Synopses & Reviews
From the Frontline is the first biography of Sir Basil Clarke, the World War I newspaper correspondent and father of the UKs public relations industry. Clarke defied a ban on reporters by living as an "outlaw" in Dunkirk during late 1914 and by the time he was forced to leave was one of only two remaining journalists near the Front. Later in the War he reported from the Battle of the Somme and caused a global scandal by accusing the government of effectively "feeding the Germans" by failing to properly enforce its naval blockade. Clarke became the UKs first public relations officer in 1917 and established the UKs first PR firm in 1924. His public relations career included leading British propaganda during the Irish War of Independence; the official response he wrote to Bloody Sunday in 1920 is still controversial today.
About the Author
RICHARD EVANS is Head of Media for Diabetes UK, he recently won Charity Times award for PR team of the Year. He is also an historian of the media and public relations industry, he has written for The Times and The Guardian. Follow him on Twitter: @richardjaevans