The Outsider: Brian Sewell

In his memoir of his early years, The Outsider, Brian Sewell, the famously acerbic art critic and connoisseur, opens up about his ramshackle childhood and his sexual awakening. Brought up by a single, rackety mother (he discovered the identity of his father in his 50s), passionate about art from an early age, he was educated at the Courtauld Institute by Anthony Blunt (whom he later hid from the press after his exposure as the 'fourth man'). Formative National Service experiences, a chaotic period at Christie's, sexual promiscuity in the 60s, all make The Outsider a graphic read.