Beneath a waning moon

by James Lees-Milne

"James Lees-Milne has been described as 'the finest, frankest and funniest diarist of the twentieth century'; and his sharpness and wit are undiminished in this, the tenth volume of the series. In his late seventies, he continues to savour new experiences, including his first visit to America and his first flight in a helicopter. As always, he captures the flavour of the age, ruefully observing how the vulgar prosperity of the mid-Thatcher years has transformed Cotswold manor houses into weekend retreats for the London rich with their cocktail bars. As candid as ever, he confesses to a pang of disappointment when Bruce Chatwin, one of several friends to have developed AIDS, makes a temporary recovery." "Like its predecessors, this volume is a treasure-trove of gossip and anecdote. The Queen is 'rather shocked' by the unconventional sex life of Lord Esher, the favourite courtier of her great-grandfather Edward VII and subject of Lees-Milne's latest biography. Elsewhere, we learn that th