A Very English Scandal

I remember sitting down to watch the TV adaptation of this book last year, before I knew this book existed or anything about the real-life cover-up it describes, and laughing over how ridiculous this all was, how unreal. Then my parents started reminiscing on when the scandal all came out in the late 1970s, leaving me speechless that any of it was close to truth. I'm both ashamed of being so entertained (and if this was a fictional crime thriller I'd be bashing it for being too outlandish) and horrified at the incompetence, lies, blackmails, and hypocrisy at the heart of our establishment. Can't say I believe that much has changed either. The brief mentions of Jimmy Saville and Cyril Smith were sickening as well... Anyway, I really recommend either this or the BBC TV series (which was very closely adapted). Some may prefer a more academic approach in covering these topics, but I enjoyed this very readable, almost “novelised” structure, which seems to have been possible thanks to Preston's extensive research and access to first-hand accounts.