John Crace

A new serving of satire from bestselling author and beloved Guardian columnist John Crace. 'I lap up everything John Crace writes gratefully: I love his cleverness, his wit, and his heart.' NIGELLA LAWSON It ended as it began. With Downing Street under grey leaden skies. Someone's idea of a cosmic joke. Only this time the rain had eased to a light drizzle rather than a torrential downpour. If you're a Tory, you take your blessings where you find them on days like these. After fourteen years of Tory rule, John Crace has seen it all: a bucket-load of sleaze and scandals, myriad questionable policy decisions, and an ever-revolving door of impressive* candidates trying to get themselves to the top of a sinking ship. With a bumpy start, Keir Starmer, Rachel Reeves and the Labour Party have taken the reins while Kemi Badenoch and the Tories slink off to regroup in opposition. Many proclaim that the United Kingdom's political landscape has changed - but are those fabled sunlit uplands finally in view? Selected from Crace's much-loved Guardian column, The Bonfire of the Insanities lights up a new chapter of governmental absurdity with mordant wit and caustic humour. (*terms and conditions apply)

Cedric Sapin-Defour's memoir of his dog, Ubac, has become the surprise best seller in France this year. Prepare to Meet Thy Dog will take this genre to a new level.This will be Herbie's autobiography. He is an old dog and with age comes wisdom. Being around many of the leading politicians of today through his humans (he tries to take John out at least a few times a week), it's safe to say he has strong opinions on all of them - and a good nose for insincerity. This will be tender, clever and funny. Think Paddington for adults. Paddington with edge.

'I lap up everything John Crace writes gratefully: I love his cleverness, his wit, and his heart' Nigella LawsonFrom the ingeniously quick-witted John Crace comes a satirical memoir from the eyes of his beloved dog, Herbie. And as a Westminster veteran, boy does he have some stories to share.It started when a chance encounter with Sadiq Khan's Labrador landed Herbie a job working as a special advisor to Ed Miliband in 2014. Then he was summoned by David Cameron to work on the Remain campaign in the EU referendum. He experienced the pain of working with Theresa May; was sacked and then rehired by Boris Johnson to advise on Covid; was at Balmoral when the Queen died; had a ringside seat for Liz Truss; was fired by Rishi Sunak and then latterly taken on by Keir Starmer.This is the story the politicians didn't want you to know. What are Larry the Cat and Dilyn the Dog really like? How did Charlotte Owen get a peerage? Herbert Hound, finally, tells all.

AS FEATURED IN WATERSTONES BEST BOOKS OF 2023From bestselling author and beloved Guardian columnist John Crace comes a blisteringly hilarious tour through the whirlwind of post-Brexit Britain, from the ousting of Boris to the dawn of a new era . . . sort of. O brave new world, that has such people in't. Or not. William Shakespeare clearly had never imagined a clusterf*ck on this scale. Given the state of the country right now, he would be in need of a long lie down.Another month, another prime minister - how many have we been through now? But fear not: despite all the nonsense that has spewed forth from Westminster over the past two years, John Crace's brilliantly lacerating political sketches have provided the nation with some desperately needed relief.Taking in everything from Partygate, BoJo's drawn-out farewell and the disastrous reign of Liz Truss, to the psychodrama of the Tory leadership contest(s), the return of Rishi Sunak and the shenanigans of his impressively inept colleagues, Depraved New World is a worryingly funny collection which captures British politics at its most absurd.

**JOHN CRACE'S NEW BOOK DEPRAVED NEW WORLD IS AVAILABLE NOW**Infectiously entertaining political satire, from the author of Decline and Fail and I, Maybot.Throughout another year of bluster and bedlam in Westminster, John Crace's brilliantly acerbic political sketches have once more provided the nation with a much-needed injection of humour.In A Farewell to Calm, Crace introduces an infectiously funny selection of his finest pieces from 2020-21, taking in everything from a summer of unfathomable U-turns to Christmas Covid confusion, and from lockdown-lifting to Brexit blithering.Led by Boris's poundshop Churchill tribute act, and featuring a cast of everyone's least favourite pantomime villains, from Classic Dom Cummings to Door Matt Hancock, the end result is a brilliantly entertaining chronicle of another tumultuous year on these benighted islands.

'Optimism, mojo, complete bollocks. That's what the country is crying out for.'There is now only one certainty in life. When things can't possibly get worse, they absolutely will. And so, after three years of Maybot malfunctioning and Brexit bungling, welcome to BoJo the clown's national circus - where fun for none of the family is guaranteed. Fear not, however: Decline and Fail is your personal survival guide to the ongoing political apocalypse. This unremittingly entertaining collection of John Crace's lifegiving political sketches will get you through the darkest of days - or failing that, will at least help you see the funny side. Miss it at your peril...

NEW, FULLY UPDATED EDITION'Brexit means Brexit.' 'Strong and stable.' 'I don't think I'm in the least robotic.'Ever since Theresa May first whirred into inaction as prime minister, there has only been one reliable source of strength and stability: John Crace's political sketches for the Guardian. These doses of biting satire not only provided much-needed respite from the madness of it all, but also gave us his now notorious moniker for our automaton PM, the Maybot.In I, Maybot, Crace introduces a curated selection of his most acerbic sketches, charting May's tumultuous premiership to date. From the EU referendum and ensuing tragicomic leadership campaign, to the snap election, Tory-DUP coalition of chaos and endless Brexit wranglings, Crace's analysis makes for essential and uproariously entertaining reading.

Benedick: I am man enough to say that I love thee. Is that not strange? Beatrice: Not really…Benedick: By my sword, Beatrice thou lovest me. Beatrice: Get over yourselfTo celebrate the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death, this is the third of a new collection of the Bard's greatest plays, digested to a few thousand words with invaluable side notes from John Sutherland. Funny and incredibly clever, these parodies are a joy for those who know their Shakespeare, perfect for the theatre goer needing a quick recap, and a massive relief for those just desperate to pass their English exam.

Cease I say, cantankerous old fools /Thy deeds hath made our streets a no go zone /No more shall Montagues and Capulets /Enact their West Side Story Sharks and Jets /Or else shall pay the forfeit of the peace.To celebrate the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death, this is the second of a new collection of the Bard's greatest plays, digested to a few thousand words with invaluable footnotes from John Sutherland. Funny and incredibly clever, these parodies are a joy for those who know their Shakespeare, perfect for the theatre goer needing a quick recap, and a massive relief for those just desperate to pass their English exam.

‘Give me the daggers and I’ll pin the blame/ On Duncan’s grooms who both are also slain. /A little water clears us of this deed /Though a large scotch might also do the trick...’ To celebrate the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death, this is the first of a new collection of the Bard's greatest plays, digested to a few thousand words with invaluable side notes from John Sutherland. Funny and incredibly clever, these parodies are a joy for those who know their Shakespeare, perfect for the theatre goer needing a quick recap, and a massive relief for those just desperate to pass their English exam.

New edition with additional material. From the creator of the Digested Read, a hilarious take on the life of the obsessive football fan of a team that almost always disappoints.

Digested reads of the 21st Century... so far.

Casts a critical eye on the classics of the last century, offering bite-sized pastiches from Mrs Dalloway to "Trainspotting via Lolita" and "The Great Gatsby".