THE MAVERICK: George Weidenfeld and the Golden Age of Publishing

‘A fine biography’ —Henry Kissinger

‘A treasure trove of insight and history’ -- Arianna Huffington

‘Gripping ’ - Adrian Wooldridge, Bloomberg

‘Entertaining’ - Washington Post

Book of the Year - The Spectator, Book Brunch

A New York Times Critics’ Pick for 2023

The captivating story of the famed publisher George Weidenfeld, from his struggles as an Austrian-Jewish refugee in London to his rise as a world-renowned literary figure. 

After arriving in London just before World War Two as a penniless Austrian-Jewish refugee, George Weidenfeld went on to transform not only the world of publishing but the culture of ideas. The books that he published include momentous titles such as Lolita, Double Helix, The Group, and The Hedgehog and the Fox, with authors he championed ranging from Joan Didion, Mary McCarthy, JD Salinger, and Edna O’Brien to Henry Miller, Harold Wilson, Saul Bellow, and Henry Kissinger. His role as publisher brought him into the orbit of influential figures such as George Bush, Ann Getty, Donald Trump, and LBJ.

In this first biography, Thomas Harding provides a full, unvarnished, and at times difficult history of this complex and fascinating character. Throughout his long career, he was written about in the New York Times, the Washington Post, Time Magazine, Vanity Fair, and other publications. Was he, as described by some, the “greatest salesperson,” “the world’s best networker,” “the publisher’s publisher,” and “a great intellectual”? Was his lifelong effort to be the world’s most famous host a cover for his desperate loneliness? Who, in fact, was the real George Weidenfeld and how did he rise so successfully within the ranks of New York and London society?

Drawing on author correspondence, internal memos, and other documents buried deep in the secret publishing files of Weidenfeld & Nicolson, Harding crafts a portrait of the publisher's life that is inextricable from the efforts and intricacies of putting a book into the world. Structured around twenty books associated with George Weidenfeld, and intercut with explorations of contemporary concerns such as cancel culture, the right to publish, freedom of speech, and separating the art from the artist, The Maverick tells the captivating story behind the life of this iconic publisher.

THE MAVERICK REVIEWS

“Like George Weidenfeld himself, Thomas Harding's accomplishment is substantial, lively, and full of interest. The Maverick is a fine biography.” —Henry Kissinger

"The Maverick is packed with fascinating accounts of book deals and debacles during the 'golden age of publishing.' [An] entertaining biography." —Michael Dirda, The Washington Post

“This is a skillful and subtle study in biography, British attitudes and the book business.”- Dominic Green, Wall Street Journal

“The Maverick anchors George Weindenfeld as one of the foremost influencers in modern literature and a man who rose from extraordinary circumstances to lead an even more extraordinary life and legacy. A treasure trove of insight and history.” -- Arianna Huffington, Founder & CEO, Thrive Global 

"George Weidenfeld was a titan of a man, an irresistible character and something of a genius. This book does him full justice.” -- Simon Heffer, author of The Age of Decadence and High Minds 

"The Maverick is a vivid portrait, warts and all, of perhaps the most successful publisher in post-war Britain. But it is much more than this—a gripping study of the assimilation of Jewish emigres into Britain’s strangely rigid but porous class system, a guide to the the golden age of publishing, an analysis of post-war intellectual life through a succession of landmark books.” -- Adrian Wooldridge, Bloomberg Opinion

"Thomas Harding has doggedly unearthed fascinating and surprising tales from George Weidenfeld's life as he rose from poverty and Nazi persecution to become one of the world's most powerful publishers. Harding reveals a complex personality in a richly told narrative that leaves the reader awed." -- Lynn Medford, former editor, Washington Post Magazine

"George Weidenfeld is an unlikely hero of the cultural revolution. The Jewish outsider rocked the staid world of British publishing, and yet became a pillar of the establishment. Harding paints a vivid picture of the man and his times. Reading Thomas Harding’s book, you are fascinated.  I couldn’t put it down." -- Alan Posener, journalist for Die Welt

“Revealing [and] intriguing . . . this “investigation into publishing, including its dark arts” will leave readers with a vivid picture of the working life of a publisher.” - Publisher’s Weekly

"The life story of the complex man at the forefront of British publishing. A sympathetic, discerning portrait of a publishing titan." – Kirkus Reviews

"If the name Arthur George Weidenfeld is unfamiliar to the casual reader, the list of books bearing his imprint is evidence of his enormous impact during decades in publishing. Harding admirably details Weidenfeld’s ascent from refugee to a leading figure who shaped our culture and intellectual firmament." – BOOKLIST, starred review

‘Weidenfeld, who died in 2016, was perhaps the most well-connected man in the Western world, whose calls to politicians, thinkers, business leaders and philanthropists — even popes — would always be taken. The strength of Thomas Harding’s biography is the context it provides… by structuring the book as a series of chapters telling the stories behind Weidenfeld’s publication of various key books, and then diverting within those stories to other aspects of his life — ignoring chronology to explore what made Weidenfeld tick, what he was interested in and what he was doing — The Maverick well reflects Weidenfeld himself, who was never at any time focused on just one thing… The Maverick is a sensitive and worthy study of a great man.’ Stephen Pollard, The Jewish Chronicle

"Meticulously researched, cunningly constructed, and compellingly written, Thomas Harding’s tale is a vivid account of publishing’s glory years told through the action-packed life of one of its most charismatic pioneers.” – Anthony Holden, author of The Tarnished Crown and Tchaikovsky

‘If a publisher can be called a genius… [George Weidenfeld]undoubtedly merits a place on this list… [He made] an astounding contribution to the world of literature and ideas… The riveting standout among Harding’s chapters is the story of Weidenfeld’s publication, in 1976, of David Pryce-Jones’s biography of Unity Mitford.’ Mark Bostridge, The Oldie

BOOK DETAILS

UK Publisher:

  • Weidenfeld & Nicolson

  • Pub date: 31 Aug 2023

  • Length: 336 pages

  • ISBN:9781474621090

US Publisher:

  • Pegasus Books

  • Pub date: 29 August 2023

  • Length: 456 pages

  • ISBN13: 9781639364459