Witness in a Time of Turmoil

In 1986, the Guardian was still a single-section, ink-stained, black-and-white newspaper, embattled on all sides. In the decade that followed, it faced a series of unprecedented upheavals – a radical redesign, tense boardroom battles, the controversial acquisition of the Observer – all played out against the fall of Margaret Thatcher, the toppling of the Berlin Wall and brutal conflicts in Iraq and Bosnia.

Drawing on over a hundred interviews, Ian Mayes provides a fascinating account of the inner workings of a national newspaper – its power struggles and rivalries, behind-the-scenes debates and larger-than-life characters. It is an essential insight into how news is created in the words of those who make it.

“Elegant and Judicious writing!” — Luke Harding