Читать книгу Despised - Paul Embery - Страница 7

I owe a debt of gratitude to many people for their help and support in making this book a reality. My editor, George Owers, was a constant source of encouragement and sound advice. Thanks must also go to Evie Deavall and Julia Davies at Polity for their generous assistance and all-round professionalism, and to Tim Clark for his first-rate copy-editing.

The ideas and opinions in these pages have been influenced by countless individuals, but I must give a special mention to my friends and allies Maurice Glasman, Jonathan Rutherford, Adrian Pabst, Jack Hutchison, Liam Stokes and Tobias Phibbs, with whom I have spent many happy hours putting the world to rights (often together as a group over a beer or three at the marvellous Red Art café in Dalston). Needless to say, however, not all of the views expressed here will reflect their own.

I thank friends and colleagues, past and present, in the Fire Brigades Union, particularly Lucy Masoud, Grant Mayos and Joe MacVeigh, whose comradeship over many years has meant much. I also owe a great deal to the fine team at UnHerd, especially Sally Chatterton and Freddie Sayers.

I am indebted to my parents for their support and encouragement throughout my life. They have influenced me in ways they will probably never know.

The greatest thanks must go to my wife, Tricia, and children, Nicholas and Rachel, for their unstinting patience, solidarity and love.