Following on from your fine obituary of David Butler (9 November) and, of course, Michael Crick’s wonderful 2018 Sultan of Swing: The Life of David Butler, I would like to add to the affectionate portrait from the perspective of one of a long list of David’s co-authors.
The Butler name opened all doors and it was a pleasure and a privilege to sit in on interviews with politicians and party officials – many of whom David had taught. He was a great puncturer of pomposity – though done always with amused tenderness. And, although his own writing process may have slowed down a little by the time I had the privilege of working with him, he was a stickler for deadlines (our children were greatly amused by David’s peremptory telephone style: “Is Martin there? It’s an emergency!”).
