Reportage, journalism or collected columns Books

Book SynopsisGeorge Bernard Shaw's Major Cultural Essays introduces readers to the wealth and diversity of Shaw's cultural writings from across the breadth of his professional life, beginning around 1890 and ending in 1950.Table of ContentsIntroduction Note on the Text Select Bibliography Chronology Major Cultural Essays The Quintessence of Ibsenism The Sanity of Art The Perfect Wagnerite A Preface Selections from the Preface to Three Plays by Brieux Shorter Essays and Reviews 11 June 1890 11 October 1893 1 August 1894 and 8 August 1894 The Case for the Critic-Dramatist The Late Censor Church and Stage Nietzsche in English Maddox Brown, Watts, and Ibsen The Board School Henry Irving and Ellen Terry Edgar Allen Poe Rodin Mr. Arnold Bennett Thinks Play-Writing Easier than Novel Writing Oscar Wilde Selections from Ruskin's Politics Keats Tolstoy: Tragedian or Comedian Beethoven's Centenary Am I an Educated Person? The Play of Ideas Explanatory Notes

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Book Synopsis'An indispensable voice of and for this moment' Timothy Snyder, author of On Tyranny Many of us are consumed by news cycles reporting on Trump's latest astonishing policy or declaration, and the overwhelming sense we have is one of confusion and incredulity - how could this be happening? As the 2020 US Presidential race takes shape, SURVIVING AUTOCRACY provides an indispensable overview of the calamitous trajectory of the past few years. Drawing on her Soviet childhood and two decades covering the resurgence of totalitarianism in Russia, acclaimed New Yorker journalist and prize-winning author Masha Gessen links together seemingly disparate elements of Trump's regime to offer a roadmap for understanding Trump's approach, policies and ultimate aims. Highlighting an inventory of ravages to liberal democracy, including the corrosion of the media, the justice system and cultural norms, she posits that America is in the throws of an autocratic attempt. Gessen's penetrating analysis offers a new political discourse to replace that which has been so thoroughly degraded, and with it, a clearer path to action. Manifesto-like, Surviving Autocracy is threaded with solutions to the current situation, such as developing a political language that encompasses autocratic impulses, a more agile and honest media, and a visionary moral politics to counter Trump's extraordinary on-going assault.

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Book SynopsisOn the morning of Saturday 22nd April 1978, members of an Active Service Unit of the IRA hijacked a car and crossed the countryside to the town of Lisburn. Within an hour, they had killed an off-duty policeman in front of his young son. In Anatomy of a Killing, award-winning journalist Ian Cobain documents the hours leading up to the killing, and the months and years of violence, attrition and rebellion surrounding it. Drawing on interviews with those most closely involved, as well as court files, police notes, military intelligence reports, IRA strategy papers, memoirs and government records, this is a unique perspective on the Troubles, and a revelatory work of investigative journalism.Trade ReviewBy homing in on one man's violent death, Ian Cobain tells a riveting and tragic story but, while doing that, he has also written a precise, compelling history of the Troubles. It's one of the best I've read -- Roddy DoyleA remarkable piece of forensic journalism and a worthy addition to the Troubles bookshelf -- Ed MoloneyIan Cobain has provided a superb piece of journalism that avoids any moralising or analysing from his own perspective and that has a powerful impact on the reader, forcing the reader to consider the humanity of the players but also leaving space for the reader to make the final judgment on who was right and who was wrong or if the whole sorry mess could have been avoided -- Malachi O’DohertyAnatomy of a Killing is meticulously researched and the results are arresting. For anyone who grew up in The Troubles, this will be a valuable reminder of just how dark a shadow we lived under. For many others, it will be shocking to discover what people in one part of the British Isles had to endure in recent times -- Timothy PhiliipsIan Cobain has written a brilliant and balanced account of the ugly war of attrition fought between the IRA and the British state. He traces the interwoven lives of an IRA team, revealing the social divisions, injustices and passions that that led to a brutal killing in the late 1970s. His reconstruction of a forgotten assassination and its reverberations offers a compelling microhistory of the Troubles, and explains why Northern Ireland is still a deeply traumatised society -- Ian McBride, Foster Professor of Irish History, University of OxfordAn ambitious social and political history of the Troubles, drawing on court files, interviews, police notes and IRA strategy papers... Cobain leaves no perspective unexamined... A deftly rendered history that refuses to simplify a messy and tragic period * Prospect *A brilliant, captivating, richly illuminating account of a brutal killing. Essential reading for anyone interested in the Northern Ireland conflict * Richard English, author of Armed Struggle: The History of the IRA *

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Book SynopsisIn 1964 Ryszard Kapuscinski was appointed by the Polish Press Agency as its only foreign correspondent, and for the next ten years he was 'responsible' for fifty countries. He befriended Che Guevara in Bolivia, Salvador Allende in Chile and Patrice Lumumba in the Congo. He reported on the fighting that broke out between Honduras and El Salvador in 1969 around their matches to determine which one of them would qualify for the 1970 World Cup. By the time he returned to Poland he had witnessed twenty-seven revolutions and coups. The Soccer War is Kapuscinski's eyewitness account of some of the most defining moments in twentieth-century history.Trade Review* 'Part-diary, part-documentary account of the twenty years in which Kapuscinski make the telex machines chatter with his unique reportage, his datelines forming a gazetter of the world's trouble spots' Sunday Telegraph *'In this book you learn what it feels like to have benzene poured over you by someone who is about to set you alight. You feel very cold indeed' James Fenton, Independent on Sunday *'As rich and strange as anything in Marquez' Guardian

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Book SynopsisWINNER OF THE AMERICAN BOOK AWARD AND THE LA TIMES BOOK AWARD''Masterly. Brilliantly crafted, powerfully written and deftly reported'' Guardian The urgent and unforgettable true story of post-Katrina New Orleans . . .In August 2005, as Hurricane Katrina blew in, the city of New Orleans has been abandoned by most citizens. But resident Abdulrahman Zeitoun, though his wife and family had gone, refused to leave. For days he traversed an apocalyptic landscape of flooded streets by canoe. But eventually he came to the attention of those ''guarding'' this drowned city. Only then did Zeitoun''s nightmare really begin.Zeitoun is the powerful, ultimately uplifting true story of one man''s courage when confronted with an awesome force of nature followed by more troubling human oppression.''Eggers uses Zeitoun''s eyes to report on America''s reasonless post-Katrina world, Reminiscent of Gabriel Garcia Márquez''s documentaries, this is a true story told with the skills of a master of fiction. Immensely readable'' Independent''The stuff of great narrative non-fiction. Fifty years from now, when people want to know what happened to this once-great city, they will be talking about a family named Zeitoun'' The New York Times Book ReviewTrade ReviewEggers uses Zeitoun's eyes to report on America's reasonless post-Katrina world. Reminiscent of Gabriel Garcia Marquez's documentaries, this is a true story told with the skills of a master of fiction. Immensely readable * Independent *Masterly. Brilliantly crafted, powerfully written and deftly reported * Guardian *The shocking tale of a true New Orleans hero. This is narrative non-fiction at its very, very best * Herald *Shocking * The Times *Extraordinary, gripping * Daily Telegraph *Terrifying * Observer *Riveting * Vanity Fair *

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Book SynopsisJournalism remains a vital, irreplaceable institution in the public sphere, even though technology, political and economic trends, and globalization continue to impact it in negative ways. An Introduction to Journalismis the new go-to textbook for journalism studies.Organized around three thematic sections structures, practices, and change and continuity this textbook covers a broad range of issues central to the study of journalism. These include the nature of news as a socio-cultural construct; the impact of social forces (political, economic, technology, cultural) on journalistic practices and news content; the origin and the impact of journalistic norms, values, and ideologies; patterns of news access and consumption; the relation between journalism and public life; and the role of the press in democracy and authoritarianism. Taking a global perspective throughout, the textbook is grounded in the conviction that we need to examine developments across countries and regions, and understand how global forces shape news, journalism, and the news industry. Supported byextensive examples and clear case studies throughout, this accessible textbook, written by a leading scholar in the field, provides a comprehensive and analytical survey of the key themes that shape journalism. It is essential reading for undergraduate students of journalism studies.

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Book SynopsisA sparkling collection of journalism from the critically acclaimed author of BAD BLOOD and MOMENTS OF TRUTH.Trade ReviewPraise for GOOD AS HER WORD: 'A tremendous and bracing read that almost brings Sage back to life … Dazzling, erudite pieces.' Observer 'A brilliant collection … When reading her reviews, you get a wonderful feeling of collusion, of attending the best kind of party which mixes great warmth with sophistication.' Time Out 'Smart …. At her epigrammatic best' Daily Telegraph Praise for MOMENTS OF TRUTH ‘Packed with razor-sharp observations and exhilerating humour.’ Sunday Times ‘Thank goodness for Lorna Sage’s brilliant ‘Moments of Truth’. Going into a book with her is like going into a gloomy church, say, in some some foreign city: her eyes adjust to the light so fast she can see the frescoes, and describe them to you in vivd detail, while you are still blinking like a mole.’ Financial Times This is writerly criticism – down to earth, incisive, peppered with memorable phrases – and it makes exhilarating reading.’ Irish Times ‘An apt memorial to a brilliant and stimulating mind.’ Literary Review

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Book SynopsisThis comprehensive edition brings together for the first time three seminal collections by legendary essayist and journalist Joan Didion: Slouching toward Bethlehem, White Album and Sentimental Journeys. Prefaced with a new introduction by Joan Didion.Live and Learn comprises three of the personal essay collections that established Joan Didion as a major figure in the modern canon arranged in chronological order so that readers can appreciate not only the qualities of the essays per se, but also their evolution over time. It also includes a new introduction by Joan Didion herself.The stylistic masterpiece Slouching Towards Bethlehem (1968) has become a modern classic, capturing the mood of 1960s America and especially the center of its counterculture, California. The cornerstone essay, an extraordinary report on San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury, sets the agenda for the rest of this book depicting and America where, in some way or another, things are falling apart and the center cannot Trade Review'In her portraits of people, Didion is not out to expose but to understand ... A rich display of some of the best prose written today in this country' The New York Times Book Review 'All of the essays manifest not only [Didion's] intelligence but an instinct for details that continue to emit pulsations in the reader's memory and a style that is spare, subtly musical in its phrasing and exact ... the result is a voice like no other in contemporary journalism' Robert Towers, New York Times Book Review 'Didion manges to make the sorry stuff of troubled times (bike movies, for instance) as interesting and suggestive as the monuments that win her dazzled admiration (Georgia O'Keeffe, the Hoover Dam, the mountains around Bogota) ... A timely and elegant collection' New Yorker 'Didion is an original journalistic talent who can strike at the heart, or the absurdity, of a matter in our contemporary wasteland with quick, graceful strokes' San Francisco Chronicle

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Book Synopsis*Standard hardback edition*The most famous sports book in the world, Wisden Cricketers' Almanack has been published every year since 1864. Home to some of the finest sports writing of the year from the likes of Lawrence Booth, Gideon Haigh, Rob Smyth, Patrick Collins, Simon Wilde, Osman Samiuddin, Tony Cozier, Benj Moorehead, Raf Nicholson and Dileep Premachandran Wisden includes the thought-provoking Notes by the Editor, the famous Cricketers of the Year awards, and the authoritative obituaries. And, as ever, there are reports and scorecards for every Test, together with forthright opinion, compelling features and comprehensive records.There can''t really be any doubt about the cricket book of the year, any year: it''s obviously Wisden. Andrew Baker, The Daily Telegraph @WisdenAlmanack

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Book Synopsis_______________''[An] acutely observed collection of occasional pieces that pick at absurdist life and reveal him to be a quiz, a cultural critic gifted with precise comic timing'' - The Times''Yes, Jacobson is an entertainer ... And he does indeed entertain, but in a way that stimulates rather than simply amuses'' - Sunday Telegraph''Nobody does it better than Jacobson'' - Observer_______________It takes a particular kind of man to want an embroidered polo player astride his left nipple. Occasionally, when I am tired and emotional, or consumed with self-dislike, I try to imagine myself as someone else, a wearer of Yarmouth shirts and fleecy sweats, of windbreakers and rugged Tyler shorts, of baseball caps with polo players where the section of the brain that concerns itself with aesthetics is supposed to be. But the hour passes. Good men return from fighting Satan in the wilderness the stronger for their struggle, and so do I.Trade Review[An] acutely observed collection of occasional pieces that pick at absurdist life and reveal him to be a quiz, a cultural critic gifted with precise comic timing * The Times *Nobody does it better than Jacobson * Observer *Yes, Jacobson is an entertainer ... And he does indeed entertain, but in a way that stimulates rather than simply amuses * Sunday Telegraph *The no-nonsense tone, coupled with a coherent defence of truth, even in uncomfortable circumstances, shows the essayist as a natural comedian * Prospect *Jacobson is one of the great sentence-builders of our time. I feel I have to raise my game, even just to praise ... In short, he is one of the great guardians of language and culture - all of it. Long may he flourish -- Nicholas Lezard * Guardian *

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Book Synopsis_____________''Brilliant'' - Observer''Vivid, hyperactive, combative, ferociously intelligent and iconoclastic'' - Guardian''Splendidly corrosive'' - Independent_____________The Proud Highway is a literary milestone. The first volume in Hunter S. Thompson's intimate letters begins with a high school essay written in 1955, and takes us through 1967, when the publication of Hell's Angels made the author an international celebrity. Thompson's prolific and often profound correspondence gives us an unforgettable insight into the world during the Cold War era, as well as an authoritative introduction to the cultural revolution of the sixties. With a vicious eye for detail and rude wit he writes to such luminaries as Norman Mailer, Tom Wolfe, Lyndon Johnson and Joan Baez. These letters represent the evolution of the original, a singular voice defying an era of banality, and cements Thompson's reputation as one of the great

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Book Synopsis‘Reads like a mashup of The Godfather and Chinatown, complete with gun battles, a ruthless kingpin and a mountain of cash. Except that it’s all true.’ – TimeIn this thrilling story of real-life events, the bestselling author of Empire of Pain investigates a secret world run by a surprising criminal: a charismatic middle-aged grandmother, who from a tiny noodle shop in New York’s Chinatown, managed a multimillion-dollar business smuggling people.In The Snakehead, Patrick Radden Keefe reveals the inner workings of Cheng Chui Ping aka Sister Ping’s complex empire and recounts the decade-long FBI investigation that eventually brought her down. He follows an often incompetent and sometimes corrupt INS as it pursues desperate immigrants risking everything to come to America, and along the way he paints a stunning portrait of a generation of undocumented immigrants and the intricate underground economy that sustains and exploits them.Grand in scope yet propulsive in narrative force, The Snakehead is both a kaleidoscopic crime story and a brilliant exploration of the ironies of immigration in America.‘A powerful piece of reportage about the violent underworld of New York’s Chinatown’ - The TimesTrade ReviewReads like a mashup of The Godfather and Chinatown, complete with gun battles, a ruthless kingpin and a mountain of cash. Except that it's all true. * Time *Essential reading. . . . A rich, beautifully told story, so suspenseful and with so many unexpected twists that in places it reads like a John le Carré novel. * The Washington Post *A powerful piece of reportage about the violent underworld of New York’s Chinatown * The Times *A masterwork . . . In this single tale about a global criminal, Keefe finds a story of quintessentially American hope. * Christian Science Monitor *Painstakingly reported and vividly told. . . . As immigration reform languishes in Washington . . . everyone involved--from policymakers to activists to the undocumented--would be wise to read The Snakehead. * Newsweek *Published in the UK for the first time, Patrick Radden Keefe’s tireless investigation of human trafficking from China to the US reveals the desperation of the migrants and the woman at the heart of it * The Observer *A formidably well-researched book that is as much a paean to its author's industriousness as it is a chronicle of crime. -- Janet Maslin * New York Times *Bracing, vivid . . . Keefe writes gracefully, perceptively, insightfully . . . Without sacrificing one iota of narrative momentum, he untangles a dauntingly complicated human-trafficking operation so a reader can effortlessly follow along. * The New York Times Book Review *Thoroughly researched and creatively drawn (some scenes are highly dramatic and vivid) by the New Yorker writer, [The Snakehead] is ultimately about the risks these refugees took to play their part in the enduring, grand narrative theme of the American Dream. * The Sydney Morning Herald *Brilliant . . . Keefe’s mastery of this chapter of our ongoing immigration saga is impressive. He muses thoughtfully about its many conundrums and highlights how our ethos of welcoming the persecuted gets soured by bad policy and the pervasive exploitation of the helpless. * Los Angeles Times *Engrossing. . . . Keefe’s narrative delves deeply into Chinatown and the labyrinthine smuggling routes between China and America, but it’s also a glimpse into our conflicted feelings about illegals and the morass of America’s immigration policy. * New York Magazine *A timely, powerful and thoroughly researched book. * The Irish Times *

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Book SynopsisA collection of the very best recent journalism of A. A. Gill, 'by miles, the most brilliant journalist of our age' (Lynn Barber).Trade ReviewGill's broadsides, his impatience, his scathing penportraits were, it becomes particularly clear when you read his work en bloc, the byproduct of his desire that we should wriggle free of conformity, embrace pleasure, eat our fill -- Alex Clark * GUARDIAN *Lines in the Sand, a treat for his many fans, gathers the best of Gill's journalism from 2011 to 2016. Ranging from travel reportage to serio-comic appreciations of Savile Row tweed and the delights of condensed milk, the pieces are lit up by the author's trademark literary flourishes and waspish put-downs -- Ian Thomson * EVENING STANDARD *Serene, painfully wise ... glimpses of a loftier truth are the glory of Gill's essays, and they open metaphysical vistas in journalistic junkets or stunts contrived for the sake of a feature article ... His essays - so delicate in their connoisseurship of nature and culture, so tender in their sketches of family, friends and anonymous strangers in refugee camps, so brightly witty and yet so unexpectedly profound - affirm the manifold pleasures of being alive, which is why they enrich the life of anyone who reads them, and in Gill's absence will go on doing so -- Peter Conrad * OBSERVER *As Lines in the Sand, his final collection of journalism - published just a few weeks after his death from cancer, aged 62 - makes clear, Mr Gill's opinions actually held prejudice, piety and pretension to account ... Mr Gill's overriding message throughout these pieces is that experience should be gulped down, pleasure embraced, and conformity shunned ... "There's a basic human need to tell someone what we saw, where we've been," Mr Gill writes, and his dispatches - opinionated, experienced - are told with eloquence and elan, from war zones and home counties camp sites, to, finally, the cancer ward ... Elsewhere, he writes of Lord Snowdon: "His immensely sympathetic eye was often a surprise to people who knew only his waspish tongue." There could be no better epitaph for Mr Gill himself. -- Stuart Husband * MR PORTER *AA Gill was that rare writer, famously able to serve up waspishness and compassion in the same sentence. Both are on full display in Lines in the Sand ... Written with style and ubiquitous wit, this collection of essays is only further proof that Gill's voice will be sorely missed -- Laura Garmeson * FINANCIAL TIMES *I can't think of a writer whose style so exactly replicated their conversation as A. A. Gill. Reading his weekly dispatches was just like being with him in person, which is why so many readers took his death late last year very personally. People - even people who had never met him - felt they'd lost their funniest, most outrageous chum. Opening a paper without an article by him is like going to your store cupboard and finding that there's no chilli or salt: everything is blander without him. Two collections which came out this year, Lines in the Sand and The Best of A A. Gill, showcase him at his finest. Adrian showed incredible courage, wit and generosity of heart during his final weeks. Once my husband, always my friend, he is irreplaceable, on and off the page -- Cressida Connolly * THE SPECTATOR Books of the Year *Thankfully, the late A A Gill was neither diplomatic or sensitive. Collecting together the last five years of Adrian Anthony's many highlights, Lines in the Sand sees him wasp around the world with passion, honesty and glorious, wickedly funny words. He's already much missed * WANDERLUST *The late AA Gill was a journalist who you either loved or hated, but was impossible to ignore, and this is an excellent selection of his writing, spanning the wide range of his interests, from food and television to travel and family. Even when facing his own mortality, Gill was uninhibited and brutally honest This collection does him proud * CHOICE *

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Book SynopsisIncludes topics as useful and diverse as: the perils of bicycle ownership; why Australians - not Brits - need bull bars; why soon only geriatrics will be driving BMWs; the difficultly of deciding on the best car for your wedding; why Jesus' dad would have owned a Nissan Bluebird; and why it is that bus lanes cause traffic jams.Trade ReviewBrilliant...laugh-out-loud * Daily Telegraph *Outrageously funny...will have you in stitches * Time Out *Very funny...I cracked up laughing on the tube * Evening Standard *

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Book SynopsisFinalist for the Man Booker International Prize 2015 Alain Mabanckou left Congo in 1989, at the age of twenty-two, not to return until a quarter of a century later. When at last he comes home to Pointe-Noire, a bustling port town on Congo's south-eastern coast, he finds a country that in some ways has changed beyond recognition: the cinema where, as a child, Mabanckou gorged on glamorous American culture has become a Pentecostal temple, and his secondary school has been re-named in honour of a previously despised colonial ruler. But many things remain unchanged, not least the swirling mythology of Congolese culture which still informs everyday life in Pointe-Noire. Mabanckou though, now a decorated French-Congolese writer and esteemed professor at UCLA, finds he can only look on as an outsider at the place where he grew up. As he delves into his childhood, into the life of his departed mother and into the strange mix of belonging and absence that informs his return to Congo, Mabanckou slowly builds a stirring exploration of the way home never leaves us, however long ago we left home.Trade ReviewThis is a beautiful book, the past hauntingly re-entered, the present truthfully faced, and the translation rises gorgeously to the challenge. * Salman Rushdie *Novels such as African Psycho, Memoirs of a Porcupine and (my favourite) Broken Glass have made his name as a hugely engaging storyteller whose humour, mischief and sheer bravura only throw the melancholy of his forlorn migrant heroes into even bolder relief. Now he, justly, stands among the finalists for the Man Booker International Prize, announced next week...Now he has written an overt memoir, but one that shares with his novels a glorious polyphony of voices and a winning amalgam of frankness and tenderness - deftly carried into English again by his regular translator, Helen Stevenson -- Boyd Tonkin * Independent *Mabanckou is one of the continent's greatest writers and he's getting better with each book * Guardian *One of Africa's liveliest and most original voices * The Times *Mabanckou is, in fact, incomparable * Financial Times *In search of his past, Mabanckou evokes the light and shadow of Pointe-Noire, his "lost paradise" * Radio France Internationale *A literary blow to the solar plexus ... undulating and poignant, raw and poetic' * La Presse *At the end of this journey, the conclusion is clear - the country that lives within him is no longer his own, but Mabanckou remains loyal to his mother's last wish: "Never forget that hot water was once cold." * Télérama *A rich and astonishing book * L’Express *

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Book SynopsisLondon's masterpiece of investigative journalismTrade Review'Written with the smoldering anger of turn-of-the-century revolutionary socialism. An incredibly important and readable book, which reminds us of how economic exploitation must always be fought, that we must always be educated in the lives of the unfortunate' -- Jack London Journal'During my youth I walked the streets of East London, following in the footsteps of Jack London. He brought back, so movingly to this young reader, the poverty and suffering as well as the laughter and tears manifest in the outcasts and dispossessed of our locale at that time. Together with the revelations of Charles Booth, G.R. Sims et al, that book helped shatter the smug composure of Edwardian England, as well as providing a transatlantic bestseller' -- Professor William J. Fishman, Queen Mary and Westfield CollegeTable of ContentsIntroduction Preface 1. The Descent 2. Johnny Upright 3. My Lodging and Some Others 4. A Man and the Abyss 5. Those on the Edge 6. Frying-Pan Alley and a Glimpse of the Inferno 7. A Winner of the Victoria Cross 8. The Carter and the Carpenter 9. The Spike 10. Carrying the Banner 11. The Peg 12. Coronation Day 13. Dan Cullen, Docker 14. Hops and Hoppers 15. The Sea Wife 16. Property Versus Person 17. Inefficiency 18. Wages 19. The Ghetto 20. Coffee-Houses and Doss-Houses 21. The Precariousness of Life 22. Suicide 23. The Children 24. A Vision of the Night 25. The Hunger Wall 26. Drink, Temperance, and Thrift 27. The Management

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Book SynopsisThe first collection of food writing by Britain''s funniest and most feared criticA.A. Gill knows food, and loves food. A meal is never just a meal. It has a past, a history, connotations. It is a metaphor for life. A.A. Gill delights in decoding what lies behind the food on our plates: famously, his reviews are as much ruminations on society at large as they are about the restaurants themselves. So alongside the concepts, customers and cuisines, ten years of writing about restaurants has yielded insights on everything from yaks to cowboys, picnics to politics.TABLE TALK is an idiosyncratic selection of A.A. Gill''s writing about food, taken from his Sunday Times and Tatler columns. Sometimes inspired by the traditions of a whole country, sometimes by a single ingredient, it is a celebration of what great eating can be, an excoriation of those who get it wrong, and an education about our own appetites. Because it spans a decade, the book focuses on A.A. GTrade Review'What sets Gill apart from the upper middle-class politically incorrect pontificators is that he's interested in people (even if he doesn't always like them) and writes in a clear, economical, puissant style' * THE LIST *'His reporting, within the space of a few sentences, can be honest, romantic, awestruck, damning, hilarious but, importantly, never sentimental or patronising' * TIME OUT *'Gill is a delightful, funny polemicist. His prose floats like a butterfly and stings like a bee and, just when you least expect it, lands a deft and lethal blow beneath the belt' * SUNDAY TIMES *'He entertains like a vicious game show' * GLASGOW HERALD *'It annoys, arouses feelings and forces one to confront received opinions. Whether one sides with it or not, one can admire the zest of the writing and applaud its splendid lack of political correctness' -- Beryl Bainbridge * MAIL ON SUNDAY *

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Book SynopsisA wonderful novel and perfect book club choice, The Right Stuff is a wildly vivid and entertaining chronicle of America's early space programme.WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY US ASTRONAUT SCOTT KELLY‘What is it,’ asks Tom Wolfe, ‘that makes a man willing to sit on top of an enormous Roman Candle…and wait for someone to light the fuse?’ Arrogance? Stupidity? Courage? Or, simply, that quality we call 'the right stuff'?A monument to the men who battled to beat the Russians into space, The Right Stuff is a voyage into the mythology of the American space programme, and a dizzying dive into the sweat, fear, beauty and danger of being on the white-hot edge of history in the making.‘Tom Wolfe at his very best… Learned, cheeky, risky, touching, tough, compassionate, nostalgic, worshipful, jingoistic...The Right Stuff is superb’ New York Times Book ReviewTrade ReviewTom Wolfe’, article: ‘You only had to look at him… or read such books as The Bonfire of the Vanities and The Right Stuff to know that Tom Wolfe was like no other -- John Pye * The Scotsman *The hero you couldn’t hope to emulate’, article: ‘Journalism, it is said, is the first draft of history. Nobody exemplifies the dictum better than Wolfe, the cultural observer and social critic par excellence -- Mick Brown * Daily Telegraph *Effortlessly, elegantly, Tom Wolfe bestrode both fiction and non-fiction… a style at once objective, subjective, and hallucinatory -- Andy Martin * Independent *[Tom Wolfe’s] gleeful use of punctuation and italics, along with entertaining asides and neologisms that often quickly cemented themselves into the English lexicon, helped Wolfe stand out from other journalists * Guardian *[Wolfe] made literature fun and bores don’t like fun -- Freddy Gray * The Catholic Herald *

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Book Synopsis With contributions from seven of Mexico''s finest journalists, this is reportage at its bravest and most necessary - it has the power to change the world''s view of their country, and by the force of its truth, to start to heal the country''s many sorrows. Supported the Arts Council Grant''s for the Arts Programme and by PEN Promotes Veering between carnival and apocalypse, Mexico has in the last ten years become the epicentre of the international drug trade. The so-called war on drugs has been a brutal and chaotic failure (more than 160,000 lives have been lost). The drug cartels and the forces of law and order are often in collusion, corruption is everywhere. Life is cheap and inconvenient people - the poor, the unlucky, the honest or the inquisitive - can be disappeared leaving not a trace behind (in September 2015, more than 26,798 were officially registered as not located). Yet people in all walks of life have refused to give up. Trade ReviewThe Sorrows of Mexico describes not only the bloody tragedy of this beautiful country, but also the struggle to make things better. -- Ioan Grillo * Author of Gangster Warlords and El Narco. *Indispensable . . . What is striking about these essays is the sensibilities they reveal, the sense of exasperation, resignation and wry anger coursing through the collection -- Scott Esposito * Times Literary Supplement *

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Book Synopsis'The late Jim Harrison was one of the true greats when it came to writing about food. He combined an attention to detail with a glorious prose style and a massive appetite... A must read.' - ObserverNew York Times bestselling author Jim Harrison was one of America's most beloved writers, a muscular, brilliantly economic stylist with a salty wisdom. He also wrote some of the best essays on food around, earning praise as 'the poet laureate of appetite' (Dallas Morning News). A Really Big Lunch collects many of his food pieces for the first time - and taps into his larger-than-life appetite with wit and verve. Jim Harrison's legendary gourmandise is on full display in A Really Big Lunch. From the titular New Yorker piece about a French lunch that went to thirty-seven courses, to pieces from Brick, Playboy, the Kermit Lynch Newsletter and more on the relationship between hunter and prey, or the obscure language of wine reviews, A Really Big Lunch is shot through with Harrison's pointed aperçus and keen delight in the pleasures of the senses. And between the lines the pieces give glimpses of Harrison's life over the last fifteen years. A Really Big Lunch is a literary delight that will satisfy every appetite.Trade ReviewThe late Jim Harrison was one of the true greats when it came to writing about food. He combined an attention to detail with a glorious prose style and a massive appetite... A must read. * Observer *A celebration of eating well and drinking even better as a recipe for the good life... If this is the last we get from Harrison, it serves as a fitting memorial. * Kirkus *[His] gusto sparkles throughout this collection of magazine essays on food... the result is a tasty nosh for foodies with a literary bent. * Publishers Weekly *A Really Big Lunch showcases Harrison's enthusiastic, funny, and uncompromising views on how to eat, drink, and live well. His tone is conversational, generous, the sort of person with whom you'd want to share a 37-course lunch that lasts 11 hours . . . His writing is bodily, bawdy, sharp. The more we have of his voice, the better. * Boston Globe *The intimacy and enthusiasm of Harrison's food correspondent style makes reading A Really Big Lunch feel like sitting at a table during a really big lunch with the best, and smartest, and most entertaining of friends. * Salon *With an introduction from Harrison's longtime friend Mario Batali, this is for Harrison fans as well as a great addition to popular food and wine collections. * Booklist *Harrison writes with enough force to make your knees buckle and with infectious zeal that makes you turn the pages hungry for more . . . Jim Harrison has staked out a distinctive place in the world of food writing. -- Jane and Michael Stern * New York Times Book Review on THE RAW AND THE COOKED *Harrison is the American Rabelais, and he is at his irreverent and excessive best in this collection. -- John Skowles * San Diego Union-Tribune on THE RAW AND THE COOKED *Jim Harrison is the Henry Miller of food writing. His passion is infectious. . . By virtue of talent, Mr. Harrison would sit at the same table as A.J. Liebling and M.F.K. Fisher. -- Jeffrey Trachtenberg * Wall Street Journal on THE RAW AND THE COOKED *Jim Harrison is the Homer, the Michelangelo, the Lamborghini, the Willie Mays, the Secretariat of words, the peak of perfection in all writing, but achieves Jimi Hendrix solo perfection when he waxes the gristle about our most primordial need and luxury. -- Mario Batali * on THE RAW AND THE COOKED *A rumination on the unholy trinity of sex, death and food, this long-awaited collection of gastronomic essays reads like the love child of M.F.K. Fisher and James Thorne - on acid. Harrison . . . writes with a passion for language equal to his passion for good food. * Publishers Weekly on THE RAW AND THE COOKED *

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Book SynopsisRafah, a town at the southernmost tip of the Gaza Strip, is a squalid place. Raw concrete buildings front rubbish-strewn alleys. The narrow streets are crowded with young children and unemployed men. Situated on the border with Egypt, swaths of Rafah have been reduced to rubble. Rafah is today and has always been a notorious flashpoint in this most bitter of conflicts.Buried deep in the archives is one bloody incident, in 1956, that left 111 Palestinian refugees dead, shot by Israeli soldiers. Seemingly a footnote to a long history of killing, that day in Rafah - coldblooded massacre or dreadful mistake - reveals the competing truths that have come to define an intractable war. In a quest to get to the heart of what happened, Joe Sacco arrives in Gaza and, immersing himself in daily life, uncovers Rafah, past and present. Spanning fifty years, moving fluidly between one war and the next, alive with the voices of fugitives and schoolchildren, widows and sheikhs, Footnotes in Gaza captures the essence of a tragedy.As in Palestine and Safe Area Goražde, Joe Sacco's unique visual journalism has rendered a contested landscape in brilliant, meticulous detail. Footnotes in Gaza, his most ambitious work to date, transforms a critical conflict of our age into intimate and immediate experience.Trade ReviewSacco has produced a series of extraordinary comic books that convey, with unusual attentiveness to the details of everyday life, the impact that war has on civilians * Boston Globe *Sacco is Art Spiegelman's most talented artistic descendant... [He] is tipped to win the comics world a second Pulitzer * The Economist *There is virtually no precedent for what he does... Sacco is legitimately unique * The New York Review of Books *Joe Sacco's brilliant, excruciating books of war reportage are potent territory... He shows how much that is crucial to our lives a book can hold -- Margo Jefferson * The New York Times Book Review *

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Book SynopsisJon Krakauer is the author of several books and has received an Academy Award in Literature from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. According to the award citation, Krakauer combines the tenacity and courage of the finest tradition of investigative journalism with the stylish subtlety and profound insight of the born writer.Trade ReviewA provocative look at the twisted roots of American fundamentalism. -- Will Self * Evening Standard Books of the Year *Excellent . . . a lucid, judicious, even sympathetic account not just of Mormon Fundamentalism but of the seductive power of fanaticism in general. * Daily Telegraph *Remarkable . . . for anyone interested in the wilder frontiers of spiritual conviction, this book is a must. * Independent *

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Book SynopsisI Dare Say: A Gerald Horne Reader is a timely and essential collection of the many works of Professor Gerald Hornea historian who has made an indelible impact on the study of US and international history. Horne approaches his study of history as a deeply politically engaged scholar, with an insightful and necessarily partisan stance, critiquing the lasting reverberations of white supremacy and all its bedfellowsimperialism, colonialism, fascism and racismwhich continue to wreak havoc in the United States and abroad to this day.Drawing on a career that spans more than four decades, The Gerald Horne Reader will showcase the many highlights of Horne's writings, delving into discussions of the United States and its place on the global stage, the curation of mythology surrounding titans of 20th Century African American history like Malcolm X, and Horne's thoughts on pressing international crises of the 21st Century including the war in Afghanistan

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Book SynopsisI've had the unique privilege of witnessing some of the most incredible moments in Olympic history. This book beautifully captures these extraordinary events and the athletes who made them possible. Whether you're a sports enthusiast or simply appreciate stories of human triumph, this is a must-read.' Sir Steve Redgrave CBEDive into the thrilling world of the Summer Games during the Paris Olympics 2024Pairing epic sports photography with articles from The Times and Sunday Times archive, this unofficial volume brings together 100 of the most iconic moments from the history of the Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games.With striking, full-colour photography, rarely seen archival images and sensational reporting on the action, The Times Olympic Moments showcases the moments of heroism, triumph and controversy that continue to make the Games the centrepiece of the global sporting calendar. Featuring the most stunning records, fiercest rivalries and most dramatic upsets, these instants have changed the course of sporting history and captivated generations of fans along the way.The perfect gift for anyone with an interest in the 2024 Olympics, some of the most iconic moments from this book include:Jesse Owens defies Nazi racism, Berlin, 1936The blood in the water' match, Melbourne, 1956Cassius Clay bursts onto the scene, Rome, 1960The Fosbury flop' revolutionises high jump, Mexico City, 1968Terror and tragedy as hostages killed, Munich, 1972Seb Coe vs Steve Ovett in middle-distance rivalry, Moscow, 1980Five in a row for Redgrave, Sydney, 2000Ennis the star of Super Saturday', London, 2012Simmonds surges to victory, London, 2012Phelps becomes the greatest Olympian, Rio de Janeiro, 2016

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Book SynopsisDiscover the lives of some of the most fascinating and unconventional characters of recent times, with 85 obituaries carefully curated from The Times archive. Be they dons, pop stars, vicars, MPs, rugby players or aristocrats, each has marched to the beat of their own drum and led a life far from ordinary.The Times obituaries have given readers throughout the world an instant picture of a life for more than 150 years. Meet the mavericks, rogues and eccentrics from recent history, including:Baroness Trumpington, the codebreaking, chainsmoking, two-finger-flicking grande dame of British politicsMagic Alex' Mardas, inventor who was the Beatles' scientific guru'Zsa Zsa Gábor, Hungarian socialite and actress who made a success out of celebrity and was best known for having married nine timesJohn Lucas, influential philosopher who argued against determinism and had a reputation for being the most eccentric don in OxfordBrigadier Jack Thomas, military police commander who survived a landmine,

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Book SynopsisSELECTED BY THE FINANCIAL TIMES AND DAUNTS BOOKS AS A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023WINNER OF THE EDWARD STANFORD TRAVEL BOOK OF THE YEAR 2024ONE OF PROSPECT''S POLITICS & REPORTAGE BOOKS OF THE YEAR 2023''Exquisite . . . A genuine, melancholy masterpiece'' WILLIAM DALRYMPLE''A journalistic marvel'' JAMES MEEK''A powerful, unforgettable book'' NADIFA MOHAMMEDFrom Orwell Prize winning journalist Ghaith Abdul-Ahad comes a searing and nuanced biography of a lost IraqThis is the story of a people who once lived under the rule of a megalomaniac leader who shaped the state in his own image. Then one day, after yet another war, a foreign army invaded, toppled the leader, destroyed the state, and proceeded to invent a new country. This is the story of a people who watched with horror as their world fragmented into a hundred different cities, as walls rose between them and bodies piled in the streets.

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Book SynopsisA FINANCIAL TIMES POLITICS BOOK OF THE YEAR'Quite simply the best and most powerful book I've read this year' David Peace'A magnificent book . . . beautifully written and passionately argued' Dominic Sandbrook'A remarkable eye-witness account of Russia's descent into authoritarianism and war' Catherine BeltonA unique, personal insight into Vladimir Putin's Russia and the devastating impact his rule has had on his own people and those of neighbouring Ukraine. In 2021, BBC journalist Sarah Rainsford set out to write a book about how Russians who dared to think differently to the Putin regime were being labelled as enemies, foreign agents and even traitors. It was to chart Russia's slide from democracy and warn of where the crushing of liberties could lead. She had experienced something of that herself when she was expelled from Moscow as a supposed 'security threat'. Then, in February 2022, Putin bega

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Book Synopsis'Good writers offer advice. Great writers offer condolences' If you want to be a writer, then you'd better be ready to hurl yourself at the door. That's the message from Stephen Marche in this irresistibly droll broadside. Perseverance, in the teeth of rejection, forms the essence of a writer's life. It's what it takes, so no whining. Even the greatest of writers grapple with failure. Marche's provocative, often very funny vignettes range through literary history from Samuel Johnson ('broke as f*ck') to Jane Austen's lacklustre publishing deals, to Dostoevsky facing mock-execution. The trick is to endure. As James Baldwin famously exhorts us: 'Write. Find a way to keep alive and write.' For new and seasoned writers, Marche's words are salutary and, in a paradoxical way, consoling. All writers are up against it. Success is just an attire.Trade ReviewI was considerably amused by Stephan Marche's short but pungent book ... it contains zingers -- Margaret AtwoodA sparkling cocktail of bittersweet jokes and fizzing truth bombs -- Jonathan CoeMore heartening than a thousand cheery Instagram posts * Vanity Fair *Occasionally when the stars are aligned, someone writes a work as provocative, informed and droll as On Writing and Failure -- Maureen Corrigan * NPR *Praise for Stephen Marche's The Shining at the Bottom of the Sea: 'The most exciting mash-up of literary genres since David Mitchell's Cloud Atlas * New York Times *Stephen Marche's charismatic essay ... critiques the romance of being a successful wordsmith -- Barney Horner * New Statesman *

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Book SynopsisFrom an award-winning author comes a tale of a notorious double-murder, for readers of Truman Capote's In Cold Blood, or Emmanuel Carrère's The Adversary. In 1982 Malcolm Macarthur, the wealthy heir to a small estate, found himself suddenly without money. The solution, he decided, was to rob a bank. To do this, he would need a gun and a car. In the process of procuring them, he killed two people, and the circumstances of his eventual arrest in the apartment of Ireland's Attorney General nearly brought down the government. The case remains one of the most shocking in Ireland's history. Mark O'Connell has long been haunted by the story of this brutal double murder. But in recent years this haunting has become mutual. When O'Connell sets out to unravel the mysteries still surrounding these horrific and inexplicable crimes, he tracks down Macarthur himself, now an elderly man living out his days in Dublin and reluctant to talk. As the two men circle one another, O'Connell is pushed into a confrontation with his own narrative: what does it mean to write about a murderer?Trade ReviewIn the gallery of criminals who have fascinated writers, the elegant Malcolm Macarthur is one of the most enigmatic. And in the pantheon of writers fascinated by criminals, Mark O'Connell proves himself among the most brilliant. It is one of the boundaries that cut humanity in two: those who have killed someone, those who have not. O'Connell roams around this boundary, in this grey area, from which he has brought a fascinating narrative -- Emmanuel Carrère, author of The AdversaryLike all great books, A Thread of Violence is the document of a great writer's obsession. Mark O'Connell draws the reader into a deeply engrossing story, and at the same time into a complex investigation of human brutality and of narrative writing itself. This is a superb and unforgettable book -- Sally RooneyA masterful, haunting book by an author at the height of his powers. Mark O'Connell asks us how much we can ever understand about the darkness that resides in other people, and in ourselves -- Ed CaesarA ridiculously good book. The prose is apparently knowing and smooth; the subject is anything but. Malcolm Macarthur, an infamous, ageing double murderer, exists on every page, in almost every sentence, and yet recedes continually out of reach. The effect on the reader is like being in the eye of hurricane - terrifyingly calm - the moral vortex at the heart of breathtaking violence. It's like watching dangerous dance, a folie a deux, between a deeply skilled and humane writer and a murderer with a high regard for his own etiquette. You want to chuck it across the room and then run after it and then carry on reading, as gripped as you were before -- Sam Knight, author of The Premonitions BureauStays with you for weeks. The eerie, tenuous relationship between journalist and killer lives in the legacy of Janet Malcolm and Truman Capote -- Caitlin DoughtyI read it at one sitting, so gripping was the account of Mark's conversations with a man who cannot call himself a murderer and yet killed two people utterly senselessly. The sensitivity of the work and the attention to language made this book one of the best of its kind and an example to others of how to do it -- Dr Gwen Adshead, Consultant forensic psychiatrist and psychotherapist, and author of The Devil You KnowA Thread of Violence is nourished by a powerful moral intelligence and an enormous curiosity. Mark O'Connell circles the inner life of the murderer Malcolm Macarthur with subtlety and forensic care... Complex and disturbing as well as intriguing and compelling -- Colm ToíbínIn A Thread of Violence Mark O'Connell has investigated, with immense skill and insight, the mind of a double murderer, and in the process has shown the essential mysteriousness of such a mind-perhaps of any mind. The result is a beautifully wrought narrative that is at once frightening and thrilling. A masterly work -- John Banville[A] masterpiece -- Christopher Eccleston

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Book SynopsisAn important and honest book that will encourage better conversations about sex. I wish I read this when I was younger!' - Laura Whitmore'A must-read for anyone whose sexual expression has been used as a weapon against them' Ruby Rare'A fascinating deep dive into the history of slutshaming' - Service 95, Dua Lipa's Book ClubA 'taboo-smashing debut book' - CosmopolitanFrom award-winning journalist Beth Ashley comes a groundbreaking investigation into the history of slutshaming, how it continues to affect us today and what we can do to fight it. Whore. Hoe. Jezebel. Harlot. Slut. Five words. One meaning. But what exactly is a slut? How has the concept changed over time? And why is slutshaming so dangerous?In this groundbreaking investigation, Beth Ashley reveals the truth about slutshaming, gives us the tools to fight it, and encourages us all to have better conversations about sex. The fight starts now.

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Book Synopsis'Revisiting this selection of diaries and essay-reviews from the London Review of Books is restorative, an extended spa treatment that stretches tired brains and unkinks the usual habitual responses where Hitchens is concerned.' James Wolcott in his introduction Christopher Hitchens was a star writer wherever he wrote, and the same was true of the London Review of Books, to which he contributed sixty pieces over two decades. Anthologised here for the first time, this selection of his finest LRB reviews, diaries and essays (along with a smattering of ferocious letters) finds Hitchens at his very best. Familiar bêtes noires - Kennedy, Nixon, Kissinger, Clinton - rub shoulders with lesser-known preoccupations: P.G. Wodehouse, Princess Margaret and, magisterially, Isaiah Berlin. Here is Hitchens on the (first) Gulf War and the 'Salman Rushdie Acid Test', on being spanked by Mrs Thatcher in the House of Lords and taking his son to the Oscars, on America's homegrown Nazis and 'Acts of Violence in Grosvenor Square' in 1968. Edited by the London Review of Books, with an introduction by James Wolcott, this collection recaptures, ten years after his death, 'a Hitch in time': barnstorming, cauterising, and ultimately uncontainable.Trade ReviewAnd yet... there are few journalists who can match the verve and panache of Hitchens's prose. He mixes the loquaciousness of the barfly with the fluency of the literary artist, and could not pen a dull sentence if he tried. * Guardian on AND YET... *The range is remarkable... Literary criticism is often where he shines - the pieces on Orwell and Chesterton, in particular, are alert, nuanced and witty. * The Financial Times on AND YET *What you will find in And Yet..., is a body of work that offers some of the most various, nutritious and amusing prose you are likely to encounter, and that stands as a testament to the consolations of a phrase he cherished: litera scripta manet - the written word remains. * Daily Telegraph on AND YET... *A must-read for its laugh-out-loud consideration of Ian Fleming, alongside his thoughts on Charles Dickens, Salman Rushdie, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. How sad and dull it will be to follow the next American election without his coruscating commentary. * GQ on AND YET... *Table of Contents1: Introduction by James Wolcott 2: The Wrong Stuff: On Tom Wolfe, 1983 3: Diary: Operation Desert Storm, 1991 4: Oh, Lionel! On P.G. Wodehouse, 1992 5: Mary, Mary: On J. Edgar Hoover, 1993 6: Say what you will about Harold: On Harold Wilson, 1993 7: Diary: The Salman Rushdie Acid Test, 1994 8: Diary: Spanking, 1994 9: Who Runs Britain? Police Espionage, 1994 10: Lucky Kim: On Kim Philby, 1995 11: Diary: At the Oscars, 1995 12: Look over your shoulder: The Oklahoma Bombing, 1995 13: Letters: Richard Cummings, Christopher Hitchens 14: After-Time: On Gore Vidal, 1995 15: A Hard Dog to Keep on the Porch: On Bill Clinton, 1996 16: The Trouble with HRH: On Princess Margaret, 1997 17: Brief Shining Moments: Kennedy and Nixon, 1998 18: Letters: Arthur Schlesinger Jr, Christopher Hitchens, Mervyn Jones 19: Acts of Violence in Grosvenor Square: On 1968, 1998 20: Diary: The 'Almanach de Gotha', 1998 21: Moderation or Death: On Isaiah Berlin, 1998 22: Letters: Roger Scruton, Francis Wheen, Mark Lilly, Christopher Hitchens 23: What a Lot of Parties: On Diana Mosley 24: 11 September 1973: Pinochet and Britain

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Book SynopsisIt is a book of three parts: comment; record; and delightful minutiae, which always brings the most cheer. - Mike Atherton, The TimesThe publication of Wisden is cricket's equivalent of the state opening of Parliament. It's another great edition. - Oborne and Heller on Cricket podcastThe pages are stacked full of information, quirks and great analysis of the game, as well as being a wonderful record. - Alison Mitchell, BBC World Service Stumped*Soft cover edition*The 160th edition of the most famous sports book in the world published every year since 1864 contains some of the world's finest sports writing. It reflects on the extraordinary life of Shane Warne, who died far too early in 2022, and looks back at another legendary bowler, S. F. Barnes, on the 150th anniversary of his birth. Wisden also reports on England's triumph at the T20 World Cup, to go alongside their 2019 ODI success, and on their Test team's thrilling rejuvenation under BrendonTrade ReviewOverall, Wisden succeeds again in meeting its challenge, recording meticulously and comprehensively while finding time to breathe and reflect. -- Richard Hobson * The Cricketer *It is a book of three parts: comment; record; and delightful minutiae, which always brings the most cheer. -- Mike Atherton * The Times *The joys of the Almanack are the joys of cricket. Its landscape is vast, its minutia endlessly explorable. It is somewhere to escape to. -- Jon Hotten * Wisden Cricket Monthly *Table of ContentsPart One – Comment Including: Wisden Honours, Notes by the Editor, Shane Warne, Five Cricketers of the Year, Wisden Trophy, Wisden Writing Competition Part Two – The Wisden Review Including: Books, Media, Retirements, Laws of the game, Environment, Obituaries Part Three – English International Cricket Including: The team, the players, reviews, match reports (Tests v West Indies, New Zealand, Pakistan, T20s, etc) Part Four – English Domestic Cricket Including: LV=County Championship, One-Day Competitions) Part Five – Overseas Cricket Including: Men's T20 World Cup, Under-19 World Cup, country reviews, Cricket Round the World Part Six – Overseas Franchise Cricket Including: KFC Men's Big Bash League, Tata Indian Premier League Part Seven – Women's Cricket Including: review, international series, Women's World Cup, Commonwealth Games Part Eight – Records and Registers Including births and deaths Part Nine – The Almanack Including: official bodies, umpires and referees, anniversaries, honours and awards, trade directory, index of unusual occurrences

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Book SynopsisAS FEATURED IN BBC TWO''S BILLION DOLLAR DOWNFALL: THE DEALMAKER DOCUMENTARYTwo Wall Street reporters investigate the man entrusted with millions to make profits and end poverty but now stands accused of masterminding one of the biggest, most brazen frauds in history.''Gripping'' Guardian***Arif Naqvi was a man with an immeasurable dream: to end world suffering, poverty and disease. His vision? Capitalism used for good, progress and profit.He persuaded politicians he could help stabilize the Middle East after 9/11 by providing jobs. He got Bill Gates to help him start a billion-dollar fund to improve health care in poor countries. He won the support of Obama''s administration and was even appointed to boards by the UN and Interpol.The only problem? In 2019 Arif Naqvi was arrested on charges of money laundering and misappropriating hundreds of millions of dollars. He now faces up to 291 years in jail. This is the true, jaw-dropping investigation into the smoke and mirrors world of The Key Man.***''Impeccably researched and sumptuous in its detail . . . It''s a page-turner'' The Economist''This book tells the story brilliantly. . . Well-paced and cleverly organised. It also draws some devastating conclusions'' The Sunday Times''A pacy and deeply-reported tale'' Financial TimesLONGLISTED FOR THE FT MCKINSEY BUSINESS BOOK OF THE YEAR 2021AN ECONOMIST BOOK OF THE YEARTrade ReviewA scorching epilogue... This is tough stuff and this is a tough book that should contribute to much greater scepticism about the bloated financial system * The Sunday Times *Impeccably researched and sumptuous in its detail...It is a page-turner, built around a riveting portrait of the key man of the title. Mr. Naqvi who comes across as a teeming mass of contradictions * The Economist *A pacy and deeply-reported tale * Financial Times *Gripping... The account raises questions over whether 'impact investing' and 'stakeholder capitalism' are less about poverty alleviation for the world than guilt alleviation for the Davos elite * Guardian *For an astonishing story of how the global economy can be manipulated, read the devastating account in The Key Man * David Ignatius, Washington Post *A riveting account of the intertwining of brilliance and greed... Should be a mandatory read at all schools of journalism and business schools. It's a rare tour de force from which both can learn * Business Standard, India *Clark and Louch have done an outstanding job in untangling the knots that usually keep the secretive world of private equity out of reach for most people * Pakistan's Dawn *This excellent book, which is more true crime than finance, describes in cinematic detail how Naqvi and his colleagues pumped up valuations, moved money between the company, its funds and their personal accounts, and lied about performance * Reuters *It's a sorry tale, one that raises important questions about our ability to deliver 'ethical' capitalism * Chris Blackhurst, The National *Spellbinding. You won't want to put the book down * Eileen Applebaum, coauthor of Private Equity at Work *An unbelievable true tale of greed, corruption and manipulation among the world's financial elite and how the World Bank, Bill Gates and the governments of the US, UK, France, and many more fell victim to the world's largest private equity Ponzi scheme * Harry Markopolos, the Bernie Madoff whistleblower *The rigour and colossal effort that went into this book transpires on each page. There is no dull moment. It is 300 pages of reading pleasure mixed with serious discomfort at what is being presented * Ludovic Phalippou, professor of Financial Economics at Saïd Business School, University of Oxford *A rip-roaring account of one of the biggest frauds in corporate history * Owen Walker, award-winning FT journalist and author of Built on a Lie *This splendid cautionary tale lays bare the vulnerabilities of the world of high finance, where even the grandees of Davos were marks for the kid from Karachi * John Helyar, coauthor of Barbarians at the Gate *A highly readable reminder of how greed and gullibility so often go together, and why we need good investigative journalism to keep reminding us that if the pitch (and the person doing the pitch) look just too good to be true there is probably something fishy going on behind the scenes * Professor Sir David Omand, former director of GCHQ and author of How Spies Think *An emphatic indictment of the 'expert class' people who think agility with numbers is somehow equivalent to wisdom and morality * Duff McDonald, author of The Golden Passport *

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Book SynopsisSomewhere in the tangle of the subject's burden and the subject's desire is your story.Alex TizonEvery human being has an epic story. The late Pulitzer Prizewinning writer Alex Tizon told the epic stories of marginalized peoplefrom lonely immigrants struggling to forge a new American identity to a high school custodian who penned a New Yorker short story. Edited by Tizon's friend and former colleague Sam Howe Verhovek, Invisible People collects the best of Tizon's rich, empathetic accountsincluding My Family's Slave, the Atlantic magazine cover story about the woman who raised him and his siblings under conditions that amounted to indentured servitude. Mining his Filipino American background, Tizon tells the stories of immigrants from Cambodia and Laos. He gives a fascinating account of the Beltway sniper and insightful profiles of Surfers for Jesus and a man who tracks UFOs. His articlesmany originally published in the Seattle Times and the Los Angeles Timesare brimming with enlightTrade Review“Alex Tizon is the master of the telling detail that penetrates the surface and makes us understand something or someone—and ultimately ourselves—in a deeper way. Tizon’s beautiful book is as powerful as they come.”—Cheryl Strayed"[B]oth longtime fans and those relatively new to Tizon’s work will come away from this collection with an appreciation for his unquestionable ability to narrate unusual stories in memorable ways."--Publishers Weekly

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Book Synopsis''I''ve never met Danny Finkelstein but I think I''m in love with him. His book is such good company sane, intelligent and witty. He deals with serious subjects in an immensely readable way If I''m asked to nominate my book of the year, this will be it'' Wendy CopeWriting on everything from a defence of suburban life and moderate politics to big ideas and pop culture, Daniel Finkelstein is one of the UK's most entertaining and widely read columnists.This collection brings together Finkelstein's greatest writings from The Times, ranging from the personal with his articles on growing up Jewish in Hendon Central and on the deaths of both of his parents to the political, with columns on how to predict elections, the way political science showed us Ed Miliband was on his way to defeat, and why the base rate of coups meant Jeremy Corbyn wouldn't be ousted before an election.Wry, informed and often brilliantly funny, these pieces zip between Walt Disney, Hilary Clinton, David Bowie, MargaTrade Review‘This is Danny Fink at his very Danny Fink finest: elucidating, wise and intensely curious – always searching to explain the political from the places few other writers dare to go – be it a Finnish ringroad or a Coca-Cola focus group … In this collection of columns, Danny reminds us of a singularly profound truth – that all politics comes back to the messy rub of humanity – the small personal triumphs and the unforgotten indignities. It is his deep understanding of human nature that makes this book funny, warm and percipient. A joy.’Emily Maitlis ‘Finkelstein has the ability to make you smile and think at the same time – a rare voice of calmness and reason in a world increasingly devoid of both’Robert Harris ‘Through the clarity of his words and the depth of his insight, Daniel Finkelstein has been a voice of moderation and reason amidst the anger and uncertainty in British public life. His wisdom has now been captured in this collection which should be required reading for all who seek a better and more hopeful future’Jonathan Sacks ‘Danny's columns are a must read for anyone wanting to understand what's really happening in British politics’Rishi Sunak 'I've never met Danny Finkelstein but I think I'm in love with him. His book is such good company – sane, intelligent and witty. He deals with serious subjects in an immensely readable way. Many of the pieces confirm opinions I already held – such as admiration for Sir John Major – but he has persuaded me to change my mind over a few things. His defence of humdrum everyday life reminds me how lucky we are to live in peaceful times … If I'm asked to nominate my book of the year, this will be it'Wendy Cope

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Book SynopsisIf American journalism were a religion, as it has been called, then its supreme deity would be "objectivity." This book draws on high profile cases, showing the degree to which journalism and its evolving commitment to objectivity altered - and in some cases limited - the public's understanding of events and issues.Trade Review"Few issues are as central to our understanding of journalism as the debate over objectivity. In this original and engaging book, David Mindich extends our understanding of it in many directions." -- Mitchell Stephens,author of A History of News"Refreshing, imaginative and thoughtful, David Mindich here reveals intriguing pictures of America's past as he probes terrain generally obscured beneath unquestioned generalizations. He takes readers on a guided tour of nineteenth-century American culture and journalism as he explores changes in print news structure and presentation through a focus on reportage of major events and ideas across nearly seven decades." -- Hazel Dicken-Garcia,Professor of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Minnesota"Superb. . . . Mindich links history to contemporary practice by examining the current debate about objectivity through his 100-year-old lens." -- Steve Weinberg * The Christian Science Monitor *"Taking a fresh, panoramic view of objectivity, David Mindich improves our understanding of a key journalistic concept. This perceptive book offers both intriguing stories and a helpful historical framework for current debates on press performance." -- Jeffery Smith,University of Iowa"There is a growing unhappiness about the direction of news coverage. Readers and viewers want 'objectivity' back. The first step toward doing that is to understand where 'objective' journalism came from in the first place. Just the Facts is a good place to begin." -- Jonathan Alter * The Washington Monthly *

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Book SynopsisIn 2016, while working as a journalist in Yangon, Clare Hammond discovered an obscure map that showed a web of new railways spanning the length and breadth of the country - railways not shown on any other publicly available maps. She was determined to uncover the railways' origins, purpose, and most of all, the silence that surrounded them. She would spend three months travelling on these mysterious railways, and the next five years piecing their story together. Her journey would take her from Myanmar's tropical south to the embattled mountain towns that border India and China. In dilapidated carriages, along tracks in disrepair, through contested ethnic states and former sites of forced labour, visiting temples, tea shops and festivals, Clare encountered a colourful and contradictory Myanmar through the stories of its people. Simultaneously a lush and evocative travelogue, an unsparing account of Myanmar's recent history, and an astonishing, conversation-shifting engagement with Britain's colonial legacy, On the Shadow Tracks is that rare and necessary thing: a book that finds and tells the truth.

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