This took the form of a fictional diary charting Vladimir Lenin's life from the death of his father to shortly before his own demise in 1924.
[1] Brien was born in Sunderland and educated at Bede Grammar School, and Jesus College, Oxford.
[2] During his career in journalism, Brien worked as a theatre and film critic, columnist and foreign correspondent for a variety of publications, most notably The Sunday Times, Punch, the New Statesman and The Observer.
[3] Brien died on 23 May 2008, survived by his fourth wife, the writer Jane Hill, with whom he had shared an ancient cottage in Highgate Village.
[4] His earlier wives included the British journalist and feminist writer Jill Tweedie.