Bernard Levin

Bernard Levin – Life, Career, and Enduring Voice

Explore the life, work, and legacy of Bernard Levin (1928–2004): one of Britain’s most incisive and influential journalists, author, and broadcaster.

Introduction

Henry Bernard Levin (19 August 1928 – 7 August 2004) was an English journalist, author, broadcaster, and social critic. Over a career spanning more than four decades, he became known for his erudition, wit, moral conviction, and willingness to take on institutions and personalities alike. The Times once described him as “the most famous journalist of his day.” His writings ranged broadly—politics, culture, arts, travel, religion—and he left behind a rich body of work, as well as a reputation for blending passion and intelligence in public discourse.

Early Life & Family

Bernard Levin was born in London into a modest Jewish family.

His father left the family when Bernard was young, and he was raised largely by his mother and maternal grandparents.

Levin won a scholarship to Christ’s Hospital, a charitable independent school in West Sussex.

After Christ’s Hospital, Levin matriculated at the London School of Economics (LSE), studying from 1948 to 1952.

Journalism & Career Trajectory

First Steps & Truth

After graduating from LSE, Levin worked briefly at the BBC’s press‐cuttings department, screening newspapers and magazines for material that could inform broadcasts. Truth, serving initially as a general editorial assistant — a role he later called “dogsbody.”

While at Truth, Levin was offered a column in The Manchester Guardian to review ITV (the newly launched commercial TV network). His early television criticism was bold, sharp, and idiosyncratic—he did not spare clichés, conventions, or buffoonery in his commentary.

The Spectator & Parliamentary Sketches

In 1956, after a disagreement over the Suez Crisis at Truth, Levin was invited by Ian Gilmour to join The Spectator. Spectator he took on a column under the pseudonym “Taper”—a name drawn from Disraeli’s Coningsby—in which he commented on politics, personality, institutions, and the quirks of public life.

Simultaneously, Levin served as drama critic for The Daily Express, rendering forthright judgments on theater and performance.

Daily Mail and The Times

In 1962, Levin left both The Spectator and The Daily Express and joined The Daily Mail as drama critic; eventually, he also began writing five columns a week on topics of his own choosing. His independence and curiosity across subjects made him a distinctive columnist.

In 1970, conflict arose between Levin and the Mail’s proprietors over censorship: Levin’s contract granted him freedom of expression, but the proprietors attempted to curb his support for the Labour Party during an election. He resigned and was soon courted by The Guardian and The Times. He chose The Times, citing that he preferred to write “against the grain” of the paper rather than always aligning with it.

At The Times, he initially wrote two columns weekly (later sometimes more) on any subjects he wished—politics, culture, arts, moral questions, personality, food, travel, religion.

Levin was known for his linguistic boldness, his long sentences (he once claimed to have written a 1,667-word sentence in The Times), and his willingness to range widely across disciplines.

He took a brief sabbatical in 1981–82 after The Times was acquired by Rupert Murdoch, but returned after the editorial ownership shifted.

Broadcasts, Travel Writing & Books

Beyond journalism, Levin engaged with broadcasting and travel writing:

• In the 1960s he appeared on the satirical BBC television program That Was the Week That Was, delivering televised monologues and interviews.

• He was a regular panelist on the musical quiz show Face the Music.

• In the 1980s, he created and presented travel series based on walking journeys: Hannibal’s Footsteps (walking the route Hannibal is thought to have taken into Italy), To the End of the Rhine, and A Walk Up Fifth Avenue (in New York). He emphasized pedestrian travel—eschewing motor transport—to reflect deeper engagement with place.

• He published numerous books, often derived from, or expanding upon, his journalism. His bibliography includes The Pendulum Years (1970), Taking Sides (1979), Conducted Tour (1981), Enthusiasms (1983), Hannibal’s Footsteps, In These Times, To the End of the Rhine, A Walk Up Fifth Avenue, If You Want My Opinion, Enough Said, among others.

A recurring motif in Levin’s writing was his passionate advocacy for good indexing: after compiling an index for The Pendulum Years, he swore never to do it again, yet became a public champion of skilled indexing and the work of the Society of Indexers.

Late Years & End of Life

By the early 1990s Levin began experiencing the early symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease; he also had problems with balance and mobility.

In 1997, his regular columns ceased. He made only occasional contributions thereafter before stopping altogether around 1998.

Bernard Levin died on 7 August 2004 in Westminster, London, at the age of 75. Brompton Cemetery, London.

Style, Themes & Influence

Bernard Levin’s journalism stands out for several traits:

• Erudition and breadth: Levin’s reading was vast—he wrote knowledgeably about politics, literature, music, visual art, religion, travel, food, and more.

• Moral urgency: He did not shy away from moral or ethical topics—inequality, injustice, censorship, abuses of power, civil liberties.

• Wit, satire & audacity: Levin wrote with a sharp edge. He coined nicknames, composed long sentences, and took rhetorical risks.

• Personal voice & vulnerability: He did not hide his convictions, spiritual searching, or emotional stakes from his readers.

• Bridge across publics: He could address specialists—philosophers, musicians, lawyers—while being readable for a broader audience.

His style influenced a generation of British columnists: combining narrative, critique, personality, and cultural range. The “columnist as moral observer” owes much to Levin’s example.

Lessons & Reflections

1. Write from what you know passionately
   Levin’s best work comes when he writes on topics he cares deeply about—arts, politics, ethics—and when he does so with honesty and knowledge.

2. Don’t shy from risk or controversy
   Levin repeatedly tackled powerful figures or institutions—he accepted that criticism and backlash are part of the journalist’s calling.

3. Cultivate intellectual breadth
   He showed how one’s voice gains resonance when grounded in many disciplines—history, literature, philosophy, music.

4. Let personality come through
   He wrote not just as a disembodied critic, but as a thinking, feeling human being—with flaws, curiosity, temperament.

5. Legacy is about influence, not just output
   Though his writing ceased long before his death, his impact continues via those he inspired, the debates he shaped, and the standards he set.

Selected Quotes

• “The pen is mightier than the sword – and much easier to write with.”

• “I am barred … from entering the Soviet Union … and South Africa … These decrees constitute a pair of campaign medals that I wear with considerable pleasure.”

• Of The Pendulum Years and indexing: he joked that he would “rather die … in a particularly unpleasant manner … than do it again.”

• On writing across forms: he believed one should be free to write “on any subject I choose.”