The title conjures up lighthearted, even ludicrous, images of an elderly man in a grey Chilean general's uniform, weaving his way through the tourist-packed arteries of London's neon heart. But
Pinochet in Piccadilly (Faber and Faber; 280 pages)
, British journalist Andy Beckett's examination of the economic, political and social links between Britain and Chile, is no pleasant day out in a democratic capital.
For Augusto Pinochet Ugarte, the former Chilean dictator, there will be no more trips to Piccadilly or, indeed, anywhere in Europe. As both arms buyer and tourist over the years, Pinochet loved to visit London,...