In Fish, Fishing and the Meaning of Life Jeremy Paxman has created the perfect literary catch for fellow angling enthusiasts in this rich and varied anthology. Ten thoroughly entertaining themed chapters include 'Ones That Got Away', 'Ones That Didn't Get Away' and 'Fish That Bit Back'. Each is introduced by Paxman's own sharp, humorous observations and features both contemporary and historical writing about fishing in prose and verse, covering everything from tench tickling to piranha attacks. Some pieces are well known favourites, others are obscure, every one is a delight. 'A superb...

In The English Jeremy Paxman sets out to find about the English. Not the British overall, not the Scots, not the Irish or Welsh, but the English. Why do they seem so unsure of who they are? Jeremy Paxman is to many the embodiment of Englishness yet even he is sometimes forced to ask: who or what exactly are the English? And in setting about addressing this most vexing of questions, Paxman discovers answers to a few others. Like: Why do the English actually enjoy feeling persecuted? What is behind the English obsession with games? How did they acquire their odd attitudes to sex and to food?...

From the bestselling author of The English comes Empire, Jeremy Paxman's history of the British Empire accompanied by a flagship 5-part BBC TV series, for readers of Simon Schama and Andrew Marr. The influence of the British Empire is everywhere, from the very existence of the United Kingdom to the ethnic composition of our cities. It affects everything, from Prime Ministers' decisions to send troops to war to the adventurers we admire. From the sports we think we're good at to the architecture of our buildings; the way we travel to the way we trade; the hopeless losers we will on, and the...

What is the point of Kings and Queens? What do they do all day? And what does it mean to be one of them? This title looks at our present incumbents to find out just what makes them tick.

Where do politicians come from? How do they get elected? What do they do all day? And why do they seek power? In this title, all these questions and many more are addressed. It presents a dissection of that strange and elusive breed - the political animal.

From high gothic architecture to the birth of the football league, from the novels of Dickens to the technological marvels of Brunel, the paintings of the era provide anoverviewthat ranges across the whole of Victorian life and cultureJeremy Paxman's unique portrait of the Victorian world takes readers on an exciting journey through the birth of modern Britain. Using the paintings of the era as a starting point, he tells stories of urban life, family, faith, industry, and empire that helped define the Victorian spirit and imagination. To Paxman, these paintings were the television of...

Jeremy Paxman's magnificent history of the First World War tells the entire story of the war in one gripping narrative from the point of view of the British people. 'If there is one new history of the war that you might actually enjoy this is very likely it' The Times 'Lively, surprising and memorable' Guardian 'A procession of fascinating details' Prospect 'Paxman writes so well and sympathetically and he chooses his detail so deftly' The Times 'Clever, laconic and racy' Daily Telegraph Life in Britain during the First World War was far stranger than many of us realize. In a country awash...