# The Maverick: George Weidenfeld and the Golden Age of Publishing - Hardcover

by **Thomas Harding** (Author)

**A _New York Times_ Critics' Pick for 2023**

**"Like George Weidenfeld himself, Thomas Harding's accomplishment is substantial, lively, and full of interest. _The Maverick_ is a fine biography." --Henry Kissinger**

**The captivating story of the famed publisher George Weidenfeld, from his struggles as an Austrian-Jewish refugee in London to his rise as a world-renowned literary figure.**

After arriving in London just before World War Two as a penniless Austrian-Jewish refugee, George Weidenfeld went on to transform not only the world of publishing but the culture of ideas. The books that he published include momentous titles such as _Lolita__,_ _Double Helix, The Group,_ and _The Hedgehog and the Fox__,_ with authors he championed ranging from Joan Didion, Mary McCarthy, JD Salinger, and Edna O'Brien to Henry Miller, Harold Wilson, Saul Bellow, and Henry Kissinger. His role as publisher brought him into the orbit of influential figures such as George Bush, Ann Getty, Donald Trump, and LBJ.

In this first biography, Thomas Harding provides a full, unvarnished, and at times difficult history of this complex and fascinating character. Throughout his long career, he was written about in the _New York Times_, the _Washington Post_, _Time Magazine_, _Vanity Fair_, and other publications. Was he, as described by some, the "greatest salesperson," "the world's best networker," "the publisher's publisher," and "a great intellectual"? Was his lifelong effort to be the world's most famous host a cover for his desperate loneliness? Who, in fact, was the real George Weidenfeld and how did he rise so successfully within the ranks of New York and London society?

Drawing on author correspondence, internal memos, and other documents buried deep in the secret publishing files of Weidenfeld & Nicolson, Harding crafts a portrait of the publisher's life that is inextricable from the efforts and intricacies of putting a book into the world. Structured around twenty books associated with George Weidenfeld, and intercut with explorations of contemporary concerns such as cancel culture, the right to publish, freedom of speech, and separating the art from the artist, _The Maverick_ tells the captivating story behind the life of this iconic publisher.

**Number of Pages:** 336

**Dimensions:** 1.1 x 9.92 x 6.06 IN

**Illustrated:** Yes

**Publication Date:** August 29, 2023

## Details

- **Price:** 29.95 USD
- **Vendor:** Books by splitShops
- **Type:** Books
- **Tags:** Books by splitShops, Shopify Collective

## Variants

| Variant | Price | Available |
|---------|-------|-----------|
| Default Title | 29.95 USD | In stock |

## Images

- The Maverick: George Weidenfeld and the Golden Age of Publishing - Hardcover

---

> Source: [Smart supply deals](https://smartsupplydeals.com/products/the-maverick-george-weidenfeld-and-the-golden-age-of-publishing-hardcover)
> Updated: 2026-07-23