These glancing encounters show biographer <b>Holroyd at his versatile best</b> … He breathes life and intrigue into every subject he alights on … <b>A joyous collection</b>

- Hephzibah Anderson, Observer

<b>As deft and devastating as a piece of non-fiction writing in miniature as you’re ever likely to read</b>, and it illustrates not only the biographer’s power to shape perceptions of his or her subject but also the artistry that underpins what sometimes masquerades as elegant reportage: truly, as this collection’s title indicates, facts and fiction … <b>A collection to be savoured, its urbanity, wisdom and humorous probing best digested at leisure</b>

- Matthew Dennison, Daily Telegraph

<b>Holroyd navigates the stories behind the books that made his name with a sensitive humour</b>, delving deeply into the art of writing about others. <b>A charming and engaging collection</b>, <i>Facts and Fiction</i> reflects warmly on the intricacies and eccentricities of the most personal form of writing

- New Statesman,