Bill Bailey Books

'When herons are spooked they have a habit of vomiting as a defence. Half-digested pieces of eel and water vole skull on your head is not a good look. Just so you know.' A visual feast packed with illustrations, sketches and notes by Bailey as well as informative, this book is funny and insightful, and positively crackles with energy, knowledge and wit as he takes us on a journey around the British isles, zooming in on those birds that enthuse him the most. Whether it's what they eat, where they fly to or how they communicate, these birds are always fascinating, and Bailey introduces us to their weird and wonderful ways in a manner that is always entertaining

This hair-raising, action-packed political thriller surges from England and America to contemporary Vietnam as a small group spearheads resistance to compulsory globalisation. A sinister organisation representing commercial interests infiltrates governments and violently opposes all who stand in the way of global dominance by the transnational cartels. The British Labour Party unexpectedly elects a radical leader, which attracts a violent response. As Harvey Gillmore, the international press baron, humiliates and brutalises everyone in his path, the focus turns on the single man most feared by the corporations. J W Haug, an American citizen living in London is the one they now all want to kill. A swift, amusing, sexy, gripping tale that storms through to the climax with an erotic, pulsating beat.

In the third novel of the Haug Quintet the action roars from London to an Eagle?s Nest in the Rockies and to Washington, D.C., as the British opposition joins with its American counterpart. The Secretary of State is implicated in the murder of a whistleblower in the pharmaceutical industry. The President himself is swept up in the turbulent action as this resistance to the sinister Community of Association ? spearhead of the global cartel of multinational companies ? is very nearly demolished. Beautiful Jennifer Montgomery sets out on a secret mission that leads to her personal degradation, while in England Haug makes dubious alliances with the largest and most dangerous gang in London. The hellish depravity and destruction of the finale threatens to skewer every hope as global profit engulfs the world in a mudslide of lunatic greed.

This is a dramatic and chilling tale told in the time zones of the present and future. The almost animate physical structure of the State is revealed as it disintegrates around the lives of characters including a television evangelist looking for money and finding redemption, despite the stench of his own corruption. A crazed media baron is embedded in his castle in the Channel Islands, at last realising his sexual and financial fantasies. An American ex-private detective helps lead a hopeless band of scattered comrades in a modern and most definitely post-modern Britain. The leader of the Labour Party resigns on the eve of her election in what seems to be an act of idiotic self-destruction. The action swirls into the funnel of a whirlpool as an unimaginable catastrophe threatens the existence of humanity. The survivors fight desperately to re-weave the social fabric, opposed by forces who struggle to restore the values of the thief and thug. Fast-moving. Emotionally powerful.

In this potent and compelling tale, the global power of transnational corporations continues to grow as it spawns political and paramilitary heads to its gargantuan body. Resistance intensifies in Europe and America. A small band in England are nearly overwhelmed as an ex-patriot American anchors the group which is led by a distinguished government permanent secretary. Kidnappings, rescues and assassinations raise the stakes as a media tycoon meets his match in a dangerous struggle with a beautiful Texas blonde. Sexual depravity, corruption and violence splatter the pages as people and ideas are irrevocably locked in a battle that may mean the life or death of the earth itself.

Published on the occasion of the exhibition "Martin Creed: What's the Point of It?," held at the Hayward Gallery, London, 29 January - 27 April 2014.

A compilation of funny, personal, and meditative essays about happiness by national treasure Bill Bailey, fully illustrated by Bill Bailey himself. What makes us happy? Bill Bailey plays Crazy Golf and hugs trees to find out. Is there a knack to being happy? From paddle-boarding down the Thames in a Santa hat, to wild swimming in a glacial river and cooking sausages on a campfire, Bill revels in the exhilaration of the outdoors, as well as the quieter pleasures of letter-writing, or of simple reflection. In this beautiful and uplifting book, Bill Bailey explores all this and more while delving into the nature of happiness, all in his own, remarkable, way. Packed with wisdom and humour, and with delightful illustrations by the comedian himself, Bill Bailey aims for the heart of pure joy and contentment - and how we can all achieve it.

Focusing on the experiences of a telephone repair technician, the narrative explores his two-decade career of restoring service to customers facing various challenges. Through his interactions with a diverse array of individuals, each with unique personalities and issues, the story highlights the human connections formed during the process of fixing phones. The technician's journey not only reflects the technical aspects of his job but also the emotional and social dynamics of the people he helps.