In 1978 Peter Mayer, who has died aged 82, was drafted in from the US to rescue a moribund Penguin Books. Mayer was a true intellectual but what made him unique was the combination of erudition with an overarching vision and commercial savvy. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Peter Mayer in 1995, Penguin’s 60th anniversary year, which saw the launch of the Penguin 60s range of minibooks. And during the publisher Paul Hamlyn’s long stay in hospital Mayer would regularly turn up with home-made soup. • Peter Michael Mayer, publisher, born 28 March 1936; died 11 May 2018

Source: The Guardian May 16, 2018 10:52 UTC