--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: [The biographer] must be as ruthless as a…" description: "\"[The biographer] must be as ruthless as a board meeting smelling out embezzlement, as suspicious as a secret agent riding the Simplon-Orient Express, a..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e6/paul-murray-kendall-84400_agents_the-biographer-must-be-as-ruthless-as-a_1932148.jpg" --- # \[The biographer\] must be as ruthless as a board meeting… ![“[The biographer] must be as ruthless as a board meeting smelling out embezzlement, as suspicious as a secret agent riding the Simplon-Orient Express, as cold-eyed as a pawnbroker viewing a leaky concertina.” quote by Paul Murray Kendall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e6/paul-murray-kendall-84400_agents_the-biographer-must-be-as-ruthless-as-a_1932148.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e6/paul-murray-kendall-84400_agents_the-biographer-must-be-as-ruthless-as-a_1932148.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e6/paul-murray-kendall-84400_agents_the-biographer-must-be-as-ruthless-as-a_1932148.jpg) > “\[The biographer\] must be as ruthless as a board meeting smelling out embezzlement, as suspicious as a secret agent riding the Simplon-Orient Express, as cold-eyed as a pawnbroker viewing a leaky concertina.” Paul Murray Kendall ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Biographers must be relentless, suspicious, and unemotional, like investigators uncovering hidden truths. **In simple terms:** Biographers need sharp, objective scrutiny. Key Takeaway Apply investigative rigor to storytelling. Themes history investigation objectivity Mood analytical detached Type historical professional When to use this quote - historical research - legal investigations - documentary filmmaking - academic writing Key Concepts biography journalism Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance truth and compassion? - What methods reveal hidden facts? A Different Perspective Objectivity can clash with empathy. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Board meetings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/board-meetings/) [Cold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cold/) [Embezzlement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/embezzlement/) [Meetings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meetings/) [Riding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/riding/) [Secret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secret/) [Secret agent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secret-agent/) [Suspicious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suspicious/) ## Related quotes > [Sovereignty inheres in the right to issue money. And the American sovereignty belongs by right to the people, and their representatives in Congress have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-pound/sovereignty-inheres-in-the-right-to-issue-money-and-the-american/) [Ezra Pound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-pound/) > [“Stolen oranges also have Vitamin C. 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