Well now, when reviewing this book I have to be careful to differentiate between the author's handling of the material and the material, the life of Harold Robbins, itself.

First, I will say that the cover illustration is PERFECT for this book. I saw it from across the library and picked it up as soon as I could. The furtive glances from people in cafes and on buses let me know I was not alone in being intrigued.

Because of the work that I do, Sexual Freedom Fighting, I had a personal investment in understanding the world that made Harold Robbins a very rich man while simultaneously looking down on him for his purported lifestyle and subject matter.

Andrew Wilson used an element of Robbins' own writing style (he liked to go from first to third person story telling within the same novel - Wilson switched between narrative and editorial styles) to relate this story which was entertaining. I finished it in just a few sittings.

And while he seems to have reported the various impressions of those that actually knew Robbins without judgement, overall there appeared to be some conclusions made about Robbins subject matter. Call sexually explicit narratives 'filth' certainly tells people where you are coming from on the matter. That said, I got more than a few hard to find statements from famous writers on the subject of Sexuality and social consciousness.

So, well done and thank you Andrew Wilson.