 Sykes praised "Brideshead", Waugh's Catholic epic (the two were both Catholics, but with the notable difference—mentioned by Waugh's son Auberon when reviewing Sykes's book in the November 1975 issue of "Books and Bookmen" – that whereas Waugh converted to Roman Catholicism in his twenties, Sykes was a cradle Catholic) though admitting to his dislike of the character Julia Flyte, noting that nobody had then yet identified a base identity for her in the contemporary life.Sykes makes some interesting comparisons between scenes in Waugh's books and those of William M Thackeray - the fox hunting scene in a "Handful of Dust" is compared to that in "Barry Lyndon.