Of all the great novelists writing today, none shows the same gift asMartin Amis for writing non-fiction – his essays, literary criticism and journalism are justly acclaimed.AsRachel Cuskwrote inThe Times, reviewing a previous collection,"Amis is as talented a journalist as he is a novelist, but these essays all manifest an unusual extra quality, one that is not unlike friendship. He makes an effort; he makes readers feel that they are the only person there."The Rub Of Timecomprises superb critical pieces onAmis’sheroesNabokov,BellowandLarkinto brilliantly funny ruminations on sport, Las Vegas,John Travoltaand the pornography industry. The collection includes his essay onPrincess Dianaand a tribute to his great friendChristopher Hitchens, but at the centre of the book, perhaps inevitably, are essays on politics, and in particular the American election campaigns of 2012 and 2016. One of the very few consolations ofDonald Trump’srise to power is that Martin Amis is there to write about him.