Charles Neal Ascherson is a Scottish journalist and writer. He was born in Edinburgh and educated at Eton and King's College, Cambridge, where he read history and graduated with a triple starred first. He was described by the historian Eric Hobsbawm as "perhaps the most brilliant student I ever had. I didn't really teach him much, I just let him get on with it." Neal Ascherson is married to fellow journalist Isabel Hilton. They currently live in London with their two children, Iona and Alexander. After graduating with a starred First, he declined offers to pursue an academic career. Instead,... he chose a career in journalism, first at The Manchester Guardian and then at The Scotsman , The Observer and The Independent on Sunday . He contributed scripts for the documentary series The World at War and the The Cold War series. He has also been a regular contributor to the London Review of Books. Ascherson has lectured and written extensively about Polish and Eastern Europe affairs. As of 2008 Ascherson is a Visiting Professor at the Institute of Archaeology, University College London.
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