Fleet Street, Press Barons and Politics: The Journals of Collin Brooks, 1932–1940 (Camden Fifth Series, Series Number 11)

Fleet Street, Press Barons and Politics provides a personal account of the tribulations of working as a journalist and editor during the 1930s. Collin Brooks recorded for posterity his observations of the journalistic, political, literary and financial sets in which he circulated. The journals open with Brooks working at the Financial News. His move to the Sunday Dispatch, his rise to the editorial chair, and his intimate friendship with Lord Rothermere ensure that these journals offer a unique insight into the operations and mentality of a press baron. Further, the diaries offer a perspective upon dissident right-wing Conservatism during the leaderships of Baldwin and Chamberlain, giving new insights into the debates over India, rearmament and foreign policy as well as the continued flirtations with Mosley and fascism. These readable, witty and fluent journals, skilfully edited by N. J. Crowson, offer a fascinating snapshot of Britain in the 1930s.