Philip Ziegler

Philip Sandeman Ziegler (born 24 December 1929) is a prominent British biographer and historian. Ziegler was educated at St Cyprian's School, Eastbourne, and went with the school when it merged with Summer Fields School Oxford. He was afterwards at Eton College and New College, Oxford. He earned a degree in Jurisprudence with highest honours before joining the British Foreign Service, in which he served in Laos, Pretoria and Bogota, as well as wi... more

Philip Sandeman Ziegler (born 24 December 1929) is a prominent British biographer and historian. Ziegler was educated at St Cyprian's School, Eastbourne, and went with the school when it merged with Summer Fields School Oxford. He was afterwards at Eton College and New College, Oxford. He earned a degree in Jurisprudence with highest honours before joining the British Foreign Service, in which he served in Laos, Pretoria and Bogota, as well as with the Delegation to NATO in Paris. In 1967 he retired from the Foreign Service, and joined Collins. Originally intending to be a novelist, he began a career as biographer with his life of Talleyrand's lover, the Duchess of Dino. He was editor in chief at Collins from 1979 to 1980. He has written in various journals and newspapers including The Spectator, The Listener, The Times, The Daily Telegraph and History Today. less