With unparalleled access to family, friends, and papers, Eade has created an in-depth and authoritative biography of Waugh. While I don't always agree with the author's conclusions, it's the best biography I've read in years.

A well-written, well-researched, accessible and enjoyable biography – what more is there to say? There are a lot of Evelyn Waugh biographies out there and I’m not knowledgeable enough to detect whether this one adds anything new, but nevertheless I remain convinced that no biography could make Waugh out to be in any way likeable; he seems to me to have been a deeply unpleasant man. However, the purpose of a biography is not to make the subject likeable – although I get the impression Philip Eade is quite a fan. The book concentrates on the life rather than the work, and rattles along at a good pace. Nice selection of photos too. All in all, a worthy and very readable biography.