The Maverick
by Thomas Harding (Weidenfeld & Nicolson £25, 324 pp)
Presented by his publisher George Weidenfeld with a posse of potential ‘ghosts’ to write his memoirs, Mick Jagger fired off some desultory questions and then demanded — could they roll a three-paper joint?
Weidenfeld was so keen that he committed an unprecedented $2million to underwriting the Rolling Stone’s advance.
But after considerable interest, the deal fell through. Two great seducers had sized each other up, and the rock singer flounced off.
Weidenfeld more usually courted authors at lavish dinner parties in his grand Chelsea flat.