Who could resist an art book spiced with the outrageous snob appeal of names such as Philomene de la Forest-Divonne, Logan Pearsall Smith, the celebrated connoisseur Lord Duveen, Desmond McCarthy, Clive Bell, Maurice Bowra, Iris Origo, Isaiah Berlin, Roger Fry and the “society hostess” Lady Cunard? In the days of Cyril Connolly, formerly of this parish, and Hugh Trevor-Roper, this kind of high-octane letter-writing was catnip to the more exquisite parts of the book trade.