Gyles Brandreth

Author profile

born

March 08, 1948 in Germany

gender

male

website

http://www.gylesbrandreth.net/

genre

Nonfiction, Biographies & Memoirs, Children's Books

About this author

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Full name: Gyles Daubeney Brandreth.
A former Oxford Scholar, President of the Oxford Union and MP for the City of Chester, Gyles Brandreth’s career has ranged from being a Whip and Lord Commissioner of the Treasury in John Major’s government to starring in his own award-winning musical revue in London’s West End. A prolific broadcaster (in programmes ranging from Just a Minute to Have I Got News for You), an acclaimed interviewer (principally for the Sunday Telegraph), a novelist, children’s author and biographer, his best-selling diary, Breaking the Code, was described as ‘By far the best political diary of recent years, far more perceptive and revealing than Alan Clark’s’ (The Times) and ‘Searingly honest, wildly indiscreet, and incredibl...more Full name: Gyles Daubeney Brandreth.
A former Oxford Scholar, President of the Oxford Union and MP for the City of Chester, Gyles Brandreth’s career has ranged from being a Whip and Lord Commissioner of the Treasury in John Major’s government to starring in his own award-winning musical revue in London’s West End. A prolific broadcaster (in programmes ranging from Just a Minute to Have I Got News for You), an acclaimed interviewer (principally for the Sunday Telegraph), a novelist, children’s author and biographer, his best-selling diary, Breaking the Code, was described as ‘By far the best political diary of recent years, far more perceptive and revealing than Alan Clark’s’ (The Times) and ‘Searingly honest, wildly indiscreet, and incredibly funny’ (Daily Mail). He is the author of two acclaimed royal biographies: Philip Elizabeth: Portrait of a Marriage and Charles Camilla: Portrait of a Love Affair. In 2007/2008, John Murray in the UK and Simon & Schuster in the US began publishing The Oscar Wilde Murder Mysteries, his series of Victorian murder mysteries featuring Oscar Wilde as the detective.

As a performer, Gyles Brandreth has been seen most recently in ZIPP! ONE HUNDRED MUSICALS FOR LESS THAN THE PRICE OF ONE at the Duchess Theatre and on tour throughout the UK, and as Malvolio and the Sea Captain in TWELFTH NIGHT THE MUSICAL at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Gyles Brandreth is one of Britain’s busiest after-dinner speakers and award ceremony hosts. He has won awards himself, and been nominated for awards, as a public speaker, novelist, children’s writer, broadcaster (Sony), political diarist (Channel Four), journalist (British Press Awards), theatre producer (Olivier), and businessman (British Tourist Authority Come to Britain Trophy).

He is married to writer and publisher Michèle Brown, with whom he co-curated the exhibition of twentieth century children’s authors at the National Portrait Gallery and founded the award-winning Teddy Bear Museum now based at the Polka Theatre in Wimbledon. He is a trustee of the British Forces Foundation, and a former chairman and now vice-president of the National Playing Fields Association.

Gyles Brandreth’s forebears include George R. Sims (the highest-paid journalist of his day, who wrote the ballad Christmas Day in the Workhouse) and Jeremiah Brandreth (the last man in England to be beheaded for treason). His great-great-grandfather, Benjamin Brandreth, promoted ‘Brandreth’s Pills’ (a medicine that cured everything!) and was a pioneer of modern advertising and a New York state senator. Today, Gyles Brandreth has family living in New York, Maryland, South Carolina and California. He has been London correspondent for “Up to the Minute” on CBS News and his books published in the United States include the New York Times best-seller, The Joy of Lex and, most recently, Philip Elizabeth: Portrait of a Royal Marriage.(less)

combine editions
Books by Gyles Brandreth

Average rating: 3.61 · 2,022 ratings · 408 reviews · 160 distinct works

	Oscar Wilde and a Death of No Importance: A Mystery 3.53 avg rating — 809 ratings — published 2007 — 18 editions	My rating:
	Oscar Wilde and the Ring of Death 3.71 avg rating — 430 ratings — published 2008 — 16 editions	My rating:
	Oscar Wilde And The Dead Man's Smile 3.50 avg rating — 222 ratings — published 2009 — 15 editions	My rating:
	Oscar Wilde and the Vampire Murders: A Mystery 3.35 avg rating — 190 ratings — published 2010 — 9 editions	My rating:
	The Joy Of Lex: An Amazing And Amusing Z To A And A To Z Of Words 4.33 avg rating — 52 ratings — published 1980 — 4 editions	My rating:
	Oscar Wilde and the Vatican Murders (The Oscar Wilde Murder Mysteries #5) 3.81 avg rating — 43 ratings — published 2011 — 8 editions	My rating:
	Philip and Elizabeth: Portrait of a Royal Marriage 4.00 avg rating — 45 ratings — published 2004 — 5 editions	My rating:
	Breaking the Code: Westminster Dairies 3.83 avg rating — 12 ratings — published 1999 — 2 editions	My rating:
	The Great Book of Optical Illusions 3.42 avg rating — 12 ratings — 3 editions	My rating:
	More Joy of Lex 4.00 avg rating — 8 ratings — published 1982 — 2 editions	My rating:

More books by Gyles Brandreth…

Series by Gyles Brandreth

The Oscar Wilde Murder Mysteries (5 books)
by Gyles Brandreth

3.56 avg rating — 1,694 ratings

The Oscar Wilde Murder Mysteries (1 book)
by Gyles Brandreth

0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings

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Quotes by Gyles Brandreth

“I am the prince of procrastination. It is my besetting sin. I never put off till tomorrow what I can possibly do - the day after”
― Gyles Brandreth, Oscar Wilde and a Death of No Importance: A Mystery

tags: mystery , oscar , wilde

9 people liked it

“Praise makes me humble, but when I am abused, I know that I have touched the stars.”
― Gyles Brandreth, Oscar Wilde and a Game Called Murder: A Mystery

tags: mystery , oscar , wilde

7 people liked it

“There is no friendship possible between men and women[...]. There is passion, enmity, worship, love, but no friendship.”
― Gyles Brandreth

3 people liked it

See all Gyles Brandreth's quotes »

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