The Book Thread

  • I recently finished Love All by Elizabeth Jane Howard, of whose work I'm a great admirer. It was one of her last novels and tells the stories of two families and the connections between them, set in England in the late 1960s.


    I'm now reading music journalist Dylan Jones's book about The Witchita Lineman, in my view one of the best songs ever written and certainly in my top 10 favourite songs. One thing I've already learned that I didn't previously know: when Jimmy Webb wrote it and sent it to Glen Campbell, he hadn't even finished it. He was still developing it but wanted Campbell's thoughts on his work in progress. The next thing he knew, Campbell had recorded it and that was that.

    Abandon all reason