The Man Who Rode Ampersand — Ferdinand Mount

Aldous (Gus) Cotton -- the asthmatic hero of Ferdinand Mount's critically acclaimed series A Chronicle of Modern Twilight, including his recent Booker Prizeâ€"nominated novel Fairness -- has a problem: Its name is Harry, a carouser, an amateur jockey, a compulsive gambler, a charmer with an unfortunate penchant for excess. He also happens to be Gus's father. Dead set on detaching himself from any paternal and all real-life responsibilities, Harry begins his descent from the heady realm of the racing set -- which afforded him the sweet experience of riding Ampersand, the legendary Gold Cup winner, and champagne by the magnum -- to an unglamorous but not undramatic existence in a grim world of lice-infected brothels and gambling houses. At the same time, Harry is thrown into the maelstrom of the Second World War, where comedy meets tragedy to ill-fated effect. In all, Harry's career vibrantly reflects the downward spiral of a once-vigorous nation, and leaves the sometimes amused and frequently appalled Gus trying very hard to love his father.