From the war-wrecked backstreets of Liverpool's Bootle docklands to the heights of one of the world’s mightiest media empires, The Bootle Boy tells Les Hinton’s remarkable journey, during which he worked with Rupert Murdoch for five decades and witnessed the transformation of our media landscape.

In this brilliantly evocative memoir from the golden age of newspaper publishing, he writes vividly about the demonic drive of Murdoch himself and the great and notorious characters he encountered along the way – from Bill Clinton, Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, to Princess Diana, Johnny Rotten and Mick Jagger – and the time when his next-door neighbour was OJ Simpson.

Now with updates and a new preface.

Praise for The Bootle Boy

‘A delightful autobiography ... honest, revealing and a beautifully written page-turner ... No one has worked more closely and for longer with Rupert Murdoch than Les Hinton, but he does not shy away from criticism of Murdoch’s mistakes.’ William Shawcross

‘A terrific memoir by one of the all-time great newspapermen.’ Piers Morgan

‘Les Hinton lifts the lid on his 52 years working with the media mogul Rupert Murdoch and it yields a rich crop of anecdotes.’ The Times

‘A great romp of a journalistic memoir.’ The Sunday Times

‘It vividly captures the rise and fall of the press over 60 years ... [no] acolyte’s paean.’ The i Paper

‘Pacy and engrossing ... overflowing with the names of the rich and famous, from Yoko Ono, Johnny Rotten, Graham Greene... to Bill Clinton, Princess Diana and Gordon Brown.’ British Journalism Review

‘Les Hinton’s story is about the glory and the tragedy of the newspaper business. He knows all the secrets of this tale and few are more clear-eyed than him when they tell it.’ Michael Wolff

Praise for Les Hinton’s novel Dying Days

‘An original story told with frightening conviction told by a damn good writer. Could it happen?’ Jeffrey Archer

‘A breathtaking novel.’ Michael Dobbs, author of House of Cards

‘A brilliantly feasible and gripping thriller about power, corruptio...