Though written in Bob Woodward’s characteristically measured tone, the sheer madness of the world portrayed in Fear produces an unavoidable level of black comedy.

Similarly to Michael Wolff’s Fire And Fury, much of the book plays like an episode of Veep: jealous of Donald Trump’s Twitter presence, campaign chairman Paul Manafort – currently awaiting sentence for multiple offences including bank and tax fraud – joins up, only to immediately become the subject of a New York Daily News hit-job, when he starts following a Midtown bondage and swingers’ club called Decadance.

More generally, Fear paints a now familiar picture of a shockingly dysfunctional administration, mercifully incapable – we hope – of doing more damage, if only for its spectacular incompetence. Fear is essential reading for political junkies.