We are pleased to announce the winner of our March Book Club Quiz, Jonathan Head from Australia. Well done Jonathan and thank you for this contribution.
Unlike some of the other recipients, I was not lucky enough to know or correspond with Sir Martin Gilbert. I only knew him through his work. The first of Sir Martin’s books that I bought for myself were The First World War and The Holocaust.
Of the many things to admire in his work, what impressed me the most (and still does) is the clarity and flow of his language. To write about such overwhelmingly complicated subjects without getting bogged down in detail or losing the focus on individual human lives was one of his most remarkable achievements. Nor did he use his command of language to show off as other authors might have done.
He used his craft to keep himself invisible and to not distract from what was truly important, his subjects. Such a vital quality that many will never notice. I am delighted to be a part of this book club that is keeping his work alive.
By kind permission from Jonathan Head