'The most screamingly funny living writer' Barry Humphries, Mail on Sunday From the bestselling and award-winning author of Ma'am Darling and One Two Three Four, a selection of Craig Brown's finest writing collected together for the first time. What is James Bond's middle name? How does Jacob Rees-Mogg's nanny set about cleaning him up in the morning? When did Piers Morgan introduce his special guest Kim Jong-Un as "the straight-talking boy from North Korea who grew up to become a global superstar"? All these important questions, and a great many more, are answered in Craig Brown's Haywire. Featuring handy household tips from Mary Berry ('When eating a boiled egg be careful to remove the shell first, or it can be a little crunchy') and historic admissions from Queen Elizabeth 1st to Oprah Winfrey concerning her mother's beheading ('Thank you for having the courage to share that with us'), Haywire presents a survival guide to the 21st century. In one chapter, Brown writes about the influence of Blackpool on Sigmund Freud and Les Dawson. In another, he unearths the Historical Online Archive and discovers that the invention of the wheel in Mesopotamia in 4000 BC drew fierce criticism on social media. "My mate tried it, says it's total rubbish" wrote Brian from Sumeria. The acclaimed biographer of Princess Margaret and The Beatles delivers essays on such diverse figures as Ronald Searle, John Stonehouse, Bruce Springsteen, Richard Dawkins, Katie Price, Stanley Spencer, Harry and Meghan, Brian Epstein, Kenneth Williams, Ronald Reagan, Simon Dee and the Marx Brothers. With the full battery of the humourist's armoury - clerihews, tongue-twisters, whimsy, parody, farce, satire, social observation, nonsense - Brown skewers the passing fads and delusions of the contemporary world. 'Our greatest living satirist' Sunday Times 'Exquisitely naughty and hilarious' Guardian 'Craig Brown's humour will outlive his victims ... his journalism is one of the few compensations for being British now' Sunday Telegraph
Craig Brown
Craig Brown is a British author and journalist known for his satirical and humorous writing style. He has written several acclaimed works, including "Ma’am Darling: 99 Glimpses of Princess Margaret" which won the James Tait Black Biography Prize. Brown is also a regular columnist for The Daily Mail and The Mail on Sunday.
Brown's writing is characterized by his sharp wit and keen observations of society and culture. He is known for his ability to blend fact and fiction in a way that is both entertaining and thought-provoking. His work often explores the lives of famous figures and the absurdities of celebrity culture.
Craig Brown's most famous work, "Ma’am Darling," offers a unique and irreverent look at the life of Princess Margaret, challenging traditional perceptions of the royal family. Through his writing, Brown has made a significant impact on the literary genre of biography, bringing a fresh and humorous perspective to the lives of historical figures.
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