An old-fashioned gentleman who plays the church organ in his Berkshire village should be a pillar of the Establishment, but Richard Ingrams, formerly editor of "Private Eye" and subsequently of "The Oldie", has been its scourge for over 30 years. Conversely, a man who has harried the rich, powerful and corrupt throughout his journalistic career might be expected to show left-wing leanings, but Ingrams leans to the right. He arouses strong feelings: his enemies accuse him of homophobia and anti-Semitism, while admirers insist on what they regard as his integrity and honesty. Gossip writers have dug into his personal life, searching for chinks in his moral armour. This biography attempts to settle the controversies surrounding Ingrams's life and work. It draws upon the opinions of those who have worked with him over the years, including Peter Cook, Barry Humphries, John Wells, Willie Rushton, Paul Foot, Tariq Ali, Auberon Waugh and Ian Hislop, and Ingrams in turn gives his own opinions of these figures.