Publisher Description

A major source for the BBC drama The ReckoningWinner of the 2015 Gordon Burn Prize and the 2015 CWA Non-Fiction DaggerShortlisted for the Orwell Prize and the James Tait Black Prize'An astonishing account' Observer'A compulsive, colourful and chilling read' Sunday Times'An extraordinary book' Mail on SundayDan Davies spent more than a decade on a quest to find the real Jimmy Savile, and interviewed him extensively over a period of six years before his death. Dan also interviewed scores of people, many of them unobtainable while Savile was alive.Jimmy Savile was cynical, calculating and predatory. He revelled in his status as a Pied Piper of youth and used his power to abuse the vulnerable and underage, all the while covering his tracks by moving into the innermost circles of the establishment.IN PLAIN SIGHT is a devastating and definitive account of a national figure turned national disgrace.

Notes

A definitive account of the Jimmy Saville story, from a journalist who spent more than a decade on a quest to find the real Jimmy Saville, and interviewed him extensively over a period of seven years before his death. Over the last two-and-a-half years, Dan has been interviewing scores of people, many of them unobtainable while Jimmy was alive, discovering that his instincts were right all along, and that behind the mask lay a hideous truth.

Author Biography

Dan Davies is a journalist, author and editor with more than twenty years' experience as a senior staffer and freelance contributor on a wide variety of magazines, newspapers and websites. Twice shortlisted as BSME Magazine Writer of the Year, he has been Deputy Editor and Acting Editor of Esquire, Editor of Esquire Weekly, a Features Editor at the Mail on Sunday, Deputy Editor of Jack magazine, and a feature writer for the Guardian Guide, Live Magazine, The Journal on MrPorter.com and many others.

Review

To my mind, the best and hottest non-fiction property of the decade is Dan Davies's book on Jimmy Savile. He had amazing access for years and stuck with the story before anybody knew how interesting it was. His book will be a must-read and will hit British culture like a clusterbomb. I can't waitAn astonishing account . . . It is an incredible read - ObserverAn extraordinary book, by turns deeply sinister and darkly comic - Mail on Sunday

Prizes

Winner of CWA Non-Fiction Gold Dagger 2015
Winner of Gordon Burn Prize 2015
Short-listed for Orwell Prize 2015

Long Description

Winner of the 2015 Gordon Burn Prize and the 2015 CWA Non-Fiction Dagger Shortlisted for the Orwell Prize and the James Tait Black Prize 'An astonishing account' Observer Dan Davies has spent more than a decade on a quest to find the real Jimmy Savile, and interviewed him extensively over a period of seven years before his death. In the course of his quest, he spent days and nights at a time quizzing Savile at his homes in Leeds and Scarborough, lunched with him at venues ranging from humble transport cafes to the Athenaeum club in London and, most memorably, joined him for a short cruise aboard the QE2 . Dan thought his quest had come to an end in October 2011 when Savile's golden coffin was lowered into a grave dug at a 45-degree angle in a Scarborough cemetery. He was wrong. In the last two and a half years, Dan has been interviewing scores of people, many of them unobtainable while Jimmy was alive. What he has discovered was that his instincts were right all along and behind the mask lay a hideous truth. Jimmy Savile was not only complex, damaged and controlling, but cynical, calculating and predatory. He revelled in his status as a Pied Piper of youth and used his power to abuse the vulnerable and underage, all the while covering his tracks by moving into the innermost circles of the establishment.

Review Quote

'An astonishing account ... It is an incredible read' Carole Cadwalladr, Observer .

Promotional "Headline"

The definitive account of the Jimmy Savile story.

Description for Sales People

Dan Davies has more than 130,000 words of original interview transcript from Jimmy Savile.

Details