Required reading for political junkies

Developments in the saga of News Corporation's questionable links with Britain's Conservative politicians are coming so thick and fast it is difficult to keep up on who had secret meetings with whom and when.

For those who feel their grip on the background to the political corruption, as well as the phone-hacking scandal, is slipping, there is Dial M for Murdoch.

The book, written by Labour MP Tom Watson and journalist Martin Hickman, is a bestseller in Britain and fairly much required reading for political junkies. Be warned: it is not a pleasant tale and may infect the reader with a lasting bias against the news media.

- Geoffrey Vine