Books by Al Alvarez

Al Alvarez's writing career has come in many guises. One of the most influential post-war critics, he has written profoundly and eloquently about writers and their craft for over fifty years. But Alvarez has also been a passionate amateur of risky pursuits and has written about these subjects with perception. This is a collection of his essays.

Talks about the art of writing from one of the most popular critics of our time.

Written by the author of "Poker and The Biggest Game in Town", this book gives a portrait of the climbing legend Mo Anthoine. It is suitable for fans of adrenaline sports.

Much of the liveliness of Alvarez's story is inspired by the ambiguous fate of being an English Jew. He went from Oundle, an English public school, to Oxford, where an academic career beckoned; instead he embarked on life as a freelance writer. Meanwhile he climbed mountains and wrote books. This book gives an account of that journey.

An intelligent and sympathetic analysis of one of the true taboos of modern life.