Why has the month of November had a special significance - a month in which I seem to have often experienced some particular, even notable, event, change, or development? Chalk it up to chance? Difficult to be sure about that.

Sir Patrick Nairne led a remarkable life with a ringside view of history in the making. He fought with the Seaforth Highlanders in North Africa; worked in the post-war Admiralty and Ministry of Defence; organised the first EU Referendum in 1975; led the Department for Health and Social Security; contributed to the Falkland Islands Review Committee; monitored the consultation process in Hong Kong before the territory was handed back to China; and served as the first Chair of the Nuffield Council on bioethics.

Patrick was one of the most notable British civil servants of the twentieth century, and in his later years, after being master of St Catherine's College, Oxford, began to write about his fascinating life and career.

In The Coincidence of Novembers, Patrick's son - curator and writer Sandy Nairne - assembles his father's writings, including autobiographical pieces from his papers, into a volume which offers a snapshot of the range of his thinking and creativity: his first-hand experience of significant events in public affairs, his watercolours, and his meditations on a life spent working for the public good.

From the first EU Referendum in 1975 to the handover of Hong Kong, one of the great British civil servants recounts his first-hand experience of some of the most significant events in recent history

About the Author

Sandy Nairne CBE FSA is a curator and writer. From 2002 to 2015 he was Director of the National Portrait Gallery and before that Director of Programmes at Tate. He is a trustee of the National Trust and the Samuel Courtauld Collection, and currently chairs the Fabric Advisory Committee at St Paul's Cathedral and the Maggie's Art Group, supporting Maggie's Cancer Care Centres. He is also a member of the Bank of England Banknote Character Advisory Committee and the Wolfson Foundation Arts & Humanities Advisory Panel.

Book Information
ISBN 9781783528301
Author Sandy Nairne
Format Hardback
Page Count 400
Imprint Unbound Digital
Publisher Unbound