Humour Books
Penguin Books Ltd Love Nina Despatches from Family Life
Book SynopsisWINNER OF THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARDS POPULAR NON-FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR 2014 A laugh-out-loud true story of the trials and tribulations of being a live-in nanny in 1980s London and inspired a major TV series starring Helena Bonham Carter.*****In 1982 Nina Stibbe, a 20-year-old from Leicester, moved to London to work as a nanny for a very particular family. It was a perfect match: Nina had no idea how to cook, look after children or who the weirdos were who called round. And the family, busy discussing such arcane subjects as how to swear in German or the merits (or otherwise) of turkey mince, were delighted by her lack of skills. Love, Nina is the collection of letters she wrote home gloriously describing her ''domestic'' life, the unpredictable houseguests and the cat everyone loved to hate.***** ''I adored this book and could quote from it forever'' Nick Hornby ''Funny and sharp: nTrade ReviewI adored this book, and could quote from it forever. It's real, odd, life-affirming, sharp, loving, and contains more than one reference to Arsenal FC -- Nick Hornby * The Believer *Last year, we had Roger Mortimer's splendidly bufferish Dear Lupin: Letters to a Wayward Son. Love, Nina - funny, quirky, vivid and touching - is every bit its equal * Daily Mail (Book of the Week) *I loved this book. What a beady eye she has for domestic life, and how deliciously fresh and funny she is - a real discovery. -- Deborah Moggach, author of 'The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel'Breezy, sophisticated, hilarious, rude and aching with sweetness: Love, Nina might be the most charming book I've ever read -- Maria Semple, author of 'Where’d You Go, Bernadette'Funny, warm, life-affirming and accutely well-observed, Love, Nina is a gift that will keep on giving . . . A hoot * Metro *The snippets of dialogue and vingettes evoke the characters and atmosphere brilliantly . . . Funny, sharp * Evening Standard *Even if Adrian Mole wrote about the Primrose Hill set, it wouldn't be as funny and absorbing as Love, Nina * Psychologies *Like a 1980s Mary Poppins with a sense of humour * Stylist *The funniest new writer to arrive in years -- Andrew O'HaganAdrian Mole meets Mary Poppins mashed up in literary north London . . . Enormous fun * Bookseller *
£10.44
Penguin Books Ltd Spike Milligan Man of Letters
Book SynopsisSpike Milligan''s letters contain some of the best material he ever wrote . . . Collected here for the first time are the funniest, rudest and most revealing of them - most of which have never been seen before - from one of the greatest comics of the twentieth century to some of its most famous politicians, actors, celebrities and rock stars (as well as a host of unlikely individuals on some surprising subjects):- rounded teabags (''what did you do with the corners?'')- backless hospital gowns (''beyond my comprehension'') - heartfelt apologies (''pardon me for being alive'') and the imbalance of male and female ducks in London''s parks. Here, then, is the real Spike Miligan: obsessive, rude, generous and relentlessly witty.''Milligan''s zaniness shines through'' Telegraph ''The godfather of alternative comedy'' Eddie IzzardSpike Milligan was one of the greatest and most influential comedianTrade ReviewThe Godfather of Alternative Comedy -- Eddie IzzardMilligan is the Great God to all of us -- John CleeseClose in stature to Lewis Carroll and Edward Lear in his command of the profound art of nonsense * Guardian *That absolutely glorious way of looking at things differently. A great man -- Stephen FryManifestly a genius, a comic surrealist genius and had no equal -- Terry WoganA totally original comedy writer -- Michael PalinPulls together bundles of Milligan's wonderfully witty and wacky correspondence spanning four decades * Daily Mail *
£10.44
Penguin Books Ltd After You with the Pistol
Book SynopsisKyril Bonfiglioli was born on the south coast of England of an English mother and Italo-Slovene father. After studying at Oxford and five years in the army, he took up a career as an art dealer, like his eccentric creation Charlie Mortdecai. He wrote three Mortdecai novels, of which this is the second, a fourth historical novel about an ancestor of Mortdecai, and left a fifth unfinished at his death in 1985.
£11.69
Penguin Books Ltd My Dining Hell
Book SynopsisJay Rayner is an award-winning writer, journalist and broadcaster with a fine collection of floral shirts. He has written on everything from crime and politics, through cinema and theatre to the visual arts, but is best known as restaurant critic for the Observer. For a while he was a sex columnist for Cosmopolitan; he also once got himself completely waxed in the name of journalism. He only mentions this because it hurt. Jay is a former Young Journalist of the Year, Critic of the Year and Restaurant Critic of the Year, though not all in the same year. Somehow he has also found time to write four novels and two works of non-fiction. He is a regular on British television, where he is familiar as a judge on Masterchef and the resident food expert on The One Show. He likes pig.
£8.20
Penguin Books Ltd Billy Liar
Book SynopsisThe classic comedy of a 50s youth trapped inside a Walter Mitty fantasy-world, published as a Penguin Essential for the first time.Keith Waterhouse''s Billy Liar was published in 1959, and captures brilliantly the claustrophobic atmosphere of a small town. It tells the story of Billy Fisher, a Yorkshire teenager unable to stop lying - especially to his three girlfriends. Trapped by his boring job and working-class parents, Billy finds that his only happiness lies in grand plans for his future and fantastical day-dreams of the fictional country Ambrosia.
£11.69
Penguin Books Ltd The Ten Food Commandments
Book SynopsisA title, in which, the author deals once and for all with questions like whether it is ever okay to covet thy neighbour's oxen (it is), eating with your hands (very important indeed) and if you should cut off the fat (no). Combining reportage and anecdotes with recipes worthy of adoration, it brings us the new foodie rules to live by.
£8.54
Penguin Books Ltd English Humour for Beginners
Book Synopsis''To write a book is hard; to write a funny book is harder; to write a funny book both wise and funny is the prerogative of Mr. Mikes'' The Times_________________________If you want to succeed here you must be able to handle the English sense of humour.So proclaims George Mikes'' timeless exploration of this curious phenomenon. Whether it''s understatement, self-deprecation or plain cruelty, the three elements he identifies as essential to our sense of humour, being witty here is a way of life.Perfectly placed as an adopted Englishman himself, Mikes delivers his shrewd advice - helpfully divided into ''Theory'' and ''Practice'' - with a comic precision that does his chosen country proud. Drawing on a trove of examples from our rich comic canon, from Orwell (Every joke is a tiny revolution) to Oscar Wilde, this is the essential handbook for natives and foreigners alike.Mrs Kennedy: I don''t think, Mr Churchill, that ITrade ReviewWise and witty -- William Cook on 'How to Be an Alien' * Spectator *Brilliantly comical -- Pico Iyer on 'How to Be an Alien' * New York Times *Very funny * The Economist *He is witty, observant, tolerant and sane * The Observer *To write a book is hard; to write a funny book is harder; to write a funny book both wise and funny is the prerogative of Mr. Mikes * The Times *
£10.44
Penguin Books Ltd OK Lets Do Your Stupid Idea
Book SynopsisTrade ReviewOne of the year's funniest books ... witty, wise and worth returning to again and again * i Paper *Funny, smart, soulful and sometimes devastating, this book shows life in all its shades. It made me laugh and cry -- Emilie Pine, author of Notes to SelfWarm, wry, charming, absorbing ... It's the most gorgeous and heartbreaking book about humans and why we need each other -- Daisy Buchanan * via Twitter *Funny and adorable -- Nina StibbeI was reminded - very happily reminded - of Kurt Vonnegut. But Patrick Freyne is his own writer and this book is clever, lovely and great, great fun -- Roddy DoylePatrick Freyne has a distinct and enviable gift for story-telling ... Full of humour and tenderness, this book is an absolute JOY -- Sinéad Gleeson, author of ConstellationsOne of the best-written, smartest and gosh-darn-it funniest books I've read in a very long while -- Séamus O'ReillyHilariously, painfully, Freynefully brilliant -- Joseph O'ConnorWhether he's writing about his childhood on a military base, working in a kebab shop with a nazi in his teens, playing in punk bands in his twenties, or grappling with the question of whether to have children, Patrick Freyne is a writer of rare humour, depth, and humanity. These essays are a delight -- Mark O'Connell, author of To Be a MachineA cracking, sad, funny, honest, brave and hilarious read -- Liz Nugent * via Twitter *No one makes me laugh like Patrick Freyne -- Paul HowardSuperb ... The stories move from breathtakingly vulnerable to extraordinarily funny, and all with such skill and lightness of touch. I loved it -- Louise O'NeillI don't know another writer who could balance poignancy and hilarity with such grace ... Goosebumps! Guffaws! It's got it all. I love this book -- Doireann Ní Ghríofa * via Twitter *Guffaw-out-loud funny * Business Post *A riotous read from the get-go ... An absolute tonic for our times * RTÉ Guide *F*cking fantastic. Patrick is a brilliant writer -- Blindboy Boatclub * via Twitter *Lovely ... It's very worth reading -- Dara Ó Briain * via Twitter *A wonderful book ... done with a gorgeous twist of humour and great emotional insight ... One of my books of the year -- Ryan Tubridy * RTÉ Radio 1 *Exquisite ... One of the funniest writers in Ireland * Irish Examiner *Immensely readable, warm, human and very, very funny * Irish Daily Star *Pixies were loud-quiet-loud. Patrick Freyne is funny-sad-funny. I really loved his new book -- Ed O'Loughlin * via Twitter *Readers are sure to find themselves touched by Freyne's writing ... Delightful * Journal.ie *Freyne's thoroughly entertaining debut is a flash of warmth and wit in the darkness * Totally Dublin *Genuinely moving ... [It] will evoke warmth in anyone who isn't totally sociopathic * Hot Press *A delightful insight into the mind of the hilarious Patrick Freyne * Irish Country Magazine *So honest, so funny, and most importantly, 11/10 for self-deprecation -- Sarah BreenBrilliant ... An absolute mind hug -- Niall BreslinFreyne's radar is precision-honed to find the madness within the mundane * Sunday Independent *More moving that I ever expected and somehow funnier than I assumed -- Emer McLysaght * Irish Times, Best Books of 2020 *
£8.99
Lulu.com Memoirs of a Driving Instructor
Book Synopsis
£11.20
Lulu.com The Total Joy of Travelling on Public Transport
Book Synopsis
£9.31
University of Illinois Press Dicta and Contradicta
Book SynopsisFrom the decadent turn of the century to the Third Reich, the acerbic satirist Karl Kraus was one of the most famous-and feared-intellectuals in Europe. This title provides an introductory essay on Kraus' life and milieu and annotations that clarify many of Kraus' literary and sociohistorical allusions.Trade Review"McVity's volume is ... important both as translation and as evidence that Kraus can be translated... Others ... have tried their hand at translating the aphorisms, but McVity is the most ambitious... McVity masterfully preserves the flavor, spirit, meaning, and intent of the original." -- Choice "McVity takes the refreshing view that translation is an opportunity rather than an impossibility, and he has some wonderfully inventive equivalents for Kraus's wordplay." -- Michael Wood, London Review of Books "These 9l8 aphorisms, courageously translated by John McVity, reveal Kraus in all his truculent, rebarbative, crap-cutting glory. Like postcards lost in the dead-letter office for the better part of a century, they call up a world no longer our own and yet manage to speak with surprising frequency to many of our most abiding concerns." - Martin Jay, author of Cultural Semantics: Keywords of Our Time "McVity has done the seemingly impossible: translate the complex and quirky wisdoms of one of the greatest twentieth-century masters of the German language into an English that is not only coherent but lets the brilliance of the original shine through." - Fred Viebahn, University of Virginia "The volume includes, for the first time in English, the entire text of Kraus's first book of aphorisms... For all of Kraus's political intricacies, 'the most painful part' of translating his work into modern English ... is capturing his ingenious and assiduous wordplay." -- Aaron Retica, Lingua Franca.
£28.80
University of Illinois Press Dirty Jokes and Bawdy Songs
Book SynopsisCollector of sexual folklore. Cataloger of erotica. Tireless social critic. Gershon Legman's singular, disreputable resume made him a counter-cultural touchstone during his forty-year exile in France. Despite his obscurity today, Legman's prescient work and passion for the prurient laid the groundwork for our contemporary study of the forbidden. Susan G. Davis follows the life and times of the figure driven to share what he found in civilization's secret libraries. Self-taught and fiercely unaffiliated, Legman collected the risqué on street corners and in theaters and dug it out of little-known archives. If the sexual humor he uncovered often used laughter to disguise hostility and fear, he still believed it indispensable to the human experience. Davis reveals Legman in all his prickly, provocative complexity as an outrageous nonconformist thundering at a wrong-headed world while reveling in conflict, violating laws and boundaries with equal abandon, and pursuing love and improbable adTrade Review"A more difficult subject is hard to imagine—a self-taught, little-known, irascible scholar who with little support and great opposition delved into some of the darkest corners of culture. Yet this remarkable and utterly engaging biography is the epic story of an unlikely hero as well as a lesson in just how much one person can accomplish in one lifetime. It also evokes an era, one uncomfortably like our own, in which scholars, theologians, politicians, and police wrestle with the unresolved issues of love and death."--John Szwed, author of Billie Holiday: The Musician and the Myth "A vigorous. . . intellectual biography of [Legman's] peculiar, relentless career." --Times Literary SupplementTable of ContentsList of Illustrations List of Abbreviations Acknowledgements Preface Introduction Chapter One: The Stranger Chapter Two: Sex Researcher Chapter Three: Kinsey's Bibliographer Chapter Four: Love & Death Chapter 5: Neurotica Chapter Six: Advanced Studies Chapter Seven: "The Ballad" and The Horn Book Chapter Eight: The Key to the Fields Chapter Nine: The Hell Drawer Chapter Ten: Under Mt. Cheiron List of Works Consulted Unpublished Works Interviews Archives of Papers and Letters
£77.35
MO - University of Illinois Press Mr. Dooley in Peace and in War
Book SynopsisThis reprint makes one of America's greatest humorists--and one of America's greatest humorous characters--available again to the public.Trade Review"It is a disgrace to American scholarship that [Dunne] is not studied, and thus republished and enjoyed on a par with Mark Twain and Ambrose Bierce." -- Jacques Barzun, From Dawn to Decadence
£17.09
Indiana University Press Communist Daze
Book SynopsisTrade Review"To understand the confusing reality of Russia today, it helps to recall the 'bad-old-days' of the late, unlamented Soviet Union. This warm, touching and occasionally hilarious book can assist those recollections." -Michael Medved, nationally syndicated radio show host "In this memoir, a pediatrician describes his work in a Moldovan village; Vladimir A. Tsesis's stories are darkly funny and reveal much about the poverty, drunkenness, political corruption, anti-Semitism, and fundamental absurdity of rural life in the Soviet 1960s." -Deborah A. Field, author of Private Life and Communist Morality in Khrushchev's RussiaTable of ContentsAcknowledgmentsPreface: September 1964BeginningsPotemkin Profession Hard Lives and Few ChoicesJust One More DrinkSecretsThe Party's PartyThe Longest Shortest Parade in the Soviet UnionHow Much Do You Really Want That Vacation, Vladimir?WindmillsMilkThe WanderersDeath in a FamilyThe Great ChaseKGB Daughters, and Why Not to Treat ThemThe West Meets the BestThe Incredibly Shrinking CropA Frosty Farewell One Joke Too ManyEndings
£14.24
Indiana University Press Communist Daze
Book SynopsisTrade Review"To understand the confusing reality of Russia today, it helps to recall the 'bad-old-days' of the late, unlamented Soviet Union. This warm, touching and occasionally hilarious book can assist those recollections." -Michael Medved, nationally syndicated radio show host "In this memoir, a pediatrician describes his work in a Moldovan village; Vladimir A. Tsesis's stories are darkly funny and reveal much about the poverty, drunkenness, political corruption, anti-Semitism, and fundamental absurdity of rural life in the Soviet 1960s." -Deborah A. Field, author of Private Life and Communist Morality in Khrushchev's RussiaTable of ContentsAcknowledgmentsPreface: September 1964BeginningsPotemkin Profession Hard Lives and Few ChoicesJust One More DrinkSecretsThe Party's PartyThe Longest Shortest Parade in the Soviet UnionHow Much Do You Really Want That Vacation, Vladimir?WindmillsMilkThe WanderersDeath in a FamilyThe Great ChaseKGB Daughters, and Why Not to Treat ThemThe West Meets the BestThe Incredibly Shrinking CropA Frosty Farewell One Joke Too ManyEndings
£45.00
Indiana University Press The Crazy Wonderful Things Kids Say
Book SynopsisTable of ContentsPreface (Edward J. Saltzman)IntroductionTales from the Examining Room The Singing Doctor Those Awful Nasty Shots The Little Wise Ones Little Patients with Little Patience The Joys of School Brothers and Sisters Through the Generations The Good Doctor The Poor Parents Taking Good Care Growing UpPracticing PediatricsFarewell (Elizabeth M. Tanis)Looking Back—and Forward
£15.19
Indiana University Press The First Book of Jewish Jokes
Book SynopsisTrade ReviewAs a reference text, both Oring's analysis and Lang's translation will prove to be invaluable to scholars looking for the etiology of a certain comic trope, or those trying to trace the history of certain comedic ideas. * Reading Religion *Oring . . . provides readers with an opportunity to test his ideas about Jewish jokes on a rich set of empirical material. Going back to one of the first known sources of Jewish jokes, he helps us to trace their genesis. * European Journal of Humour Research *The First Book of Jewish Jokes is an interesting hybrid: a joke book that offers a glimpse of what was considered funny in the past and two excellent essays by Oring that place the jokes into historical context. Readers interested in Jewish folklore and those curious about the nature of Jewish humor in the 19th century will find this work of interest. * The Reporter Group *The title The First Book of Jewish Jokes may seem to indicate that this book is a joke collection. It is, but it is also a complex, demanding work, rich in context and interpretation, engaging and compelling. -- Steve Siporin * Folklore *All told, this is an excellent piece of scholarship. . . it can serve as a capstone to Elliott Oring's lifetime project on understanding the joke and the Jewish joke in particular. * Western Folklore *The present volume contains a complete critical edition of both works, translated from the German by Michaela Lang and annotated with analogs from other Jewish joke collections. Elliott Oring has added a concordance of texts that Büschenthal took from Ascher and two lengthy introductory chapters discussing the collection and its author and describing the social and political life of European Jews in Büschenthal's day. . . . Perhaps the most significant question that Oring addresses in this work is this: "Why did Jews adopt the joke genre as a symbol of their nationhood" (7)? Büschenthal's project was meant, as his subtitle put it, as "a contribution to the characterization of the Jewish nation," intended to both showcase Jewish distinctiveness and humanize their image. -- Moira Marsh * Journal of Folklore Research *Table of ContentsForewordAcknowledgmentsPart I: Introduction1. On Jewish Jokes and the Collection of Lippmann Moses Büschenthal2. The Jews in the Century of BüschenthalPart II: The Texts3. Collection of Witty Notions from Jews as a Contribution to the Characterization of the Jewish Nation / L. M. Büschenthal4. Selections from The Friend of the Jews or Selected Anecdotes, Pranks, and Notions of the Children of Israel / Judas AscherAppendix I: Büschenthal Texts Taken from Judas Ascher, Der JudenfreundAppendix II: Sources of Joke AnalogsList of ReferencesIndex
£48.60
Indiana University Press The First Book of Jewish Jokes
Book SynopsisTrade ReviewAs a reference text, both Oring's analysis and Lang's translation will prove to be invaluable to scholars looking for the etiology of a certain comic trope, or those trying to trace the history of certain comedic ideas. * Reading Religion *Oring . . . provides readers with an opportunity to test his ideas about Jewish jokes on a rich set of empirical material. Going back to one of the first known sources of Jewish jokes, he helps us to trace their genesis. * European Journal of Humour Research *The First Book of Jewish Jokes is an interesting hybrid: a joke book that offers a glimpse of what was considered funny in the past and two excellent essays by Oring that place the jokes into historical context. Readers interested in Jewish folklore and those curious about the nature of Jewish humor in the 19th century will find this work of interest. * The Reporter Group *The title The First Book of Jewish Jokes may seem to indicate that this book is a joke collection. It is, but it is also a complex, demanding work, rich in context and interpretation, engaging and compelling. -- Steve Siporin * Folklore *All told, this is an excellent piece of scholarship. . . it can serve as a capstone to Elliott Oring's lifetime project on understanding the joke and the Jewish joke in particular. * Western Folklore *The present volume contains a complete critical edition of both works, translated from the German by Michaela Lang and annotated with analogs from other Jewish joke collections. Elliott Oring has added a concordance of texts that Büschenthal took from Ascher and two lengthy introductory chapters discussing the collection and its author and describing the social and political life of European Jews in Büschenthal's day. . . . Perhaps the most significant question that Oring addresses in this work is this: "Why did Jews adopt the joke genre as a symbol of their nationhood" (7)? Büschenthal's project was meant, as his subtitle put it, as "a contribution to the characterization of the Jewish nation," intended to both showcase Jewish distinctiveness and humanize their image. -- Moira Marsh * Journal of Folklore Research *Table of ContentsForewordAcknowledgmentsPart I: Introduction1. On Jewish Jokes and the Collection of Lippmann Moses Büschenthal2. The Jews in the Century of BüschenthalPart II: The Texts3. Collection of Witty Notions from Jews as a Contribution to the Characterization of the Jewish Nation / L. M. Büschenthal4. Selections from The Friend of the Jews or Selected Anecdotes, Pranks, and Notions of the Children of Israel / Judas AscherAppendix I: Büschenthal Texts Taken from Judas Ascher, Der JudenfreundAppendix II: Sources of Joke AnalogsList of ReferencesIndex
£18.89
Indiana University Press Antisemitism in Film Comedy in Nazi Germany
Book SynopsisTrade ReviewAntisemitism in Film Comedy in Nazi Germany offers an intriguing point of departure for future inquiries into the functions of coded antisemitism in mainstream Western culture today. -- Ofer Ashkenazi- The Hebrew University of Jerusalem * Antisemitism Studies *
£59.50
Indiana University Press Antisemitism in Film Comedy in Nazi Germany
Book SynopsisTrade ReviewAntisemitism in Film Comedy in Nazi Germany offers an intriguing point of departure for future inquiries into the functions of coded antisemitism in mainstream Western culture today. -- Ofer Ashkenazi- The Hebrew University of Jerusalem * Antisemitism Studies *
£25.19
Indiana University Press The Faculty Lounge
Book SynopsisTrade Review"During the earliest (and bleakest) days of the COVID pandemic, Philipp Stelzel buoyed the spirits of academics on Twitter and beyond with witty cocktail recipes and the promise of future conviviality. His sly critiques of academic power structures were the briny olive in everyone's martini, that little boost that helped bad times go down easier. Enjoy this book – The Dear Committee Members of drinking — while gleefully ignoring the mounting avalanche in your inbox."—Monica Black, Professor of History, University of Tennessee, Knoxville"What The Faculty Lounge offers to our collective fields of inquiry is nothing short of groundbreaking. By laying bare the challenges of a career in higher education, Philipp Stelzel has created a space for everyone from the academy – faculty, staff, students, and administrators – to find comfort in poignant humor. But, what do I know? I'm a sitting college president and I've had three 'Presidential Platitudes' already. I'll be lucky to find the keys to the executive washroom at this point."—James Moore, President, West Virginia Wesleyan College"Philipp Stelzel's top-shelf recipes are the most delicious—and efficient—way to help your faculty lose their faculties. Featuring a wide range of both cocktails and mocktails, this book promises to turn every credit hour into a happy hour."—Lauren Stokes, Assistant Professor of History, Northwestern University"Clever and snarky, The Faculty Lounge serves up a collection of academically inspired cocktails that is sure to delight even the most curmudgeonly intellectual."—Brandon Cook, author of Cheers!: Around the World in 80 Toasts"Philipp Stelzel's The Faculty Lounge is a literal and figurative tonic. Who would have guessed that behind the mild-mannered professor (well, mild mannered with a pointed, deadly wit) lay a bartender and mixologist of such formidable skills? I strongly recommend that after any encounter with a "learning outcomes committee,"reader number 2," or a student asking if they "missed anything important," you take Philipp's book and put it to work for you, preferably repeatedly. You won't be sorry!"—Benjamin Hett - Hunter College and the Graduate Center"It's a fun read, and the "experimential learing" component of the book – you know, trying out the drinks – is a much-deserved recompense for those chairs that partake."—Chronicle of Higher EdTable of ContentsIntroduction1. For the Graduate Student2. For the Faculty Member3. For Teaching & Grading4. For the Conference Attendee5. For Researching & Writing6. For the Administrator7. Toast Your Favorite IntellectualEpilogueA Note on IngredientsToolsRecipes by Liquor & Cordial
£15.19
Indiana University Press Humor and Power in Algeria 1920 to 2021
Book SynopsisTrade Review"Elizabeth Perego deconstructs the notion that humor is merely a 'weapon of the weak' by focusing on comedy's myriad functions, demonstrating that humor can support and/or challenge those in power, as well as those seeking power. Stated differently, humor can be used to unify or divide communities."—Jennifer Howell, author of The Algerian War in French-Language Comics: Postcolonial Memory, History, and Subjectivity"Humor and Power in Algeria, 1920 to 2021 is the first book in English to examine in a systematic and sustained manner the role of humor in Algerian history and politics. It is genuinely pioneering. It engages with a subject everyone can connect with—what makes us laugh—but this is an aspect of Algerian society that is little understood outside of Algeria and France. Elizabeth Perego humanizes and de-exoticizes a region that has been subject to so many pernicious stereotypes in the 'Western' media."—Martin Evans, author of Algeria: France's Undeclared War"Humor and Power in Algeria lays out a persuasive case to take jokes seriously as a primary source for writing history. Deeply researched, written with a vivid sense of storytelling and keen theoretical nuance, this study analyzes the myriad forms of humor that have been so central to the political vocabularies of Algerians since the early twentieth century. Perego gathers together a multilingual and heterogeneous archive of Algerian jokes, caricatures, cartoons, slogans, bandes dessinées, theatrical productions, and other works. Pinpointing the ways that such forms of expression exist in relation to state authority yet also elude it—fluid, flexible, ambiguous, and vernacular, humor "can be whispered" across just about any boundary!—Perego sheds light on the particular power that humor took on during the ruptures of October 1988 and the 1990s war. In its critical framing, the book helps to break with scholarly practices that still tend to bind Algeria to its former colonizer by articulating a broader vision of cultural references and exchanges. And, in its steady insistence on listening closely to what civilians themselves were thinking and saying during difficult times, this is above all a tribute to the capaciousness, resilience, and often hilarious brilliance of Algerian imaginations."—Jill Jarvis, author of Decolonizing Memory: Algeria and the Politics of Testimony"In this thoughtful book, Elizabeth Perego argues that humour is more than a coping mecanism. Jokes and caricatures are this historian's way into the sequence of violence experienced by Algeria in the 1990s. She offers an intelligent, at times deeply moving, and always innovative history of violence."—Malika Rahal, author of Algérie 1962: Une histoire populaire
£59.50
Indiana University Press Humor and Power in Algeria 1920 to 2021
Book SynopsisTrade Review"Elizabeth Perego deconstructs the notion that humor is merely a 'weapon of the weak' by focusing on comedy's myriad functions, demonstrating that humor can support and/or challenge those in power, as well as those seeking power. Stated differently, humor can be used to unify or divide communities."—Jennifer Howell, author of The Algerian War in French-Language Comics: Postcolonial Memory, History, and Subjectivity"Humor and Power in Algeria, 1920 to 2021 is the first book in English to examine in a systematic and sustained manner the role of humor in Algerian history and politics. It is genuinely pioneering. It engages with a subject everyone can connect with—what makes us laugh—but this is an aspect of Algerian society that is little understood outside of Algeria and France. Elizabeth Perego humanizes and de-exoticizes a region that has been subject to so many pernicious stereotypes in the 'Western' media."—Martin Evans, author of Algeria: France's Undeclared War"Humor and Power in Algeria lays out a persuasive case to take jokes seriously as a primary source for writing history. Deeply researched, written with a vivid sense of storytelling and keen theoretical nuance, this study analyzes the myriad forms of humor that have been so central to the political vocabularies of Algerians since the early twentieth century. Perego gathers together a multilingual and heterogeneous archive of Algerian jokes, caricatures, cartoons, slogans, bandes dessinées, theatrical productions, and other works. Pinpointing the ways that such forms of expression exist in relation to state authority yet also elude it—fluid, flexible, ambiguous, and vernacular, humor "can be whispered" across just about any boundary!—Perego sheds light on the particular power that humor took on during the ruptures of October 1988 and the 1990s war. In its critical framing, the book helps to break with scholarly practices that still tend to bind Algeria to its former colonizer by articulating a broader vision of cultural references and exchanges. And, in its steady insistence on listening closely to what civilians themselves were thinking and saying during difficult times, this is above all a tribute to the capaciousness, resilience, and often hilarious brilliance of Algerian imaginations."—Jill Jarvis, author of Decolonizing Memory: Algeria and the Politics of Testimony"In this thoughtful book, Elizabeth Perego argues that humour is more than a coping mecanism. Jokes and caricatures are this historian's way into the sequence of violence experienced by Algeria in the 1990s. She offers an intelligent, at times deeply moving, and always innovative history of violence."—Malika Rahal, author of Algérie 1962: Une histoire populaire
£25.19
Indiana University Press Any Day
Book SynopsisThe best oAny DayO columns and feature stories by Henry Mitchell, the beloved Washington Post writer and author of The Essential Earthman and One ManOs Garden.Trade Review"These essays have such charm and perfection of style that reading them gives me a greater sense of well-being than the pills I occasionally take for my back. And that is powerful medicine."- Katherine A. Powers, Boston Globe "... a graceful and gracious observer of the human condition." - Wilson Quarterly "His essays are sharp, witty, and sure to bring you a smile." - Good Times "I had thought to begin [this review] with a quotation, but in thumbing through this book to select one, I got trapped for 45 minutes and forgot my purpose entirely. You will just have to buy the book... Highly recommended." - The American Cottage Gardener " ... will give more lasting pleasure than anything currently on the nonfiction bestseller list... This is a wonderful book, made even more so by the pen-and-ink drawings of Mitchell's longtime illustrator, artist Susan Davis."- Michael Dirda, Washington Post Book World "Now ... I can have my Mitchell seven days a week and twice on Sundays without fussing (all-thumbs Mitchell fashion) with microfiche reels." - Indianapolis Star "This is a stimulating collection of essays by a man who had something to say and knew how to say it well." - Library Journal " ... superb ... acute observations by a writer whose sharp eye and grace with words are a blessing to those fortunate enough to read them." - Publishers Weekly "This man's place in the wilder, more creative confines of journalism is secure. This man's voice will never die. This man's voice will resound forever." - Benjamin Bradlee, The Washington Post "A jubilation of a book to be read, reread and reread." - Thomas Lovejoy, Smithsonian Institution
£21.59
ABC-CLIO Punchlines
Book SynopsisThe concept of ethnic, racial, and gender humor is as sensitive a subject today as it has ever been; Leon Rappoport's incisive account takes an in-depth look at ethnic, racial and gender humor.Trade Review"[T]his book will be good source for looking at an important aspect of humor. In defending politically incorrect humor, Rappoport draws on the extensive writing of sociologist Christie Davies, folklorist Alan Dundes, and others but supplies additional observations and conclusions. He presents the sword and shield metaphor clearly: humor is a sword that targets stereotypes and a shield that deflects from them. Humor does not create the stereotypes; it plays with them. The author provides extensive treatment of relevant incongruities among modern humorists, namely Lenny Bruce (for Jewish humor) and Richard Pryor (for African American humor). The discussion continues through more contemporary examples, bringing in an unusual amount of information for such a brief work. Rappoport even reveals Whoopi Goldberg's pre-stage name. Punchlines can be read as an end in itself or as an informative guide to a broader literature. Highly recommended. All readers; all levels." - Choice"No-one will be able to fault Professor Rappoport for a lack of breadth of knowledge and he has mastered the literature of folklorists and sociologists about racial, ethnic and gender humor as well as that of his own discipline, psychology....[H]e writes in an admirably clear way. He has delivered his punchlines well and made out an excellent case for racial, ethnic and gender humor." - Humor Research"[T]he volume is packed with information, with both assimilated insights from Rappoport's own research and also from his wide reading in the research literature on humour... many chapters are a pleasure to read and laguage scholars wanting to learn more about humour research and the social psychology aspects of ethnic wisecracking could do well by starting here." - Journal of Sociolinguistics"The author's hypothesis is that racial, ethnic, and gender humor (called here stereotype humor) can serve a positive social function. He maintains that stereotype humor acts as a powerful force against prejudice when used to ridicule stereotypes and slurs....[t]his book is recommended for the information it provides on the history of this type of humor." - MultiCultural Review
£66.28
SPCK Publishing The Sacred Art of Joking
Book SynopsisA funny, informative book that gives the reader an insight into how comedy works and reveals why it's so easy to get wrong (especially in the realm of religion)Trade ReviewAn elegant treatise on how [the church] could lighten up its image. * The Times *Having worked for many years at the coalface of comedy, sorting the dross from the combustible, James Cary is uniquely qualified to write this book. -- Milton Jones, comedian and panellist on BBC2’s Mock the WeekMarvellous potential . . . for opening up conversations and avenues of thoughtful debate * Church Times *[On Death by Civilization]: A wonderful cascade of sage snippets . . . fit to grace bedside tables and smallest rooms in the greatest houses -- Alan Wilson * Church Times *A truly brilliant debut book -- Iain Dale, LBC Drivetime presenter
£9.49
SPCK Publishing The Gospel According to a Sitcom Writer
Book SynopsisIn The Gospel According to a Sitcom Writer, James Cary explores how the gospel looks if you're open to the idea that the Bible is a lot funnier than it first appears.Trade ReviewThe Gospel According to a Sitcom Writer is an unmitigated delight, blending sketches with Scripture, theology with laugh out loud jokes. Funny and moving in equal measure, it dances with Paschal joy. -- The Revd Fergus Butler-Gallie, author of A Field Guide to the English ClergyCary is an accomplished comic writer. His sketches here are hilarious, clever, knowing, and beautifully crafted. * Church Times on The Gospel According to a Sitcom Writer *An elegant treatise on how [the Church] could lighten up its image. * The Times on The Sacred Art of Joking *Having worked for many years at the coalface of comedy, sorting the dross from the combustible, James Cary is uniquely qualified to write this book. -- Milton Jones, comedian and panellist on BBC2’s Mock the Week on The Sacred Art of JokingMarvellous potential . . . for opening up conversations and avenues of thoughtful debate. * Church Times on The Sacred Art of Joking *A truly brilliant debut book. -- Iain Dale, LBC Drivetime presenter on Death by CivilisationA wonderful cascade of sage snippets . . . fit to grace bedside tables and smallest rooms in the greatest houses. * Church Times on Death by Civilisation *
£10.79
University of Texas Press Ace Reid and the Cowpokes Cartoons
Book SynopsisThis book brings together 139 of Ace Reid's popular "Cowpokes" cartoons, reproduced in large format to show the artistry and attention to detail that characterized Reid's work.Table of Contents Foreword by Pat Oliphant Introduction: Ace Reid by Elmer Kelton Work Economics Bankers Weather Ma Outsiders Friends & Neighbors
£17.99
Hachette Books The Boston Drivers Handbook
Book SynopsisA commuter''s survival guide and a visitor''s crash course on the sometimes hilarious, sometimes harrowing reality of Boston driving, The Boston Driver''s Handbook: The Almost Post Big Dig Edition offers expert advice and witty encouragement for conquering the streets. This newly revised edition has tips on everything you need to know-from where to park, how to drive in the winter, how to execute the sidesqueeze in heavy traffic -and everything you don''t necessarily need to know but will love to know anyway-from pedestrian point values (absent-minded MIT professor, 2 points mayor, 10 points) to the best accident excuses of all time. With the latest information on the confusion caused by Boston''s Central Artery Relocation Project, The Boston Driver''s Handbook is as practical as it is entertaining, making it a must-have for the tourist and the Boston native alike.
£14.24
Hachette Books Everybody Is Awful Except You
Book SynopsisA rant-ish memoir by the veteran stand-up comedian and former co-host of That Metal Show Jim Florentine.
£27.00
Hachette Books This Is Not Fame A From What I ReMemoir
Book SynopsisThe follow-up to stand-up comedian Doug Stanhope's acclaimed memoir Digging Up Mother, This Is Not Fame is an unfiltered, uncensored, hilarious, and deeply obscene narrative of anecdotes from the down-and-dirty traveling comedy circuit.
£20.90
Hachette Books A Hard Kick in the Nuts
Book SynopsisStephen 'Steve-O' Glover—social media icon, comedy-touring stalwart, and star of Jackass—delivers a hilarious and practical guide to recovery, relationships, career, and how to keep thriving long after you should be dead. Steve-O is best known for his wildly dangerous, foolish, painful, embarrassing, and sometimes death-defying stunts. At age 48, however, he faces his greatest challenge yet: getting older. A Hard Kick in the Nuts: What I’ve Learned from a Lifetime of Terrible Decisions is a captivating exploration of life and how to live it by an individual who has already lived way more than a lifetime’s worth of extreme experiences. Steve-O grapples with the right balance between maturity and staying true to yourself, not repeating your “greatest hits,” maintaining sobriety and a healthy regimen, avoiding selfishness, and finding the right partner for life. Having built a gargantuan and loyal social media following while establishing a successful stand-up career—all after a couple of decades of dubious behavior—Steve-O is proof that anyone can find meaning and fulfillment in life, no matter what path they choose. Packed with self-deprecating wit and gruelingly earned wisdom, A Hard Kick in the Nuts will reverberate with readers everywhere who have lived a lot (sometimes too much) and are now wondering how to approach the years to come. Or maybe just need some good motivation to get out of bed tomorrow. One of many tips: Be your own harshest critic, then cut yourself a break, and enjoy this book.
£14.39
Hachette Books A Modern Man
Book SynopsisIt is impossible to talk about 20th century comedy without discussing George Carlin. Named the 2nd greatest standup of the 20th century by both Comedy Central and Rolling Stone, Carlin garnered multiple gold records, 4 Grammys, 6 Emmy nominations, and the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. He was the first host of SNL, appeared on the Tonight Show some 130 times, and acted in beloved films like Bill and Ted''s Excellent Adventure and Dogma. Dubbed the dean of counterculture comedians, George Carlin was an American icon.A perfect introduction for new fans and a worthy addition to the collections of old fans, The Best of Carlin showcases the longevity, range, and-above all-hilarity of the master. Filled with thoughts, musings, questions, lists, beliefs, curiosities, monologues, assertions, assumptions, and other delicious verbal ordeals, it is drop-dead funny tour through Carlin''s mind. More than ten years after his death, Carlin''s characteristically ironic takes on life''s annoying universal truths remain thoughtful, fearless, and somehow more relevant than ever.
£13.49
Hachette Books Soul Boom
Book Synopsis**New York Times Bestseller**Comedic actor, producer, and writer Rainn Wilson, cofounder of the media company SoulPancake, explores the problem-solving benefits that spirituality gives us to create solutions for an increasingly challenging world.
£23.75
Hachette Books The Sht No One Tells You about Divorce
Book SynopsisA bestselling author offers a refreshingly honest, compassionate guide to the sh!tstorm that is divorce: falling apart, staying afloat, and new beginnings (whether you are ready for them or not). After 12 years together, 2 children, 10 pets, and 5 properties, Dawn and her partner decided to call it quits. In the newest installment of her bestselling Sh!t No One Tells You series, Dawn tries to figure out what happened… and what happens next. Dawn takes you on her own bumpy, meandering, and often absurd journey through the destruction of a life exploded by divorce. She dodges legal hurdles, irrational decisions, alarmed therapists, random hobbies, and a concerning number of dating app profiles that look like the beginning of a true crime podcast. But somehow, she found herself stronger—and happier—on the other side. Leaning into the mess, Dawn helps you learn the art of embracing Netflix and cry, the healing power of profanity, the importance of assembling the right support squad, how to survive the sh!tshow of co-parenting, and much more. Joined by an insightful chorus of divorced friends, Dawn delivers a true-to-life and funnier-than-it-should-be guide to discovering the unexpected value in the wreckage. What if divorce isn’t just a loss—but an opportunity?
£14.24
Hachette Books Whos Your Founding Father
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£21.75
Hachette Books Acne
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£21.75
Hachette Books No Crying in Baseball
Book SynopsisNo Crying in Baseball is a rollicking, revelatory deep dive into a one-of-a-kind film. Before A League of Their Own, few American girls could imagine themselves playing professional ball (and doing it better than the boys). But Penny Marshall''s genre outlier became an instant classic and significant aha moment for countless young women who saw that throwing like a girl was far from an insult.Part fly-on-the-wall narrative, part immersive pop nostalgia, No Crying in Baseball is for readers who love stories about subverting gender roles as well as fans of the film who remain passionate thirty years after its release. With key anecdotes from the cast, crew, and diehard fanatics, Carlson presents the definitive, first-ever history of the making of the treasured film that inspired generations of Dottie Hinsons to dream bigger and aim for the sky.
£18.75
Hachette Books To the Temple of Tranquility...and Step on It
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£21.75
Hachette Books Believe It or Snot The Definitive Field Guide to
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£13.60
Legacy Lit Bad Lawyer A Memoir of Law and Disorder
Book SynopsisLaw school was never Anna Dorn''s dream. It was a profession pushed on her by her parents, teachers, society... whatever. It''s not the worst thing that can happen to a person; as Dorn says, law school was pretty cushy and mostly entailed wearing leggings every day to her classes at Berkeley and playing beer pong with her friends at night. The hardest part was imagining what it would be like to actually be a lawyer one day. But then she''d think of Glenn Close on Damages and Reese Witherspoon in Legally Blonde, and hoped for the best.After graduation, however, Dorn realized that there was nothing sexy about being a lawyer. Between the unflattering suits, sucking up to old men, and spending her days sequestered in a soul-sucking cubicle, Dorn quickly learned that being a lawyer wasn''t everything Hollywood made it out to be. Oh, and she sucked at it. Not because she wasn''t smart enough, but because she couldn''t get herself to care enoug
£21.00
Hachette Books Lame of Thrones
Book SynopsisFrom Harvard''s legendary humor publication comes an outrageous, uproariously funny parody of Game of Thrones, in the tradition of their previous bestselling parody book classics Bored of the Rings, Nightlight, and The Hunger Pains. An affectionate but take-no-prisoners send-up of the massive literary and television franchise, Lame of Thrones offers fans a way of reentering the fictional world they have come to love and merrily explodes all of its conventions -- as well as their expectations of the characters -- to hilarious ends. It may even leave you more satisfied than the actual TV ending of Game of Thrones. In fact, if it doesn''t the Lampoon has really dropped the ball. Lame of Thrones will take you to Westopolis, where several extremely attractive egomaniacs are vying to be ruler of the realm and sit on the Pointy Chair. Our hero Jon Dough was a likely bet, but his untimely murder at the hands of his own men of the Night''s Crotch has made that seem less likely. Will Dragon Queen Dennys Grandslam escape from her Clothkhaki captors and return to conquer the world? Or will she just get left in the desert counting grains of sand for the rest of the book? And what about Jon Dough''s siblings? Will they be mentioned? Probably? Almost definitely, yes? It would be weird if they weren''t prominent characters in the book, you say? To find out, read the book you wish George R.R. Martin would write but never will. The Lampoon -- the place where such comedy writers and performers as Conan O''Brien, Colin Jost, B.J. Novak, Patricia Marx, Alan Yang, Andy Borowitz and many more all got their start -- is ready to serve parody notice to the most entertaining, infuriating, and inescapable cultural phenomenon of the past decade.
£13.49
Hachette Books Workhorse
Book SynopsisBy day, Kim Reed was a social worker to the homebound elderly in Brooklyn Heights. By night, she scrambled into Manhattan to hostess at Babbo, where even the Pope would have had trouble scoring a reservation, and A-list celebrities squeezed through the jam-packed entryway like everyone else. Despite her whirlwind fifteen-hour workdays, Kim remained up to her eyeballs in grad school debt. Her training-problem solving, crisis intervention, dealing with unpredictable people and random situations-made her the ideal assistant for the volatile Joe Bastianich, a hard-partying, What''s next? food and wine entrepreneur. He rose to fame in Italy as a TV star while Kim planned parties, fielded calls, and negotiated deals from two phones on the go.Decadent food, summers in Milan, and a reservation racket that paid in designer bags and champagne were fun only inasmuch as they filled the void left by being always on call and on edge. In a blink, the years passed, and one day Kim looked up
£20.90
Hachette Books America 51
Book SynopsisThe always-outspoken hard rock vocalist Corey Taylor begins America 51 with a reflection on what his itinerant youth and frequent worldwide travels with his multiplatinum bands Slipknot and Stone Sour have taught him about what it means to be an American in an increasingly unstable world. He examines the way America sees itself, specifically with regard to the propaganda surrounding America''s origins (like a heavy-metal Howard Zinn), while also celebrating the quirks and behavior that make a true-blue American. Taylor likewise takes a look at how the world views us, and his findings should come as a surprise to no one. But behind Taylor''s ranting and raving is a thoughtful and intelligent consideration, and even a sadness, of what America is compared to what it could and should be.Expertly balancing humor, outrage, and disbelief, Taylor examines the rotting core of America, evaluating everything from politics and race relations to modern family dynamics, millennials
£13.29
Hachette Books Bad Motherfucker
Book Synopsis A fascinating exploration and celebration of the life and work of the coolest man in Hollywood, Samuel L. Jackson—from his star-making turns in the films of Spike Lee and Quentin Tarantino to his ubiquitous roles in the Star Wars and Marvel franchises, not to mention the cult favorite Snakes on a Plane.Samuel L. Jackson’s embodiment of cool isn’t just inspirational—it’s important. Bad Motherfucker lays out how his attitude intersects with his identity as a Black man, why being cool matters in the modern world, and how Jackson can guide us through the current cultural moment in which everyone is losing their cool. Edwards details Jackson’s fascinating personal history, from stuttering bookworm to gunrunning revolutionary to freebasing addict to A-list movie star.Drawing on original reporting and interviews, the book explores not only the major events of Jackson’s life but also his obsessions: golf, kung fu movies, profanity. Bad Motherfuckerfeatures a delectable filmography of Jackson’s movies—140 and counting!—and also includes new movie posters for many of Jackson’s greatest roles, reimagined by dozens of gifted artists and designers. The book provides a must-read road map through the vast territory of his on-screen career and more: a vivid portrait of Samuel L. Jackson’s essential self, as well as practical instructions, by example, for how to live and work and be.
£22.50
Hachette Go So Help Me Golf
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£15.99
Hachette Books So Help Me Golf
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£21.75
Legacy Lit You Should Sit Down for This
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£21.60
