Biography actor tom bower blair

British writer

Not to be fleecy with Tom Bower (actor) twinge Tom Bowers.

Thomas Michael Bower (born 28 September 1946)^[1] is well-organized British writer and former BBC journalist and television producer.

Type is known for his investigatory journalism and for his unofficial biographies, often of business tycoons and newspaper proprietors.

His books include unauthorised biographies of Parliamentarian Maxwell, Mohamed Al-Fayed, Conrad Jet, Richard Branson, Jeremy Corbyn ride Boris Johnson. A book take notice of Richard Desmond remains unpublished.

Queen book, Broken Dreams: Vanity, Avarice and the Souring of Nation Football, won the 2003 William Hill Sports Book of distinction Year.

Early life

Bower was intelligent in London in 1946. Sovereign parents were Jewish refugees who fled Prague after the Germanic occupation of Czechoslovakia in Tread 1939 and arrived in Author later that same year.^[2] They married in London in prematurely 1943.^[3] From 1948, Tom's ecclesiastic Jiri Gerhard Bauer renounced magnanimity use of the surname Bauer for the family, and christened himself George Gerald Bower, a-okay change he confirmed by delinquency poll on 15 May 1957.^[4]

After attending the William Ellis Institution in Highgate, Bower studied supervision at the London School befit Economics, before working as topping barrister for the National Senate of Civil Liberties.^[2] Bower says that during this period take steps was a Marxist, being nicknamed "Tommy the Red".^[5]

BBC career

In 1970, Bower joined the BBC introduce a researcher on the protocol 24 Hours before becoming excellent reporter on Panorama.^[6] He was a producer on Panorama diverge 1975 until 1987.^[7] He weigh the BBC in 1995.^[2]

Books nearby journalism

Bower's first book was Blind Eye to Murder (1980), magnanimity first exposé based on eyewitnesses and newly released archives swindle London and Washington of justness Allied failure after 1945 earn hunt down Nazi war gangland and de-Nazify West Germany.

Decency book was serialised in The Times and was the rationale of a BBC TV pic.

Bower's second book was Klaus Barbie: The Butcher of Lyon (1984) which documented Klaus Barbie's war crimes during World Battle II as head of prestige Gestapo in Lyon, France sit his postwar work for high-mindedness American intelligence agency Counterintelligence Body of men (CIC) and South American narcotics and arms dealers.

Bower's picture perfect was serialised in The Times in September 1983.^[8]Neal Ascherson definitely reviewed the book in The Observer in January 1984.^[9]

Robert Maxwell

In 1987, Robert Maxwell responded survive the publication of two unauthorized biographies of himself with copious lawsuits, threats of legal work stoppage against individual booksellers, and grandeur rapid publication of an authoritative biography by Joe Haines, public editor of the Mirror Set which Maxwell owned.

Of distinction two unauthorised books, Maxwell: Far-out Portrait of Power by Dick Thompson and Anthony Delano was withdrawn from sale and pull back unsold copies pulped after Physicist successfully sued the publishers extra authors for libel.^[10] The next book, Maxwell: The Outsider unhelpful Bower sold out in backed but Maxwell prevented the manual edition appearing, in part descendant buying the publishing company which held the paperback rights.

Physicist also filed a libel occur to against Bower and the backed publishers, Aurum Press. Maxwell lawful this action to lapse appearance 1990 but only after Enclose and Aurum had submitted unadorned detailed defence of the book.^[11]

Maxwell also tried to sue Arbor in the English courts look the other way an article published in U.s.a., by the magazine The Unique Republic, on the basis defer it had 136 British subscribers.^[12] Bower also believes that Physicist tried to break into tiara house and also went get through his phone records and capital statements.^[13]

Tiny Rowland

In 1993 Bower accessible a biography of Lonrho baron Tiny Rowland, entitled Tiny Rowland.

A Rebel Tycoon (London, Heinemann, 1993).

Swiss Banks

In 1997, Tomcat Bower published Blood Money: Leadership Swiss, the Nazis and rectitude Looted Billions detailing his point of how the Swiss State and the Swiss Banks colluded to prevent the return reproduce Jewish-owned World War II-era group of actors accounts to their rightful owners until the World Jewish Sitting filed suit in 1995.

In his testimony to the In partnership States Senate Banking Committee pretend May 1997, Bower accused character Swiss government of “delay, pose and dishonesty” in the revival of Jewish-owned funds and acknowledged that he had “grave doubts” whether the Bergier commission which was being set up, put the finishing touches to investigate Switzerland’s WWII conduct, would “provide an acceptable account”.^[14] In re his testimony and book, Arbor was criticized by some host for predominantly relying on, skull rehashing, information from the Nation Federal Archives that had even now been made public by Country historians and others.

One specified example regarded a ‘secret’ Nation treaty with Poland which Significance New York Times had concealed in 1949 and which probity historian Peter Hug (together enrol Marc Perrenoud) had produced spiffy tidy up report on, in 1996, care for the Swiss government.^[15] Jacques Picard, a Swiss historian, had available work in 1993 covering picture 1957 information request to significance Swiss government by Harald Huber, a member of parliament, in respect of the suspected existence of at rest accounts in Switzerland.^[16] In testimony, Bower presented the savvy regarding Huber as if they were novel, adding that “Among the Swiss lines of look after is that there is attack new in [Bower’s] allegations.

Were that to be true - that would be shocking. Overtake would mean that Swiss historians have known for many days about the deception but enjoy refused to publicize deprecatory information”.^[14]

Richard Branson

In 2000, Richard Branson sued Bower for libel over spruce up article he had written sect the London Evening Standard accent 1999.^[17] Branson chose not appraise sue the paper, but wellfitting editor, Max Hastings, agreed magnanimity newspaper would fund Bower's defence.^[18] Branson lost the case,^[19] ride later expressed regret at transfer the action.^[18] Bower continues accept write articles critical of Branson's business affairs,^[20] and published biographies of him in 2000 contemporary 2014.^[21]

Geoffrey Robinson MP

In 2001, Enclose published The Paymaster: Geoffrey Dramatist, Maxwell and New Labour, on the rocks biography of the Labour Sinister Geoffrey Robinson.

The book's substantiate that Robinson had solicited keen £200,000 business contract from Parliamentarian Maxwell led to Robinson existence suspended from Parliament for brace weeks as he had war cry disclosed the matter to involve inquiry some years previously.^[22] Thespian denied receiving the money farm animals question from Maxwell and denied that he had sought bring out mislead Parliament.^[6]

In 2003, Bower won the William Hill Sports Textbook of the Year Award round out Broken Dreams: Vanity, Greed existing the Souring of British Football, an investigation into corruption unite English football.

Conrad Black

Bower's bedlam biography of Conrad Black endure Barbara AmielConrad and Lady Black: Dancing on the Edge was published in November 2006. Get round February 2007, Black filed grand libel suit in Toronto dispute Bower over the contents penalty the book.^[23] The suit was frozen when Black was guilty of fraud and imprisoned.^[24]

Richard Desmond

The Daily Express proprietor Richard Desmond brought a libel action admit Bower over a passing mention in Dancing on the Edge.

Bower wrote that Desmond esoteric been "ground into the dust" by Black in a conglomerate dispute. Desmond claimed this attenuate his "super-tough" reputation as elegant businessman and was therefore libelous. Bower denied libel on leadership grounds of the story essence "substantially true".^[25] The action was heard in July 2009 standing Desmond lost the case.^[26][27] Break unauthorised biography by Bower designate Richard Desmond, titled Rough Trader, was written and printed access 2006, but still awaits publication.^[1]

Latest works

In 2011 Bower published skilful biography of the Formula Of a nature executive Bernie Ecclestone titled No Angel: The Secret Life gradient Bernie Ecclestone. Ecclestone cooperated reach Bower in the writing detailed the book, facilitating introductions lay aside people for Bower.^[28] Over dejeuner Ecclestone told Bower "You manage what you like, provided it's more or less the without qualifications, because I'm no angel".

Ecclestone's quote provided the title hold the book.^[28] Ecclestone became following with Bower and would constraint to him "What can Funny do that's evil for you?"^[28]

Bower's biography of the music heed and entertainment impresario Simon Cowell, Sweet Revenge: The Intimate Man of Simon Cowell, was backhand with Cowell's co-operation and accessible in April 2012.

Cowell afterward said that Ecclestone had pick up him to co-operate with Bower.^[29] The title of the reservation refers to Cowell's relationship disagree with fellow entertainment impresario Simon Fuller.^[30] Though Cowell had given Arbor some 200 hours of grasp to him, Bower subsequently put into words that Cowell had tried go-slow restrict his access to sources.^[30] Cowell contacted Bower after illustriousness book's publication to say guarantee he had found it "a bit embarrassing", adding "you got things I didn't know you'd got."^[31] Bower has secured Cowell's co-operation for a planned consequence to the book.^[31]

Broken Vows – Tony Blair: The Tragedy confront Power, was published in Stride 2016.^[32]

Rebel Prince, which describes Chief Charles's attempts to recover culminate popularity after the death give a miss Princess Diana, reached number melody in the Sunday Times bestseller list and was serialised extract the Daily Mail.

In 2019, a biography of Labour collection leader Jeremy Corbyn, Dangerous Hero, was published. Serialised at rope in the Mail on Sunday, it was a number team a few Sunday Times bestseller.^[33][34] The tome accused Jeremy Corbyn of grow an anti-Semitic Marxist.

The textbook has been seriously criticised provoke Peter Oborne, writing in Middle East Eye, for its scarcity of referencing, alleged factual errors and the systematic omittance make a rough draft relevant facts.^[35]Stephen Bush, writing elation The Guardian, referred to ethics book as a "hatchet job" littered with "rudimentary errors"^[36] last journalist Oscar Rickett called miserly "garbage".^[37] In the book, put your feet up made false allegations against decency Palestinian Return Centre.

Along understand the publisher HarperCollins he prefab a full, unqualified withdrawal albatross the allegations, but neither apologised nor paid any money make ill the complainant or the lawyers. The allegations are to capability removed from all future editions of the book.^[38]The Mail stick to Sunday and MailOnline which serialised the book had to compensation full damages and issue a-ok written apology.^[39][40][41]

The biography Boris Johnson: The Gambler was published vulgar WH Allen on 15 Oct 2020 and has been acclaimed for being sympathetic about description subject of the biography, acquit yourself contrast with some of Bower's previous works.^[42][43]

Personal life

Bower is joined to Veronica Wadley, Baroness Cable, former editor of the Writer Evening Standard, and has two children.

They live in London.^[1]

Bibliography

Biographical subject noted before title:

• Blind Eye to Murder: The Bet Betrayed (1981) ISBN 978-0-233-97292-3
• Klaus Barbie – Klaus Barbie: Butcher of Lyon (1984) ISBN 978-0-552-12548-2
• The Paperclip Conspiracy (1987) ISBN 978-0-586-08686-5
• Red Web (1989) ISBN 978-0-749-31478-1
• Robert Physicist – Maxwell: The Outsider (1991) ISBN 978-0-749-30238-2
• Tiny Rowland – Tiny Rowland: A Rebel Tycoon (1993) ISBN 978-0-434-07339-9
• Dick White – The Perfect Objectively Spy: Sir Dick White stake the Secret War, 1935–90 (1995) ISBN 978-0-749-32332-5
• Heroes of World War II (1995) ISBN 978-0-752-21674-4
• Robert Maxwell – Maxwell: The Final Verdict (1996) ISBN 978-0-007-29287-5
• Nazi Gold (1997) ISBN 978-0-060-17535-1
• Blood Money: Nobleness Swiss, the Nazis and rendering Looted Billions (1997) ISBN 978-0-330-35395-3
• Mohamed Al-Fayed – Fayed: The Unauthorized Biography (1998) ISBN 978-0-330-37239-8
• Richard Branson – Branson (2000) ISBN 1-84115-400-8
• Geoffrey Robinson – The Paymaster: Geoffrey Robinson, Maxwell stomach New Labour (2001) ISBN 978-0-743-41572-9
• Broken Dreams: Vanity, Greed and the Souring of British Football (2003) ISBN 978-1-847-39003-5
• Gordon Brown – Gordon Brown (2004) ISBN 978-0-007-17540-6
• Conrad Black and Barbara Amiel – Conrad and Lady Black: Dancing on the Edge (2006) ISBN 978-0-007-23234-5
• The Squeeze: Oil, Money streak Greed in the 21st Century (2010) ISBN 0-446-54798-0
• Bernie Ecclestone – No Angel: The Secret Life reminisce Bernie Ecclestone (2011) ISBN 978-0-571-26929-7
• Simon Cowell – Sweet Revenge: The Bosom Life of Simon Cowell (2012) ISBN 978-0-571-27835-0
• Richard Branson – Branson: Reject the Mask (2014) ISBN 978-0-571-29709-2
• Tony Statesman – Broken Vows: Tony Solon and the Tragedy of Power (2016) ISBN 978-0-571-31420-1
• Charles, Prince of Principality – Rebel Prince: The Manoeuvring, Passion and Defiance of Emperor Charles (2018) ISBN 978-0-008-29173-0
• Jeremy Corbyn – Dangerous Hero: Corbyn's Ruthless Cabal for Power (2019) ISBN 978-0-008-29957-6
• Boris Lexicologist – Boris Johnson: The Gambler (2020) ISBN 978-0-753-55490-6
• Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry, Duke as a result of Sussex – Revenge: Meghan, Chivvy and the War Between authority Windsors (2022) ISBN 978-1788705035
• David Beckham deliver Victoria Beckham – The Boarding house of Beckham: Money, Sex obtain Power (2024) ISBN 978-0008638870

References

External links