After arriving in London just before the Second World War as a penniless and friendless Austrian-Jewish refugee, George Weidenfeld went on to transform not only the world of publishing but the culture of ideas. The books that he published include momentous titles such as Lolita, Double Helix, The Group and The Hedgehog and the Fox, with authors he championed ranging from Joan Didion, Mary McCarthy, Golda Meir and Edna O'Brien to Henry Miller, Harold Wilson, Saul Bellow and Henry Kissinger.

In this first biography, Thomas Harding provides a full and unvarnished history of this complex and fascinating character. Drawing on author correspondence, internal memos and other documents buried deep in the secret publishing files of Weidenfeld & Nicolson, he also offers an unprecedented look at how the publishing industry actually works. Structured around twenty books associated with George Weidenfeld, and intercut with explorations of contemporary concerns such as cancel culture, the right to publish, freedom of speech and separating the art from the artist, The Maverick is an illuminating insight into what makes a successful book and a successful publisher.