Masud Khan (1924–1989) was an eminent and, ultimately, scandalous British psychoanalyst. From August 1967 to March 1980, he wrote his Work Books, a diary in thirty-nine volumes, containing observations and reflections on his own life, the world of psychoanalysis, his evolving theoretical formulations, Western culture, and the turbulent social and political developments of the time.
This volume comprises the fifteenth to the twenty-eighth Work Books, written in the years after the death of his colleague and mentor Donald Winnicott, and they document the start of his decline into isolation, grandiosity, and alcoholism. Yet, he retains his tremendous wit and sharp observational skills to continue to provide a lively account of psychoanalytic politics and people, high society, and the intelligentsia of Britain, the US, and Continental Europe.
Khan’s skill as a writer makes this second volume of his Work Books as unputdownable as the first. It is ideal reading for those interested in psychoanalysis, history, or life stories.
Salman Akhtar, MD, Training and Supervising Analyst, Psychoanalytic Center of Philadelphia; author of ‘Comprehensive Dictionary of Psychoanalysis’ –
‘Writing about Masud Khan is not easy. He is too controversial, too dramatic, and too stimulating for any author to tackle. Yet Linda Hopkins, the biographer extraordinaire, has given us not one but three volumes on this charismatic and maddening psychoanalyst: a biography (False Self: The Life of Masud Khan), volume I of Khan’s ‘Work Books’ (Diary of a Fallen Psychoanalyst: The Work Books of Masud Khan 1967-1972), and now (with editorial assistance from Candace Orcutt), the second volume of the series. Documenting Khan’s astronomical rise and the beginning of his equally stunning decline, through illness, alcoholism, and sundry outrageousness, this volume deploys his own words as well as astute and well-placed editorial comments. The result is a must-read book of extraordinary poignancy and intrigue.’
Professor Brett Kahr, Senior Fellow, Tavistock Institute of Medical Psychology in London; author of ‘The Holes in Winnicott’s Trousers: The Brilliance and Shadows of a Psychoanalyst’ –
‘No other psychoanalyst on the planet could ever compare with Masud Khan. A man of deep genius and a writer of tremendous engagement, Khan made enormous contributions to the mental health community. But he also suffered profoundly in his own private life, in spite of having received many years of treatment. Hence, his Work Books remain a source of immense fascination, inspiration, and challenge. Dr Linda Hopkins and Dr Candace Orcutt have impressed me hugely with their outstanding achievement as scholarly editors of these important and dramatic diaries; hence, I recommend this volume hugely. Khan has revealed his world in such a gripping manner and I predict that every reader will truly struggle to put this great book down!’
Howard B. Levine, MD, Series Editor, ‘French Psychoanalysis: Contemporary Voices, Classical Texts’; Editor-in-Chief, ‘The Routledge Wilfred R. Bion Studies Book Series’ –
‘The rise and fall of Masud Khan is a tragic story of epic proportions. His Work Books function as personal diary, crucible of his creativity and showcase of his deep intellect and consummate writing skill. They not only offer readers a window into his life and his suffering, but also describe a fascinating world of leading British and French psychoanalysts, whose contributions to our profession have been among the most significant of their times. This second volume of the series shows Khan at the height of his creativity, struggling with the demons that will lead to his calamitous decline. It is a compelling description of ambition and possibility and a cautionary tale of human frailty that should be read and studied for the many lessons, for psychoanalysis and for life, that it contains.’
Ilene Philipson, PhD, PhD, PsyD, Sociology, Clinical Psychology, Psychoanalysis –
‘Masud Khan was a psychoanalyst with many selves. His lifelong struggle to live within the spaces created by his aristocratic, feudal upbringing in the Punjab, originally part of India and now Pakistan, and his adulthood in the British Psycho-Analytical Society, forms a unique narrative within the history of psychoanalysis. In this wondrous second volume of his Work Books, editor Linda Hopkins allows us entry into the intimate reflections of a psychoanalyst at the height of his intellectual powers, and simultaneously into a life haunted by a profound sense of otherness, never fully seen or understood in the West. At a time of tremendous interest in how identity and difference influence our clinical work, this is simply a must-read.’
Dr Steven Kuchuck, Faculty, NYU Postdoctoral Program in Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis; co-editor of ‘Diary of a Fallen Psychoanalyst: The Work Books of Masud Khan 1967–1972’ –
‘Anna Freud believed that no one knew her father’s work better than Masud Khan. It can be stated just as emphatically that no one knows Khan’s life and oeuvre as well as Linda Hopkins. Brilliantly curated and riveting, these journal entries, along with Hopkins’ and Orcutt’s fascinating commentary, should be required reading for Khan scholars and anyone with an interest in the history of psychoanalysis.’