Bamber Gascoigne (1935–2022)

What a great read! In 1979, Kit Williams released "Masquerade", his phenomenally successful picture book: a book which hid in its pages the location of a buried golden hare. The hunt lasted more than two years, and Gascoigne - the only man besides Williams to know the hare's resting place - is therefore perfectly positioned to tell 90% of this tale. (see below for the other 10%)

Gascoigne gives us insight into the unique mind of Williams, from his upbringing to his early career, and to the show more meeting that led to the book's development. We see how Williams designed the riddle, the events of the publishing, and the ensuing publicity. Gascoigne devotes a good third of the book to "case histories": examinations of many of the 'Masqueraders', as dedicated treasure-hunters were known, and their various theories and idiosyncrasies. These are particularly delightful as some of these people continue to hold to their own beliefs even though the answer to the riddle has now been revealed.

Gascoigne has an easy writing style and is clearly enjoying himself immensely, and it shows in his descriptive and insightful account of the entire event from creation to resolution. He debunks many frustratingly incorrect theories that developed, and waxes philosophical on what the quest revealed about human nature. It's a great parallel to be drawn with religion: everyone is given the same clues, but some people manage to extrapolate ludicrous theories based on one element while ignoring all others, and other people manage to tie their own interests back into the clues even where it clearly requires immense stretches of logic.

This is capped off by the 'perfect solution' submitted by the only two men who ever figured out the whole riddle. This is a very enjoyable read if you have the original book by your side as well, and - after learning of the devotion of many of the Masqueraders - the circumstances surrounding the solving of the puzzle are almost heartbreaking!

The only downside is that the book, as it was published in the early 1980s, was too early to uncover one final scandal: the man who found the hare was not who he claimed, and in fact further investigation revealed it wasn't luck or insight that led him to the location, but instead insider knowledge. It was a dirty end to an otherwise marvelous modern myth, and it's a pity that the news came out after this book was published. But never mind: this is a great summary of a breathtaking real-life event. show less

I have been coming back and forth to China for 20 years, and for the last 3 years have been living permenantly in Beijing. In that time my husband and I have amassed a large number of books on China, its history and culture.
This book by Bamber Gascoigne is the best introduction to Chinese history I have found. He originally wrote it in 1973 but this edition was been revised in 2003, with Chinese names changed from the Wade-Giles romanization used in the past, to the standard Pinyin used show more today. He has also ;iadded a very thought provoking postscript to the book covering the period after 1912 and the Mao years, and putting them in perspective.

The book does not overwhelm the reader with a mass of historical information, something easily done when covering the 3000+ years of Chinese history. It provides a logical and coheasive narrative, making sense of the complexities of the Chinese dynasties. Gascoigne writes in a clear and approachable style, leading the reader through the ages with the lightest of touches, and keeping the massive amount of detail to a manageable level.

For anyone interested in China and its history this book is the perfect introduction, and I have recommended it to many people. show less

For the Brits -- yes, *that* Bamber Gascoigne. This was his second novel, according to the "about the author". It's the story of a young woman's heyday one Edwardian summer, as reconstructed many years later by her grandson from her diary and photographs. It's a sweet, gentle and often very funny mystery, with a touch of bittersweet romance.

Sir Benjamin's only family since the age of eleven has been his grandmother, and by extension her staff, in particular the butler Meredith. Even in her show more eighties Agnes is an incorrigible flirt, and often refers in cryptic fashion to her heyday, one Edwardian summer just before her marriage to Benjy's grandfather. A summer she spent as an actress in a travelling repertory company. Benjy has always been fascinated by the hints she's dropped, and after her death he pores through the diaries and photographs he finds in her wicker actor's skip. He slowly constructs a picture of his grandmother's life that summer of 1905; first thrown into general lodgings with a family within the company, then taking up her own lodgings (in separate bedrooms but joint sitting room) with another new company member, Jimmie Blin, and finally the pair of them inviting another new boy, Edward Jones, to join them. The picture that emerges from the diaries and photos is the development of a friendship laced with a very innocent and chaste sexuality, at the same time that Benjy's grandfather first sees Agnes and starts to court her. Benjy will not be satisfied until he finds the end of the story, and the reason why Agnes chose his grandfather over Jimmie or Edward. And then there is the mystery of Edward, who appears in none of the photographs because it was his camera which took them. The only picture Benjy has of this man who caught his grandmother's heart all those years ago is the one painted by her words describing him.

Benjy has some help in his task of discovering his grandmother's world and preparing it for publication, for Meredith the butler was also once an actor, in the far-off days before a stray bullet in the Great War took his stage voice. There are all sorts of little details that Meredith can explain to him, details that bring back to life a long-lost world of Edwardian theatre. Not all the details can be shared, of course, for there are some things that one just doesn't share with the staff. And so Benjy fumbles his way to an understanding that his grandmother might have been less shocked by some of his own adventures than he had always assumed.

The best one word summary of this book I can think of is "delightful". It's sweet, funny, and brings a lost world vividly to life. It's long since out of print, which is a shame, but usually available cheaply second-hand. show less

A very good basic introduction to the history of Christianity that covers the major events, trends and personalities in a way that serves as a good bridge to further more detailed reading. This was originally written to accompany a 13 part TV series in 1977 (though it has been updated a little since) and the chapters are therefore all of nearly identical length and readability. The author is balanced in his assessments and has no axe to grind. An excellent book.