All That Glitters

This book is a memoir and indeed a witness statement: the story of an unequal friendship between the author and his undergraduate best friend, Inigo Philbrick, a friendship that goes horribly wrong. Whitfield writes with the arresting immediacy of fiction. He reproduces key moments of dialogue and his descriptive writing presents a strong sense of place: key streets in London, restaurants, galleries, cocktail lounges, lavish American resorts, even walks across South London. For me, this book provided a revelatory insight into the market for contemporary art. I had never imagined that business deal brinkmanship could be so tense and exciting,… show more.