David Pryce-Jones was born in Vienna in 1936, the son of Alan Pryce-Jones and Thérese (Poppy) Fould-Springer. Educated at Eton and Oxford University, he has written on a wide range of subjects, sometimes historical, sometimes contemporary. Among his works are studies of Communism such as The Strange Death of the Soviet Union, of Nazism such as Paris in the Third Reich, and of the world of Islam such as The Closed Circle. He is also the author of nine novels and an autobiography entitled Fault Lines. Since 1999 he has been a senior editor of National Review. He and his wife Clarissa Caccia live in London.
“Openings & Outings shows David Pryce-Jones at his always brilliant and often mordant best. These essays, encounters, reportage, and reviews are drawn from more than half a century of lauding unsung heroes, puncturing inflated reputations, and skewering plausible scoundrels. More than an anthology of fine writing, this is a treasury of hard-won truths and unconventional wisdom about humanity – and inhumanity.” —Daniel Johnson Editor, The Article “The 1,800-word article is an art form in itself, and one hard to perfect. For many years David Pryce-Jones has been the prime master of this written form in English, and this anthology reminds us why. Witty, knowledgeable, and hard-hitting when he feels necessary, Pryce-Jones also has a profound moral core in his writing, the very best of which is on dazzling display here. We get the sense of being an insider as he lauds some and mercilessly skewers others, but also that the author is fair- minded, well-researched, and above all wise.” —Andrew Roberts Author, Churchill: Walking with Destiny