
DAVID SNOWDON
Furniture maker and honorary chairman of Christieâs, the Earl of Snowdon loves a historical book or a good biography
AS TOLD TO SELMA DAY
Mapp & Lucia by
 E.F. Benson
In my childhood, there were lovely escapist books that I used to adore and couldnât put down. Mapp & Lucia was a book my grandmother (the Queen Mother) suggested I read when I was ill. Benson is a fabulous bit of old English nonsense along the lines of P.G. Wodehouse. At school, there was a bit of poetry, which I still enjoy â particularly limericks. H.M.Batemanâs cartoons alongside Hilaire Belloc or Edward Lear are fantastic.

Eastern Approaches by
 Fitzroy Maclean
I tend to find historical books of increasing interest. I found the subject matter of Eastern Approaches gripping â the person was a fantastic storyteller and the dialogue was of interest to me. There was a hint of James Bond. In fact, I think James Bond was based on Ian Flemingâs friendship with Fitzroy Maclean

The Lives of Lucian Freud
 by William Weaver
Iâve just discovered Audible, so lengthy tomes like The Lives of Lucian Freud â something I would never have contemplated reading â is a much more likely event. Reading isnât something I would naturally do. My father (photographer Lord Snowdon) was hell bent against anyone reading a book because he decided it was a waste of time â âyou should be making somethingâ, he used to say. Also, in the old days, I would be much more workshop based and not have time to read a lot, whereas now, I can sit in a car and listen to an entire book down the motorway â so itâs not a waste of time.

The Sorcererâs Apprentice
 by John Richardson
I like biographies and enjoyed The Sorcererâs Apprentice. Picasso was a genius and listening to a historian having the time to be there with him was kind of amazing.

The Art of Looking Sideways
 by Alan Fletcher
The Art of Looking Sideways [a guide to visual awareness] is fun to read because itâs a story a page. You can just dip into it.

Personal View and Private
 View by Lord Snowdon
Obviously, from my perspective, thereâs my fatherâs books on his career, Personal View and Private View which is fantastically interesting â a social and historical document of the art world in the Sixties. People at Christieâs come into my office and say, âCan we borrow that book, Private View because we have a picture coming out in the sale that was being painted when your father photographed the artistâ.â
