BARON/BIOGRAPHER.(The Talk of the Town)(Conrad Black)

Not many historical biographers attract hordes of reporters and photographers to their book signings, but, then, not many historical biographers are also press barons who have just admitted receiving seven million dollars from their company without the approval of the board of directors. "This is a terribly unfortunate thing," Conrad Black, a.k.a. Lord Black of Crossharbour, was saying the other night to a throng of reporters in the faculty dining room at Hunter College who had more or less hijacked what was supposed to be a panel discussion about his new book, "Franklin Delano Roosevelt: Champion of Freedom."

A few days earlier, Black had resigned as chief executive of the financially troubled Hollinger International, which publishes the Chicago Sun-Times, the Jerusalem Post, and the London Daily Telegraph, among other papers. He was understandably keen to talk about his book, which took him four years to write, but the journalists were more interested in discovering how he would get along without his corporate jet, which he has had to give up. (According to one article, it had recently been redecorated, on his wife's orders, at a cost of three million dollars.)

"When was the last time you flew commercial?" a reporter from the New York Post demanded.

"Two weeks ago; it's not such a rarity," Black replied.

"First class?"

"On that occasion, yes."

"What about the book tour?"