In pictures: Biographer Tom Bower and the subjects of his books

Tom Bower Photograph: Guardian

Richard Desmond. Bower has written a biography of the Daily Express owner, provisionally entitled Rough Trader, that has yet to be published Photograph: Getty

Conrad Black and Barbara Amiel: a paragraph in Bower's book about the jailed former Daily Telegraph owner and his wife, Conrad and Lady Black: Dancing on the Edge, prompted a libel action from Richard Desmond Photograph: Getty

Gordon Brown: Bower was heavily critical of the then chancellor’s economic record in a biography first published when Tony Blair was prime minister Photograph: Reuters

Geoffrey Robinson: former paymaster-general was focused on by Bower in his book The Paymaster: Geoffrey Robinson, Maxwell and New Labour Photograph: Press Association

The Paymaster: Geoffrey Robinson, Maxwell and New Labour Photograph: Public domain

Richard Branson. He described Bower's biography Branson thus: 'What I have read has offended me on every single level ... it is a foul, foul piece of work from the first words to the last - really rotten, nasty stuff.' Photograph: Reuters

Branson, the book that upset Branson Photograph: Public domain

Robert Maxwell was the subject of Bower's biography Maxwell: the Outsider Photograph: Rex Features

Tiny Rowland, who Bower wrote about in his 1993 book Tiny Rowland: a Rebel Tycoon Photograph: Press Association

Mohamed Al Fayed. The Guardian described Bower's Fayed: the Unauthorized Biography as 'an unforgettable demolition job' Photograph: Press Association

Fayed: The Unauthorized Biography Photograph: Public domain