Faber & Faber: The Untold Story of a Great Publishing House

This book takes extracts from first hand records to tell the story of Faber and Faber. It is an interesting story and the snippets of author commentary are well judged and helpful.The greater delight is an insight into a world of entitled men running the world their way. None of this could happen today of course. For example, he bankrolls his initial stake in the company in part by taking a loan against his sister's trust fund. He pays it back with interest, but that really isn't the point.There is much more to amuse: ''We inaugurated a new Book Committee method to-day, by having lunch together of sandwiches and beer in the board-room...''. Faber invents the working lunch and who could have foreseen that this method, rather than taking long leisurely lunches at the club, would revolutionise the working day.In another example, Faber has agreed to underwrite any losses when Faber & Gwyer publish one of his novels. He writes to Gwyer, having repaid £89 14s 11d of losses, to ask whether it would be possible for the company to write-off the other half, or as he states 'about £100'. There are veiled threats, "...we find it impossible to do more than a very limited amount of modest entertaining, though in the interests of the business we ought to be doing very much more." Basically if he can't keep the £100 then no more networking for the company. Unsurprisingly he gets his way.Later, when he is informed by the Midland Bank, as guarantor to a loan, that an ex-employee has not repaid £22 he writes to the ex-employee, "Unless I have a satisfactory reply from you by to-morrow morning...I shall put the matter into the hand of my solicitors." A world in which who owes money makes all the difference to the outcome.This book is full of such anecdotes, enjoy.

It's a good book.A worthwhile read.The internal politics were quietly nasty.Understated but lethal for the victim.Sales director after sales director came and went and i suspect the art of faint praise between the directors was v accomplished.Of course it goes on now.Human nature is unchanging but the veneer remains.Good manners masks treachery and quiet venom.The book trade, like the wine trade are similar in so many ways.

All the detail about authors published by Faber, fascinating insights into that world.

Fascinating from start to finish. The directors, the fall outs, the money. The books and authors are almost secondary in this roller-coaster tale.

The book doesn't read like a biography, it's more like a diary which makes it harder to read and enjoy the story