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Tom Bower
Tom Bower
Tom Bower
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Thomas Michael Bower (born 28 September 1946)[1] is a British writer and former BBC journalist and television producer. He is known for his investigative journalism and for his unauthorised biographies, often of business tycoons and newspaper proprietors.

Key Information

His books include unauthorised biographies of Robert Maxwell, Mohamed Al-Fayed, Conrad Black, Richard Branson, Jeremy Corbyn and Boris Johnson. A book about Richard Desmond remains unpublished. Bower's book, Broken Dreams: Vanity, Greed and the Souring of British Football, won the 2003 William Hill Sports Book of the Year.

Early life

[edit]

Bower was born in London in 1946. His parents were Jewish refugees who fled Prague after the German occupation of Czechoslovakia in March 1939 and arrived in London later that same year.[2] They married in London in early 1943.[3] From 1948, Tom's father Jiri Gerhard Bauer renounced the use of the surname Bauer for the family, and called himself George Gerald Bower, a change he confirmed by deed poll on 15 May 1957.[4]

After attending the William Ellis School in Highgate, Bower studied law at the London School of Economics, before working as a barrister for the National Council of Civil Liberties.[2] Bower says that during this period he was a Marxist, being nicknamed "Tommy the Red".[5]

BBC career

[edit]

In 1970, Bower joined the BBC as a researcher on the programme 24 Hours before becoming a reporter on Panorama.[6] He was a producer on Panorama from 1975 until 1987.[7] He left the BBC in 1995.[2]

Books and journalism

[edit]

Bower's first book was Blind Eye to Murder (1980), the first exposé based on eyewitnesses and newly released archives in London and Washington of the Allied failure after 1945 to hunt down Nazi war criminals and de-Nazify West Germany. The book was serialised in The Times and was the basis of a BBC TV documentary.

Bower's second book was Klaus Barbie: The Butcher of Lyon (1984) which documented Klaus Barbie's war crimes during World War II as head of the Gestapo in Lyon, France and his postwar work for the American intelligence agency Counterintelligence Corps (CIC) and South American narcotics and arms dealers. Bower's book was serialised in The Times in September 1983.[8] Neal Ascherson positively reviewed the book in The Observer in January 1984.[9]

Robert Maxwell

[edit]

In 1987, Robert Maxwell responded to the publication of two unauthorised biographies of himself with numerous lawsuits, threats of legal action against individual booksellers, and the rapid publication of an authorised biography by Joe Haines, political editor of the Mirror Group which Maxwell owned. Of the two unauthorised books, Maxwell: A Portrait of Power by Peter Thompson and Anthony Delano was withdrawn from sale and all unsold copies pulped after Maxwell successfully sued the publishers and authors for libel.[10] The second book, Maxwell: The Outsider by Bower sold out in hardback but Maxwell prevented the paperback edition appearing, in part by buying the publishing company which held the paperback rights. Maxwell also filed a libel action against Bower and the hardback publishers, Aurum Press. Maxwell allowed this action to lapse in 1990 but only after Bower and Aurum had submitted a detailed defence of the book.[11]

Maxwell also tried to sue Bower in the English courts over an article published in America, by the magazine The New Republic, on the basis that it had 136 British subscribers.[12] Bower also believes that Maxwell tried to break into his house and also went through his phone records and bank statements.[13]

Tiny Rowland

[edit]

In 1993, Bower published a biography of Lonrho tycoon Tiny Rowland, entitled Tiny Rowland. A Rebel Tycoon (London, Heinemann, 1993).

Swiss Banks

[edit]

In 1997, Bower published Blood Money: The Swiss, the Nazis and the Looted Billions detailing his thesis of how the Swiss Government and the Swiss Banks colluded to prevent the return of Jewish-owned World War II-era bank accounts to their rightful owners until the World Jewish Congress filed suit in 1995.

In his testimony to the United States Senate Banking Committee in May 1997, Bower accused the Swiss government of "delay, deception and dishonesty" in the retrieval of Jewish-owned funds and stated that he had "grave doubts" whether the Bergier commission which was being set up, to investigate Switzerland's WWII conduct, would "provide an acceptable account".[14] Regarding his testimony and book, Bower was criticized by some commentators for predominantly relying on, and rehashing, information from the Swiss Federal Archives that had already been made public by Swiss historians and others. One such example regarded a 'secret' Swiss treaty with Poland which The New York Times had covered in 1949, and which the historian Peter Hug (together with Marc Perrenoud) had produced a report on, in 1996, for the Swiss government.[15] Jacques Picard, a Swiss historian, had published work in 1993 covering the 1957 information request to the Swiss government by Harald Huber, a member of parliament, regarding the suspected existence of dormant accounts in Switzerland.[16] In his testimony, Bower presented the findings regarding Huber as if they were novel, adding that "Among the Swiss lines of defense is that there is nothing new in [Bower's] allegations. Were that to be true - that would be shocking. It would mean that Swiss historians have known for many years about the deception but have refused to publicize deprecatory information".[14]

Richard Branson

[edit]

In 2000, Richard Branson sued Bower for libel over an article he had written for the London Evening Standard in 1999.[17] Branson chose not to sue the paper, but its editor, Max Hastings, agreed the newspaper would fund Bower's defence.[18] Branson lost the case,[19] and later expressed regret at bringing the action.[18] Bower continues to write articles critical of Branson's business affairs,[20] and published biographies of him in 2000 and 2014.[21]

Geoffrey Robinson MP

[edit]

In 2001, Bower published The Paymaster: Geoffrey Robinson, Maxwell and New Labour, a biography of the Labour MP Geoffrey Robinson. The book's evidence that Robinson had solicited a £200,000 business contract from Robert Maxwell led to Robinson being suspended from Parliament for three weeks as he had not disclosed the matter to an inquiry some years previously.[22] Robinson denied receiving the money in question from Maxwell and denied that he had sought to mislead Parliament.[6]

English football

[edit]

In 2003, Bower won the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award for Broken Dreams: Vanity, Greed and the Souring of British Football, an investigation into corruption in English football.

Conrad Black

[edit]

Bower's joint biography of Conrad Black and Barbara Amiel Conrad and Lady Black: Dancing on the Edge was published in November 2006. In February 2007, Black filed a libel suit in Toronto against Bower over the contents of the book.[23] The suit was frozen when Black was convicted of fraud and imprisoned.[24]

Richard Desmond

[edit]

The Daily Express proprietor Richard Desmond brought a libel action against Bower over a passing reference in Dancing on the Edge. Bower wrote that Desmond had been "ground into the dust" by Black in a business dispute. Desmond claimed this weakened his "super-tough" reputation as a businessman and was therefore defamatory. Bower denied libel on the grounds of the story being "substantially true".[25] The action was heard in July 2009 and Desmond lost the case.[26][27] An unauthorised biography by Bower of Richard Desmond, titled Rough Trader, was written and printed in 2006, but still awaits publication.[1]

Latest works

[edit]

In 2011 Bower published a biography of the Formula One executive Bernie Ecclestone titled No Angel: The Secret Life of Bernie Ecclestone. Ecclestone cooperated with Bower in the writing of the book, facilitating introductions to people for Bower.[28] Over lunch Ecclestone told Bower "You write what you like, provided it's more or less the truth, because I'm no angel". Ecclestone's quote provided the title for the book.[28] Ecclestone became friends with Bower and would say to him "What can I do that's evil for you?"[28]

Bower's biography of the music executive and entertainment impresario Simon Cowell, Sweet Revenge: The Intimate Life of Simon Cowell, was written with Cowell's co-operation and published in April 2012. Cowell later said that Ecclestone had advised him to co-operate with Bower.[29] The title of the book refers to Cowell's relationship with fellow entertainment impresario Simon Fuller.[30] Though Cowell had given Bower some 200 hours of access to him, Bower subsequently said that Cowell had tried to restrict his access to sources.[30] Cowell contacted Bower after the book's publication to say that he had found it "a bit embarrassing", adding "you got things I didn't know you'd got."[31] Bower has secured Cowell's co-operation for a planned sequel to the book.[31]

Broken Vows – Tony Blair: The Tragedy of Power, was published in March 2016.[32]

Rebel Prince, which describes Prince Charles's attempts to recover his popularity after the death of Princess Diana, reached number one in the Sunday Times bestseller list and was serialised in the Daily Mail.

In 2019, a biography of Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn, Dangerous Hero, was published. Serialised at length in the Mail on Sunday, it was a number two Sunday Times bestseller.[33][34] The book accused Corbyn of being an anti-Semitic Marxist. It was seriously criticised by Peter Oborne, writing in Middle East Eye, for its lack of referencing, alleged factual errors and the systematic omittance of relevant facts.[35] Stephen Bush, writing in The Guardian, referred to the book as a "hatchet job" littered with "rudimentary errors"[36] and journalist Oscar Rickett called it "garbage".[37] In the book, he made false allegations against the Palestinian Return Centre. Along with the publisher HarperCollins he made a full, unqualified withdrawal of the allegations, but neither apologised nor paid any money to the complainant or the lawyers. The allegations are to be removed from all future editions of the book.[38] The Mail on Sunday and MailOnline which serialised the book had to pay full damages and issue a written apology.[39][40][41]

The biography Boris Johnson: The Gambler was published by WH Allen on 15 October 2020 and has been noted for being sympathetic about the subject of the biography, in contrast with some of Bower's previous works.[42][43]

Personal life

[edit]

Bower is married to Veronica Wadley, Baroness Fleet, former editor of the London Evening Standard, and has four children. They live in London.[1]

Bibliography

[edit]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Tom Bower

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Thomas Michael Bower (born 28 September 1946) is a British investigative , , and former renowned for his unauthorized biographies that scrutinize the financial dealings, personal scandals, and power abuses of prominent figures in , , and royalty. Bower initially trained as a after studying , qualifying at in 1970, before shifting to as a researcher and reporter for the BBC's program, where he contributed to exposés on corporate fraud and over a 26-year career. His transition to authorship in the 1980s produced over 25 bestselling books, including The Paper Maker (1986) on Robert Maxwell's media empire deceptions, Fayed: The Unauthorised Biography (1995) detailing Mohamed Al-Fayed's manipulations, and Broken Dreams (2003) on Conrad Black's corporate excesses, often drawing on court records, insider accounts, and forensic financial analysis to challenge official narratives. Among his most notable works are politically charged critiques such as Dangerous Hero: Corbyn's Ruthless Rise to Power (2019), which chronicles Jeremy Corbyn's associations and Labour Party internal machinations based on archival evidence and witness testimonies, and Revenge: Meghan, Harry and the War Between (2022), an examination of the Sussexes' post-royal ventures and tensions supported by documented transactions and leaked communications. Bower's approach has sparked legal battles, including successful libel defenses against subjects like and the Beckhams, underscoring his reliance on verifiable data amid accusations of sensationalism from outlets protective of establishment figures.

Early Life and Education

Family Background and Childhood

Thomas Michael Bower was born on 28 September 1946 in to Jewish parents who had fled following the German occupation of in March 1939. His father, originally named Gerhard Bauer and later George Gerald Bower after changing the family surname by on 15 May 1957, and his mother had arrived in as refugees later that year; the couple married there in early 1943. The family's refugee status instilled an early awareness of and , which Bower later described as being present "with my mother’s milk." Bower grew up in , where his parents' experiences as outsiders shaped his childhood perspective. In the 1950s, he traveled with his family past minefields to visit and , encounters that heightened his sense of detachment from British norms. This background fostered a lifelong identification with ambitious figures navigating barriers, contributing to his later investigative focus on power dynamics. He attended in during his formative years.

Academic Pursuits and Early Influences

Bower attended , a comprehensive in . Born in 1946 to Jewish parents who had fled as refugees in 1939, he grew up with an acute awareness of and , influenced by family trips past the that instilled an outsider's perspective on power structures. At school, Bower felt alienated as a Conservative among predominantly left-wing peers, fostering early toward ideological conformity. In the late 1960s, Bower pursued a at the London School of Economics (LSE), which he later described as "one of the best places to be educated in the world." His academic experience there was marked by the 1968 student revolts, during which he initially embraced under the influence of activist teachers and peers. This period exposed him to radical ideologies, including , shaping a critical lens on establishment institutions, though his views evolved over time to retain a Marxist-informed analysis of law as a protector of property interests. The LSE environment provided a cultural shock for Bower, coming from a background, deepening his understanding of the British establishment's inner workings. These formative academic and intellectual encounters, combined with his familial outsider status, cultivated a lifelong interest in dissecting the ambitions and flaws of powerful figures seeking to dominate elites, informing his later investigative approach.

Professional Beginnings

Bower pursued legal training at the London School of Economics, studying law in the late amid a period of , including participation in the 1969 occupation of the institution. Upon completing his degree, he qualified as a and took up employment with the National Council for Civil Liberties (NCCL), a civil rights advocacy organization focused on defending individual freedoms against state overreach. His legal career proved short-lived, encompassing a brief spell in practice primarily aligned with NCCL's campaigns on issues such as police powers and protest rights. By 1970, Bower transitioned from the bar to , joining the as a researcher and reporter, marking the end of his initial professional engagement in law. This pivot reflected a shift toward investigative work, leveraging his legal acumen for probing stories rather than courtroom advocacy.

Transition to Broadcasting

After qualifying as a barrister following his law degree from the London School of Economics, Bower briefly practiced law, including work for the National Council for Civil Liberties. In 1970, he shifted to broadcasting by joining the BBC as a researcher on the current affairs programme 24 Hours, a precursor to Newsnight. This entry point allowed Bower to engage in investigative work, leveraging his legal background for fact-finding and analysis. He soon advanced to reporter on BBC's flagship investigative series , where he contributed to probing stories on politics, business, and scandals. By 1975, Bower had progressed to producer on , overseeing documentaries that demanded rigorous sourcing and on-the-ground reporting, marking his establishment in television journalism. The move from advocacy-oriented legal roles to BBC broadcasting reflected a pivot toward public scrutiny of power structures, aligning with Bower's emerging focus on through media rather than courtroom defense. His early BBC tenure, spanning researcher to producer roles until the mid-1990s, honed skills in undercover techniques and adversarial interviewing that later defined his authorship.

BBC Career

Roles at the BBC and Panorama

Bower joined the BBC in 1970 as a researcher on the current affairs programme 24 Hours, a precursor to Newsnight. He transitioned to reporting on Panorama, the BBC's long-running investigative strand, following a brief period as a barrister. As a reporter, Bower contributed to probing documentaries, including the 1979 episode ": Angel of Death," which featured an interview with the former Nazi camp commandant. He advanced to producer on , holding the role from 1975 to 1987 and overseeing investigative outputs amid the programme's emphasis on current affairs scrutiny. During 1978 to 1985, Bower occupied multiple editorial positions at , notably as deputy editor, where he shaped content strategy and production for episodes tackling political and historical controversies. His broader tenure as researcher, reporter, and producer spanned until 1995, yielding over 200 documentaries, though formed the core of his investigative work.

Key Investigations and Productions

Bower served as a on BBC's from 1975 to 1987, contributing to investigative documentaries that examined war crimes, intelligence failures, and international scandals. His work emphasized forensic reporting, often involving interviews with key figures and archival evidence to uncover hidden truths. Over this period, he helped produce more than 200 television documentaries, earning recognition for rigorous exposés on topics ranging from Nazi fugitives to corporate malfeasance. A prominent example is the 1979 Panorama episode "Gustav Wagner: Angel of Death," which Bower produced. The program featured an exclusive interview with , the former SS deputy commandant of the , where he admitted for the first time to overseeing the gassing of approximately 250,000 during . Broadcast on September 10, 1979, the documentary highlighted Wagner's evasion of justice in after , drawing on survivor testimonies and Wiesenthal Center investigations to expose ongoing failures in prosecuting Nazi war criminals. Bower's productions also extended to the Inside Story strand, a BBC series dedicated to , where he contributed to episodes dissecting high-profile downfalls, such as the 1996 program "Maxwell: The Downfall," detailing the financial deceptions of media mogul through analysis of his looting and corporate empire collapse. These efforts underscored Bower's approach of prioritizing primary documents and insider accounts over official narratives, influencing public discourse on accountability in power structures.

Books and Investigative Journalism

Methodological Approach and Style

Bower's investigative methodology emphasizes the cultivation of primary sources through persistent engagement with reluctant witnesses, particularly those who have suffered at the hands of his , to accounts of ambition, deceit, and ethical compromise. Drawing from his as a BBC producer, he constructs narratives by cross-verifying testimonies from insiders and external observers, often bypassing direct subject cooperation—which like and provided only selectively—and instead prioritizing from victims and overlooked documents. This forensic process includes detailed scrutiny of technical and financial specifics, such as the flaws in Virgin Galactic's program detailed in Branson: Behind the Mask, ensuring claims rest on corroborated facts rather than conjecture. His approach avoids preconceived theses, allowing emergent patterns of behavior to dictate the structure, while extensive daily research—often 10 hours in his study—facilitates comprehensive coverage that has withstood legal scrutiny, including successful defenses in libel actions brought by , , and . In stylistic terms, Bower adopts an unflinching, narrative-driven prose that dissects the egos and failings of tycoons and elites, presenting their lives as cautionary tales of and moral lapse without softening critiques for balance. Described as wielding "forensic skills" in unauthorized exposés, his writing prioritizes revelatory momentum—detailing scandals, financial machinations, and interpersonal conflicts—to expose concealed truths, a method that has provoked subject ire but solidified his reputation for hard-hitting accountability.

Exposés of Business Tycoons and Scandals

Bower's investigative works frequently targeted prominent business figures, exposing alleged financial improprieties, aggressive tactics, and personal deceptions that underpinned their empires. His unauthorized biographies drew on extensive interviews, court documents, and insider accounts to challenge public images of success, often revealing patterns of greed, evasion of accountability, and exploitation of legal loopholes. These books, such as those on and , highlighted systemic failures in oversight that allowed tycoons to amass fortunes at the expense of employees, investors, and regulators. In Maxwell: The Outsider (1988) and its follow-up Maxwell: The Final Verdict (1995), Bower chronicled the rise and collapse of British media magnate , detailing how he embezzled approximately £440 million from the Mirror Group Newspapers' pension funds to prop up his failing empire in the months before his apparent on , 1991. The books argued that Maxwell's flamboyant persona masked a pattern of fraudulent accounting, aggressive takeovers, and of journalists, with the 1995 volume specifically examining the 1992 where his faced charges but ultimately avoided conviction due to insufficient evidence of direct involvement. Bower's research, including analysis of forensic audits, portrayed Maxwell's downfall as a culmination of unchecked and financial desperation, influencing public and regulatory of media conglomerates. Bower's Branson (2006, revised as Branson: Behind the Mask in 2014) offered a critical examination of founder , accusing him of cultivating a heroic image through publicity stunts while engaging in ruthless business practices, including alleged schemes via offshore entities and aggressive competition that bordered on predatory. The , based on interviews with former associates, alleged Branson's involvement in law-breaking during Virgin's expansion, such as disputes over and airline subsidies, and portrayed him as a bully who prioritized family wealth enhancement over ethical consistency, contrasting sharply with his self-promoted role as a consumer champion. Critics noted the book's reliance on disgruntled sources but praised its challenge to media narratives that had largely overlooked these tactics. The unauthorized biography Fayed (1998, updated as The Fall of Fayed: Lies, Greed and Scandal in 2024) dissected Egyptian-born retailer Mohamed Al-Fayed's acquisition of in 1985 and subsequent scandals, including the 1990s " where he allegedly paid £1,000 weekly to Labour MP Neil Hamilton to influence parliamentary inquiries into his business dealings. Bower detailed Fayed's ruthless methods, such as smear campaigns against rivals and exploitation of political connections, which enabled his control of high-profile assets like Football Club and the Ritz Hotel, while amassing evidence of financial opacity and personal misconduct, including post-publication revelations of sexual assaults corroborated by inquiries like the 2024 investigation. The work emphasized how Fayed's deceptions, including fabricated claims of aristocracy, sustained his empire until his death on August 30, 2023. Other notable exposés included Tiny Rowland: A Rebel Tycoon (1993), which traced PLC chief 's empire-building through corporate raids and African resource deals, alleging and confrontations with governments that violated sanctions, such as dealings in during the 1960s-70s. Similarly, Conrad and Lady Black: Dancing on the Edge (2006) scrutinized media baron Conrad Black's Hollinger International, claiming he and his wife diverted over $400 million in shareholder funds for personal luxuries, contributing to his 2007 fraud conviction on four counts of mail fraud and obstruction of justice, with Bower's 150+ interviews uncovering a pattern of entitlement and social climbing. These accounts underscored Bower's pattern of linking tycoons' personal ambitions to broader lapses.

Political Biographies and Critiques

Bower's political biographies primarily target Labour figures, scrutinizing their exercise of power through investigative accounts of personal ambition, policy failures, and intra-party intrigue. His 2007 book Gordon Brown: Prime Minister, an updated edition of his 2004 biography, chronicles Brown's ascent from Treasury Chancellor to Prime Minister, portraying him as a calculating operator whose economic policies masked fiscal imprudence and whose rivalry with Tony Blair fueled destructive internal conflicts within the Labour Party. The work draws on interviews and documents to allege Brown's manipulation of budgets and civil service appointments, contributing to Britain's vulnerability during the 2008 financial crisis, with Bower arguing that Brown's "miracle" reputation was illusory. In Broken Vows: Tony Blair, The Tragedy of Power (), Bower dissects 's premiership from 1997 to 2007, contending that initial promises of ethical governance devolved into scandals involving donors, spin-doctoring, and the debacle. Updated post-Chilcot Inquiry, the book accuses of prioritizing personal legacy over national interest, citing specific instances like the cash-for-honours probe and intelligence manipulations leading to the 2003 invasion, where over 179 British troops died amid disputed weapons claims. Bower's narrative frames 's post-office pursuits—earning £20 million annually through speeches and advisory roles—as extensions of a vanity-driven tenure that eroded , evidenced by Labour's 2010 electoral rout. Shifting to contemporary Labour leadership, Dangerous Hero: Corbyn's Ruthless Plot for Power (2019) levels sharp critiques at , depicting his lifelong associations with radical groups like the IRA sympathizers and as disqualifying for high office. Bower uncovers Corbyn's financial opacity, including undeclared funds from Iranian , and alleges a systematic of moderates in Labour to impose hard-left ideology, culminating in the loss where Labour secured only 202 seats amid controversies that expelled over 100 members. The biography, reliant on over 200 interviews, warns of Corbyn's potential premiership as a threat to alliances and , given his advocacy for nationalizing industries without cost assessments. Bower extended his scrutiny to Conservative leadership with The Gambler: Boris Johnson (2020), which examines Johnson's premiership amid and , faulting his reliance on unelected advisors like for chaotic governance. Published during Johnson's tenure, the book details policy reversals, such as the 2020 lockdown U-turns affecting 66 million people, and alleges favoritism in contracts worth £3.5 billion to Tory-linked firms during the pandemic procurement scramble. While acknowledging Johnson's 2019 delivering 365 seats, Bower critiques his administration's scandals, including the 2021 Partygate events leading to 126 fines, as symptomatic of entitlement eroding 's mandate. These works collectively exemplify Bower's method of unmasking political hubris through granular evidence, often provoking subject denials but substantiated by court-admissible sourcing in prior litigations.

Recent Works on Royals and Celebrities

Bower's 2022 book Revenge: Meghan, Harry and the War Between the Windsors examines the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's transition from senior royals to independent figures, alleging tensions stemming from Meghan Markle's interactions with palace staff and family members. Published on July 21 in the UK by Blink Publishing and October 4 in the US by Atria Books, the 464-page work relies on anonymous sources from Kensington Palace and former aides to depict Meghan as manipulative and Harry as enabling, including claims of her demanding special treatment and clashing with courtiers over protocol. The narrative traces their 2020 Megxit decision to earlier grievances, such as perceived slights during their wedding and tour, and critiques their post-royal ventures like the Oprah interview and Netflix deal as profit-driven amid family rifts. Critics noted the book's reliance on unverified insider accounts, with some subjects like a former aide denying allegations attributed to Meghan, though Bower defended his sourcing as corroborated through cross-verification typical of his investigative style. The work topped Sunday Times bestseller lists upon release, reflecting public interest in royal scandals, but drew accusations of from supporters who viewed it as one-sided, ignoring the couple's stated concerns over media intrusion and racial bias. Bower maintained that his portrayal aligned with patterns from multiple interviewees, emphasizing causal links between personal ambitions and institutional fallout without deference to official palace narratives. In early 2025, Bower reissued an updated edition of The Fall of Fayed: Lies, Greed and Scandal, originally published in 1998, incorporating post-mortem revelations about following his August 2023 death. The March 4 release by Blink Publishing highlights Fayed's ownership, his son Dodi's relationship with , and allegations of cover-ups in the 1997 crash, alongside renewed scrutiny from investigations into his conduct toward staff. While primarily a exposé, it intersects with royal history through Diana's final days and Fayed's persistent conspiracy claims against the establishment, sourced from court records and witnesses, underscoring Bower's focus on elite accountability. This edition, spanning 528 pages, avoids unsubstantiated theories, prioritizing documented financial improprieties and personal vendettas.

Lawsuits from Book Subjects

Tom Bower has encountered several libel lawsuits from individuals depicted or referenced in his investigative biographies, often tycoons and public figures who contested portrayals of their business practices or personal conduct. These legal challenges underscore the adversarial reception to his method of relying on sourced allegations and insider accounts, though Bower has prevailed in notable defenses. Robert Maxwell, the media proprietor profiled in Bower's 1988 biography Maxwell: The Outsider, pursued multiple libel actions against him, including a 1991 suit over an unflattering profile in The New Republic that alleged Maxwell's fraudulent dealings and domineering tactics. Maxwell's litigious strategy delayed but did not prevent publication, and the claims were deemed unsuccessful in curtailing Bower's work. Richard Branson initiated libel proceedings against Bower following the 2014 publication of Branson: Behind the Mask, which detailed alleged aggressive business maneuvers and tax avoidance schemes attributed to the founder through witness testimonies. The court ruled in Bower's favor, validating the substantial truth of the imputations based on verified evidence. Conrad Black filed a C$11 million libel suit in , , in February 2007 over content in Conrad and Lady Black: Dancing on the Edge (2006), accusing Bower of "vindictive" fabrications regarding Black's and financial improprieties at Hollinger International. The proceedings were halted indefinitely after Black's 2007 U.S. fraud conviction, leaving the claims unresolved but without vindication for the . Richard Desmond, owner of Express Newspapers, launched a 2007 libel action against Bower and publisher stemming from a single paragraph in the Black biography alleging Desmond pressured a Sunday Express journalist to produce favorable coverage toward Black in exchange for access. At the 2009 High Court trial before Mr Justice Eady, a jury rejected Desmond's defense of justification by 10-2, determining the statements were substantially true and not defamatory, marking a clear victory for Bower after extensive of sources. Labour MP Nick Brown pursued libel claims in 2017 against Bower and Faber & Faber over a passage in Broken Vows: Tony Blair – The Tragedy of Power (2016) implying his involvement in intra-party maneuvering during Blair's tenure. Following preliminary rulings rejecting a joint proposed meaning as defamatory, the parties issued a joint statement in October 2018, indicating resolution without a full trial, though specifics on concessions remain undisclosed. No successful libel judgments have been secured against Bower by book subjects, with courts repeatedly affirming the verifiability of his sourced material amid claims of . Threats of litigation, such as those from , regarding Revenge: Meghan, Harry and the War Between the Windsors (2022), have not materialized into filed suits as of 2025.

Accusations of Factual Errors and Sensationalism

Critics have accused Tom Bower of committing factual errors in several of his biographical works, often citing misrepresentations of events, timelines, and statements from interviewees. In his 2019 book Dangerous Hero: The Life and Times of , alleged an "astonishing number" of inaccuracies, including Bower's claim that Corbyn's 2015 Labour conference speech was rejected by previous leaders as "too extreme," when it had simply been offered and ignored without such characterization; distortions of Return Centre as a group blaming for , contradicted by the organization's inquiries finding no antisemitic promotion; and false assertions that junior doctors' strikes in 2016 were controlled by , despite denials from the and itself. These claims, while sourced from a Corbyn-aligned publication, highlight patterns of alleged factual negligence in portraying Corbyn's political associations and motives. Similar critiques emerged for Bower's 2020 biography The Gambler: The Chaotic Life of Boris Johnson, where reviewers identified errors such as attributing a 1989 Brussels visit by Jeremy Deedes to resolve a dispute involving Sonia Purnell, who did not join Johnson there until 1992, and miscrediting Johnson's "invisible mugger" Covid-19 analogy to a scientist rather than Johnson himself. The book was further faulted for imprecisions in recounting Johnson's Oxford Union victory, framing it as electoral duping when other candidates on his ticket contributed to the win. In Revenge: Meghan, Harry and the War Between the Windsors (2022), Vanity Fair journalist Sam Kashner disputed Bower's portrayal of being "played" by Meghan Markle in a 2017 interview, denying any manipulation and rejecting fabricated details like exploiting a nonexistent stutter; podcaster Kristen Meinzer also contested her depiction as a Markle friend, noting Bower's misgendering (using "he/she" pronouns) and unauthorized quote usage without an interview. Colleagues from Markle's Suits era, including Patrick J. Adams, contradicted Bower's narrative of her workplace difficulties by affirming her professionalism. Accusations of center on Bower's reliance on dramatic insinuations, selective emphasis, and disparaging tone over verified evidence, which reviewers argue amplifies unproven allegations. In House of Beckham (2024), the was described as a "symphony of snide" with vague suggestions of David Beckham's infidelity at events like Glastonbury 2017—implying misconduct amid ecstasy users without substantiation—repeating public scandals like Rebecca Loos's claims while offering scant new sourcing. Critics of earlier works, such as Dangerous Hero, pointed to gratuitous evocations like attributing Auschwitz "cattle trucks" rhetoric directly to in a distorted context, and in The Gambler, excessive pejorative labels (e.g., "perfidious lightweight" for Amber Rudd) were said to devolve into "accidental " through uneven and unsubstantiated flourishes. These stylistic choices, opponents contend, prioritize , drawing from anonymous or tabloid-derived tips while omitting counter-evidence, though such critiques often emanate from outlets ideologically opposed to Bower's subjects.

Responses, Defenses, and Court Outcomes

Bower has defended his investigative works against accusations of factual inaccuracy and by emphasizing his methodology of corroborating claims through multiple independent sources, , and court documents, often conducting over 100 interviews per book. He has argued that legal challenges from subjects represent efforts to suppress public-interest revelations rather than genuine disputes over truth, as evidenced in his parliamentary submission regarding the Desmond litigation, where he detailed how plaintiffs leverage libel laws to intimidate authors without substantive evidence. In high-profile court outcomes, Bower secured a complete in the 2009 libel trial brought by over passages in Conrad and Lady Black: Dancing on the Edge (2006), with a rejecting Desmond's claim by a 10-2 majority verdict that the statements were not defamatory or, alternatively, were true and matters of honest opinion. Desmond was subsequently ordered to pay Bower's legal costs, estimated at over £1 million, underscoring the court's validation of Bower's evidence-based assertions about Desmond's business dealings. The 2017 libel action by Labour MP against Bower and publisher Faber & Faber, stemming from a passage in Broken Vows: – The Tragedy of Power (2016) implying suspicion of misconduct involving payments to young men, proceeded to preliminary issues on defamatory meaning but concluded in October 2018 with a confidential settlement. The joint statement confirmed no admission of liability by Bower or the publisher, preserving the book's content without retraction or apology. Bower's biography Fayed: The Unauthorized Biography (1998) prompted threats and related libel actions from , but no successful claim against Bower materialized, with the work's exposures of Al-Fayed's practices later corroborated by subsequent investigations into his conduct. In recent controversies, such as Revenge: Meghan, Harry and the War Between the Windsors (2022), Bower has preemptively dismissed potential suits by subjects, citing his track record of verified sourcing and prior judicial affirmations that deter baseless litigation.

Personal Life and Views

Marriages and Family

Tom Bower married Veronica Wadley, later Baroness Fleet and former editor of the Evening Standard, in 1985. The couple has four children and resides in . No indicate prior marriages.

Political Evolution and Public Stance

Bower's political journey began with conservative leanings during his school years at William Ellis comprehensive in Hampstead. Upon studying law at the London School of Economics in the late 1960s, he was radicalized by the 1968 student revolts and leftist academics, adopting Marxist ideology and earning the moniker "Tommy the Red" among peers. This phase aligned him with radical causes, including work as a barrister for the National Council for Civil Liberties, where Marxist interpretations of law—as a tool primarily safeguarding property over individual rights—shaped his early worldview. Over subsequent decades, Bower distanced himself from strict , describing himself as a "reformed Marxist" while maintaining a left-wing perspective critical of unchecked power and institutional biases. His evolution reflected disillusionment with ideological rigidity, evidenced by his investigative focus on flaws in both and political elites, irrespective of affiliation, though retaining toward establishment narratives on and . In public commentary, Bower has positioned himself as a detractor of radical left-wing politics, particularly Jeremy Corbyn's tenure as Labour leader. His 2019 biography Dangerous Hero: Corbyn's Ruthless Plot for Power portrays Corbyn as a fanatical Marxist whose Jamaica trip in youth transformed academic underachievement into lifelong ideological extremism, accusing him of ruthlessly maneuvering for control and enabling anti-Semitic elements within Labour. Similarly, his 2016 work Broken Vows: Tony Blair, The Tragedy of Power indicts Blair as an opportunistic charlatan who prioritized personal gain over policy coherence, blending public office with lucrative private ventures. On Boris Johnson, Bower's 2020 biography The Gambler critiques personal indiscipline and familial dysfunction but offers qualified endorsement of his political instincts, attributing leadership traits to inherited traits rather than ideology. Bower's stances extend to media and cultural issues, where he has lambasted the for systemic left-wing bias, including inadequate emphasis on history in British education and perceived hostility toward amid coverage of figures like [Gary Lineker](/page/Gary Lineker). He has engaged with conservative commentators, such as in discussions with on and monarchy, underscoring a preference for empirical exposure of elite hypocrisies over partisan loyalty. This outlook, rooted in his reformed leftist critique, prioritizes revelations of causal failures in power structures, often serialized in outlets like the skeptical of progressive orthodoxies.

Impact and Legacy

Contributions to Investigative Journalism

Tom Bower's contributions to stem from his early work as a reporter and producer, where he specialized in uncovering across , , , and zones during a 25-year tenure. His documentaries and reports emphasized primary sources, including declassified archives and insider interviews, setting a for rigorous fact-based scrutiny of powerful institutions. A pivotal shift occurred with his authorship of investigative books, beginning with Blind Eye to Murder (1981), which detailed the Allied powers' post-World War II policies that enabled Nazi war criminals to evade trials through selective and emigration schemes, drawing on newly accessible London and Washington archives. This work exemplified Bower's technique of leveraging legal training to analyze official records, revealing systemic failures in accountability that had been overlooked by mainstream narratives. Subsequent titles, such as Maxwell the Outsider (1988), preemptively exposed media tycoon Robert Maxwell's opaque business empire and ethical lapses, providing evidentiary groundwork for the massive pension fraud revelations after Maxwell's 1991 death. Bower's biographies extended this approach to other tycoons, including and , where he dissected corporate intrigue and financial manipulations through cross-verified testimonies and documents, often without subject cooperation. In sectors like oil and media, books such as The Squeeze: Oil, Money and Greed in the (2009) highlighted profit-driven manipulations exacerbating global crises, influencing public discourse on resource exploitation. His persistence in pursuing unauthorized accounts—totaling over 20 bestselling volumes—has elevated investigative as a tool for dissecting elite power dynamics, compelling subjects like and to confront documented discrepancies in their records. Through these efforts, Bower has demonstrated the value of adversarial against entrenched interests, frequently contributing articles to outlets like that amplify archival findings on figures such as and BP executives. His output, acknowledged as pioneering in Britain's investigative tradition, prioritizes empirical evidence over , fostering greater transparency in opaque domains like and royalty.

Critical Reception and Influence

Bower's investigative biographies have garnered mixed critical reception, with admirers commending his tenacity in uncovering scandals among elites, while detractors frequently decry his methods as sensationalist and agenda-laden. Publications such as The Guardian have lambasted works like The House of Beckham (2024) as "a hilariously bitter hybrid of tabloid gossip, old news and sloppy writing," portraying it as a "sex-obsessed hatchet job." Similarly, The New Statesman critiqued The Gambler (2020), his biography of Boris Johnson, as "thin, imprecise and poorly written," arguing it fails to deliver substantive insight despite its timeliness. These assessments often highlight a reliance on anonymous sources and a narrative style prioritizing controversy over nuance, with some reviewers attributing this to Bower's history of targeting figures like Richard Branson and Robert Maxwell in earlier exposés. Conversely, Bower has cultivated a loyal readership and respect among certain journalists for his forensic approach and legal resilience, as his books consistently achieve commercial success without successful libel challenges undermining their core claims. The Telegraph observed that "readers love his books and many of his fellow journalists admire him," emphasizing his role in holding the powerful accountable through "unforgiving analysis and explosive revelations." His 2022 book , focusing on Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, drew praise from segments of the public for illuminating tensions within the royal family, though it faced pushback from subjects alleging inaccuracies, such as disputed details about Markle's early career. Critics like those in left-leaning outlets have accused Bower of factual errors in politically charged works, including his Jeremy Corbyn biography, but his track record of prevailing in suits—spanning decades of scrutiny from high-profile targets—lends empirical weight to defenders' views of his diligence. Bower's influence extends to shaping public discourse on for celebrities and politicians, pioneering a subgenre of unauthorized biographies that prioritize insider accounts over official narratives. With over 25 books since the 1980s, including prescient takedowns like Maxwell the Outsider (1988) that foreshadowed the media mogul's fraud, his oeuvre has popularized investigative scrutiny of Britain's establishment figures, from royals in Rebel Prince (2018) to business tycoons. This body of work has arguably normalized adversarial toward elites, influencing subsequent authors and media coverage—evident in heightened debate around subjects like Prince Charles's character or the Beckhams' empire—while commercial hits like underscore his role in amplifying populist critiques of institutional opacity. Though mainstream academia and media, often aligned with progressive biases, tend to marginalize such exposés as tabloid-adjacent, Bower's sustained output and courtroom victories affirm his enduring impact on truth-telling amid power structures.

References

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