Berlin held a great fascination for the author Philip Kerr, who has died aged 62 of cancer: it was a place where the impact of evil upon essentially decent people was felt especially keenly. Born in Edinburgh, Philip was the son of William Kerr, a building planner, and his wife, Ann (nee Brodie). When he saw a white horse galloping across a field six months later, Philip, by now a trainee tax lawyer aged 22, realised he needed to rebel against the path chosen for him. Though he had wanted to study English at Birmingham University, Kerr bowed to paternal pressure and took up law. • Philip Ballantyne Kerr, writer, born 22 February 1956; died 23 March 2018

Source: The Guardian March 25, 2018 14:48 UTC