PositiveThe Spectator (UK)There are some cinematic touches to Barber’s memoir of his long reign as FT editor from October 2005 to January 2020. This is true of his own self-portrait (gun-slinging journalistic enforcer in the Evans and Bradlee tradition, friend to the powerful, nemesis to the damned). It spills into his portrayal of the important people (many of them friends) he met while occupying the editor’s chair — the US treasury secretary who is ‘one tough hombre’, the financial masters of the universe with ‘matinee idol’ good looks, assorted despots and bureaucrats. That is a shame, because Barber has a good story to tell, and one that would have been better told without the swagger. In fact he has several good stories ... it does contain a smattering of funny stories ... For those who care about serious matters such as press freedom and the viability of old media in the age of the smartphone, the book contains food for thought ... Now all Barber has to worry about is life without constant privileged access to the powerful.
