This is a diary packed with famous names and extraordinary stories. It is also rich in incidental detail and wonderful observation, providing both a compelling record of five remarkable decades and a revealing, often hilarious and sometimes moving account of Gyles Brandreth's unusual life - as a child living in London in the 'swinging' sixties, as a jumper-wearing TV presenter, as an MP and government whip, and as a royal biographer who has enjoyed unique access to the Queen and her family. Something Sensational to Read on the Train takes the reader on a roller-coaster ride from the era of Dixon of Dock Green to the age of The X Factor, from the end of the farthing to the arrival of the euro, from the Britain of Harold Macmillan and the Notting Hill race riots to the world of Barack Obama and Lewis Hamilton. With a cast list that runs from Richard Nixon and Richard Branson to Gordon Brown and David Cameron - and includes princes, presidents and pop stars, as well as three archbishops and any number of actresses - this is a book for anyone interested in contemporary history, politics and entertainment, royalty, gossip and life itself.

The Diary of a Lifetime 'As addictive as crack' Daily Telegraph

About the Author
Gyles Brandreth is a writer, performer, former MP and government whip whose career has ranged from hosting Have I Got News For You to starring in his own award-winning musical revue in London's West End. Currently a reporter with The One Show on BBC1 and a regular on Radio 4's Just a Minute, his acclaimed Victorian detective stories - The Oscar Wilde Murder Mysteries - are now being published in nineteen countries around the world.

Reviews
'Wonderfully sharp . . . full of reckless gossip, eagle-eyed observation and scabrous anecdotes' * Mail on Sunday *
'Witty, warm-hearted, deeply poignant' * Daily Mail *
'I absolutely loved them; witty and fluid . . . crammed with detail including brilliantly catty asides.' * Sunday Times *
'Among the most entertaining reads of the year' * Daily Express *
'A great wit . . . stuffed with anecdotes and wry reflections.' * Sunday Express *
'These diaries add some extra spice' * Mail on Sunday *
'As addictive as crack' * Daily Telegraph *



Book Information
ISBN 9780719520624
Author Gyles Brandreth
Format Paperback
Page Count 752
Imprint John Murray Publishers Ltd
Publisher John Murray Press
Weight(grams) 500g
Dimensions(mm) 196mm * 126mm * 50mm