Young has good access to editorial movers and shakers on two continents, but he’s more interested in the process and people that determine what ends up on the page than the bombshells about bloodthirsty and opportunistic journalists you’re hoping for.

Because of the overwhelming number of books targeted at women, it’s tempting to think a female aesthetic takes hold once a book enters the machinery of publishing. After all, women occupy marketing and editorial positions in overwhelming numbers.

We all know what the War on Terror entails, but despite living with it for five years and having our own opinions about the real story behind it, Poole argues over small-scale semantics that make little difference.