Barbara Amiel, born on December 4, 1940, is a prominent Canadian-British journalist, author, and socialite. Known for her wit, intellect, and unapologetic persona, Amiel has left an indelible mark on the world of journalism and high society. Her career has been defined by controversy, glamour, and a fierce commitment to speaking her mind.
Amiel’s early life in England laid the foundation for her future in journalism. She attended prestigious institutions such as the University of Toronto and the London School of Economics, where she honed her intellectual abilities and developed a keen interest in politics and current affairs. Her career in journalism took off in the 1960s, with her work appearing in various publications, including The Times and The Daily Telegraph.
Amiel’s journalistic prowess was characterized by fearlessness and a no-holds-barred approach. She delved into controversial topics, providing incisive commentary and analysis that captivated readers. Her distinctive writing style and willingness to challenge the status quo earned her a reputation as a formidable journalist, unafraid to tackle difficult subjects.
Amiel’s influence extended beyond her work as a journalist. She held various prominent editorial positions, including editor of The Sunday Times’ color magazine in the 1980s. Her editorship brought a fresh perspective and a touch of glamour to the publication, solidifying her reputation as a tastemaker and influential figure within the media landscape.
Amiel’s marriage to media mogul Conrad Black catapulted her into high society, where she became a fixture at elite social events and a prominent figure in the British and Canadian social scenes. Her opulent lifestyle and glamorous persona made headlines, often attracting both admiration and criticism. Amiel’s unabashed extravagance and flamboyant fashion choices further cemented her status as a captivating and polarizing figure.
In addition to her journalism career, Amiel has published several books, including her memoir “Friends and Enemies,” which offers a candid reflection on her life and experiences. Through her writing, Amiel provides insights into her personal journey and the challenges she faced navigating the worlds of journalism, politics, and high society.
Barbara Amiel’s impact on journalism and society is undeniable. Her wit, intelligence, and fearlessness have left an indelible mark on the field of journalism and the world of high society. Amiel’s ability to provoke thought, challenge conventional wisdom, and embrace controversy has made her a captivating figure and a source of inspiration for those who appreciate bold and unapologetic voices.
As we reflect on Barbara Amiel’s career, we are reminded of the power of journalism to inform, entertain, and challenge. Amiel’s unique perspective, combined with her unwavering dedication to intellectual rigor, ensures her place among the notable figures who have shaped the landscape of modern journalism and high society.
When faced with the inevitable fatigue that comes with the recycling of speeches and the recycling of thoughts in a rather small stream of vortex, I am urged to not be ashamed of recycling.
Barbara Amiel
Outside the walls, among others, is the Soviet Empire. It is malevolent, destructive and expanding. It has swallowed up over half a dozen countries since World War II.
Barbara Amiel
When virtue is at liberty, so to some extent is vice.
Barbara Amiel
The interests of the Soviet Union are in controlling highly developed countries and having the benefit of their economies so that they can run their own inefficient empire.
Barbara Amiel
Since Europe is dependent on imports of energy and most of its raw materials, it can be subdued, if not quite conquered, without all those nuclear weapons the Soviets have aimed at it simply through the shipping routes and raw materials they control.
Barbara Amiel
The same liberty that protects me also protects members of the Mafia.
Barbara Amiel
The world today is divided into the free and the enslaved.
Barbara Amiel
There are, of course, all sorts of other unpleasant regimes outside the walls as well – the military dictators of Latin America and the apartheid regime of South Africa.
Barbara Amiel
There is sometimes a peculiar confusion in the West that equates progress to whatever is recent or whatever is new, and it is time we understood that progress has nothing to do with the chronology of an idea.
Barbara Amiel
Totalitarianism is feudalism in the twelfth century sense of the word.
Barbara Amiel
Our society is not perfect and this will come as no surprise to many of you.
Barbara Amiel
They are feeding the world that will devour them and their children.
Barbara Amiel
By now it is evident that the Soviet Union must gain control of Europe to maintain its empire.
Barbara Amiel
Only a free West can help the prisoners of today’s left- and right-wing dictatorships.
Barbara Amiel
The People’s Republic of China has not yet reached the military might of the Soviet Empire. It requires a little more time and a little more infusion of Western aid, loans, technology and the hard currency of our tourists.
Barbara Amiel
Among those people lucky enough, if you will, to have actually been brought to trial as a political prisoner, several historians have said there has not been one acquittal since the Bolshevik Revolution.
Barbara Amiel
Dictatorships do cut down on rape, and pillage, not to mention sexual harassment, by the simple expedient of sending people to labour camps for life or cutting off their hands without a trial.
Barbara Amiel
Here in Canada, in the Western world, we are inside the walls. Outside the walls are the barbarians.
Barbara Amiel
I have been lucky enough to have had the opportunity of travelling across this country and enduring all the classic situations that go with talking to people.
Barbara Amiel
I have got up at truly deplorable hours in the morning to confront Vancouver’s Jack Webster on television because I have been told that is the place to get exposure for ideas.
Barbara Amiel
In a free world there is, alas, more common crime than in a dictatorial system.
Barbara Amiel
It did not occur to us that the Marxists’ solution was fraudulent or that their vision was distorted, that whatever the wrongs in our society it was not the ideology of theirs that will cure them.
Barbara Amiel
It is not empty rhetoric to talk of the Free World.
Barbara Amiel
Of course the barbarians’ aim of world domination has not escaped the attention of the Europeans, perhaps because unlike us they are closer to the walls.
Barbara Amiel
All share complicity in the destruction of that much under-rated phenomenon called liberty.
Barbara Amiel
