This is a collection of Julian Barnes's writing for "The New Yorker". Since 1990, Barnes has written a regular "Letter from London" which has covered such subjects as the Lloyd's insurance disaster, the rise and fall of Margaret Thatcher, the troubles of the Royal Family, and of Nigel Short in his battle with Gary Kasparov in the 1993 World Chess Finals. Barnes assesses Salman Rushdie's plight and the Harrods take-over, and also analyzes the implications of being linked to the continent via the Channel tunnel, and Tony Blair's prospects as the Labour leader. His essays aim to provide a portrait of 1990s Britain.

Author Biography

Julian Barnes has published nine novels, Metroland, Before She Met Me, Flaubert's Parrot, Staring at the Sun, A History of the World in 10 and Half Chapters, Talking It Over, The Porcupine, England, England and Love, etc; two books of short stories, Cross Channel and The Lemon Table; and one other collections of essays, Something to Declare. His work has been translated into more than thirty languages. In France he is the only writer to have won both the Prix Midicis (for Flaubert's Parrot) and the Prix Fimina (for Talking It Over). In 1993 he was awarded the Shakespeare Prize by the FVS Foundation of Hamburg. He lives in London.