Author:Julie Burchill,Daniel Raven
Britain is experiencing a sudden reckless rush of liberalisation, from 24 hour licensing to gay marriages. But how did we get from idolising Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier to Jordan and Peter Andre? Funny and bittersweet, Made In Brighton interweaves personal stories of life in Brighton with larger themes of sex, politics and class to take a cold, hard look at the changing face of Britain, and at the town which has always been at the vanguard of Britain's cultural evolution. From punk to dance, dope to coke, the Labour party to hen parties, straight to gay to bi, this book holds a mirror up to the dazed face of Britain and gives it a good hard slap.
Julie Burchill is, on her day, the best writer in the world.
—— Word MagazineAs ever, Burchill's writing seems fuelled as much by mischievousness as indignation.
—— Guardian ReviewShe is always, always funnier, wittier and more memorable than any of her alleged rivals.
—— Word MagazineRivetingly entertaining
—— AN Wilson , Observer, Books of the YearOn the intellectual debates...that exercised these characters she is excellent, describing books and linking ideas with panache. There are, too, many moments when the story of 142 Strand comes very vividly to life
—— Matthew Sturgis , Sunday Telegraph[Ashton] comes close to creating something far more original than a standard biography: not a romance, but the real-life equivalent of a Victorian multi-plot novel; a web of human connections that comes closer than any recent historical study to capturing the spirit of the age
—— Robert Douglas-Fairhurst , New StatesmanA truly marvellous evocation of a group of people living at the centre of Victorian life. She draws a picture so vivid it is like a novel; so detailed and dramatic in all its emotional twists and turns that we feel we are living through its story. ..a real page turner
—— Daily MailBrilliant, sparkling and witty
—— Ian KershawA rich and fascinating account.... His unravelling of the theories is a model of common sense and responsible reasoning
—— AC Grayling , The TimesAnyone who has toyed with suspicion over the accidental nature of Princess Diana's death, or the self-inflicted nature of David Kelly's, will have that flirtation brutally curtailed by Aaronovitch's caustic rationality
—— ObserverA useful book about an important subject
—— Giles Foden , GuardianWith dark wit and extraordinary patience he lays bare the psychology of conspiracism
—— Nick CohenVoodoo Histories is as concerned with understanding conspiracies as it is with rebutting them, and Aaronovitch's tone throughout is that of the sage psychologist, his method that of the forensic historian
—— New StatesmanFascinating
—— Lesley McDowell , Independent on SundayAdmirably diligent
—— Rafael Behr , ObserverHe is articulate, well-versed and a good writer; it's worth reading this whether you agree with him or not.
—— William Leith , Evening StandardFascinating account of the major conspiracy theories of the past 100 years
—— Lesley McDowell , Independent on SundayAaronovitch aims to do more than expose popular nonsense
—— Rafael Behr , ObserverForensically intelligent and hugely enjoyable study of modern conspiracy theories...consistently reasonable, persuasive and humane
—— Christopher Hart , Sunday TimesSolid, well-researched and unexpectedly gripping
—— Christopher Hirst , Independent[Aaronovitch] is, broadly speaking, an enemy of conspiracy theories. He is also articulate, well versed in the facts and a good writer
—— William Leith , ScotsmanAaronovitch painstakingly dissects these and some of the other great conspiracy theories of the age and demonstrates with merciless clarity what utter tripe they are.
—— Mail on SundayA serious, entertaining and shocking investigation into the stuff that conspiracy theories are made of. Aaronovitch guides us through the half-truths and speculation and examines the distrust of officialdom which fuels conspiracists' imagination.
—— Independent on SundayIn its many-layered discoveries, the book is truly magnetic
—— Jane Knight , The Times