A Drink at the Bar

Rezensionen / Stimmen

Witty and engaging. It offers a fascinating ringside seat at some of the most high-profile trials in modern English legal history, together with a brutally honest account of the writer's descent into alcoholism and depression - and his rise out of it. As you would expect from a former Old Bailey judge, Graham Boal QC is searingly honest about the challenges he has faced - and overcome. Well aware that, as he puts it, "there are few more boring experiences than ploughing through the reminiscences of retired barristers and judges", Boal takes us through his early life and career at a reasonably brisk pace. Writing about one's human frailties is entirely commendable and Boal, 77, dedicates his book to the Westminster Drug Project, where he serves as a trustee and board member. While later chapters of Boal's book make for painful reading, this is a story with a happy ending. Boal recovered. Despite everything, then, [he] considers himself to be a very lucky man indeed. -- Joshua Rozenburg * A Lawyer Writes * ...a searingly honest and engaging account of failings and redemption. Offering readers a candid portrayal of his alcoholism and depression, which were inevitably intertwined, this book's appeal extends beyond the narrow readership of practising lawyers and fellow judges. His angst may regularly punctuate the narrative, washed down with recollections of tumblers full of whisky, but they do not dominate Boal's story. Instead, they are neatly interwoven with his 30-year stretch as a criminal barrister, during which time he became First Senior Treasury Counsel. -- Dominic Carman * Reports Legal * This book is marvellous fun and gloriously entertaining. A thoroughly enjoyable read.