthew Brenher is originally from London, England, and now resides in Los Angeles. As a classical actor, he has performed in over twenty Shakespearian productions; he has also held varied roles in modern theater, as well as television and film. He is also an accomplished voiceover artist, recently recording three nineteenth-century romantic novels as well as stories for the Doctor Who series, children's books, radio commercials, and documentaries.
Reviews
“Eccentric, dark, humane, and English in the very best sense.”
“Written with tremendous energy and narrative flair.”
“Preston has written this page-turner like a political thriller, with urgent dialogue, well-staged scenes, escalating tension and plenty of cliffhangers.”
“The most forensic, elegantly written, and compelling account of one of the twentieth century’s great political scandals…An entertaining mix of tragedy and farce, involving people in high and low places.”
“This is probably the most forensic, elegantly written, and compelling account of one of the twentieth century’s great political scandals.”
“Addictive…Though knee-deep in politics, scandal, and betrayal, the book also conveys the sobering, grim reality of lives destroyed by dirty politics and homophobic culture.”
“An operatic account about hypocrisy, deceit, and betrayal at the heart of the government’s establishment…This book, which is based on extensive interviews with principal players and reads like a thriller, is recommended for those with a penchant for 1970s British political culture.”
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