Do I Make Myself Clear?

Sir Harold Evans is a British-born journalist and writer. The author of several bestselling histories of America and former editor of The Times and the Sunday Times, he holds the British Press Awards' Gold Award for Lifetime Achievement of Journalists. In 2001 he was voted the all-time greatest British newspaper editor, and in 2004 he
was knighted. He is currently the editor-at-large for Reuters.

"Sir Harold Evans' memoir-cum-craft manual inwhich he rollicks - with all the joy and adventurousness of a rock 'n' rolltell-all...Of the truly silly number of hours I've spent with my nose inthe binding of books on the craft of writing, those I spent withDo I MakeMyself Clear?were the only I spent smiling, in search of someone I could readaloud to."—NPR
—Edward Kosner,Wall Street Journal
"Have you heard of Harold Evans? Sir Harold Evans? Of course you have. He is one of the greatest and most garlanded editors alive....As a master editor and distinguished author, Evans is well qualified to instruct us on how to write well. But can he delight us in the process? After reading this book, I can affirm the answer is yes."—Jim Holt,New York Times Book Review
"A writing manual so smart and incisive that it could surely benefit anyone-journalist, student, business executive, legislator-who has ever tried to craft an English sentence and fallen short."—Malcolm Jones,Daily Beast
"Going well beyond the typical style guide's proscriptions against the passive voice, cliché, and so on, this polemic on writing takes the view that "the oppressive opaqueness" of much contemporary prose "is a moral issue."—New Yorker
"Evans's book offers plenty of practical advice for those seeking to improve their writing skills, with a 10-point checklist to encourage a clear approach."—Financial Times
"In the tradition of George Orwell, who said that political language is designed to make lies sound truthful, Harry Evans reminds us how important it is to write clearly. Then he shows how. Those of us who have been edited by Harry marvel at his dexterity in unclogging dense prose, and in this book he reveals his secrets."—Walter Isaacson, author ofSteve JobsandThe Innovators: How a Group of Hackers, Geniuses, and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution
"A timely reminder that precision of language is the writer's greatest weapon. Harry Evans' methodical research and wry eye provide an entertaining lesson in intent, measured and exacting. At a time when public debate is shrill and filled by the overly assertive, Evans gives us a treat of a book that, through the use of practical examples, allows us to bathe in a language of clarity.Do I Make Myself Clear?shows that writing remains the gift of the ultimate explorer. Make more time for the journey."—David Walmsley, Editor-in-Chief,The Globe and Mail
Harry Evans is one of the great -- indeed legendary -- editors of our time. Over the course of his career, he has edited newspapers, books and magazines, which surely qualifies as a publishing trifecta. All his talents -- and irresistible charm -- are on display inDo I Make Myself Clear?It's much more than a guide to English usage -- it's a companion: informative, delightful and indispensable. Do not hit INT or SEND without it!—Christopher Buckley author ofThank You For Smoking
"Read this book before you write another word. As original as it is entertaining, Harold Evans' guided tour of every nuance of our language amounts to a masterly reappraisal of English usage for our times by a consummate editor turned writer."—Anthony Holden editor ofPoems that Make Grown Men Cry


"Harold (Harry) Evans is a writer and thinker of deep and celebrated accomplishment and marked independence, and his new book on how our government hides behind a word it's never even heard of- prolixity - is acutely on target."—Peggy Noonan author ofThe Time of Our Lives
"The great French writer Émile Zola said that his prose style was "forged on the terrible anvil of daily deadlines," but the anvil of journalism is no use without the hammer of a great editor. Few if any wordsmiths hit harder than Sir Harold Evans. From the foggy corridors of Fleet Street to the lofty heights of Manhattan publishing, he has dedicated his life to hammering sloppy verbiage into plain English. Witty, wonderfully well written, but above all wise, Do I Make Myself Clear? should be required reading for all who scribble, type, or otherwise 'word process.' "—Niall Ferguson, Senior Fellow, the Hoover Institution, Stanford
"Clarity and wit have something in common, and it's Harry Evans. He clears a path through the thorny underbrush that stands between us and meaning, and he does it with cutting humor and graceful charm. He certainly does make himself clear, and us, too."—Alan Alda, Actor and Writer