Jeremy Paxman Book order

Coal is the commodity that made Britain. Dirty and polluting though it is, this black rock has acted as a midwife to genius. It drove industry, religion, politics, empire and trade. It powered the industrial revolution, turned Britain into the first urban nation and is the industry that made almost all others possible. In this brilliant social history, Jeremy Paxman tells the story of coal mining in England, Scotland and Wales from Roman times, through the birth of steam power to war, nationalisation, pea-souper smogs, industrial strife and the picket lines of the Miner's Strike. Written in the captivating style of his bestselling book The English, Paxman ranges widely across Britain to explore stories of engineers and inventors, entrepreneurs and industrialists - but whilst coal inevitably helped the rich become richer, the story told by Black Gold is first and foremost a history of the working miners - the men, women and often children who toiled in appalling conditions down in the mines; the villages that were thrown up around the pit-head. Almost all traces of coal-mining have vanished from Britain but with this brilliant history, Black Gold demonstrates just how much we owe to the black stuff

The witty, incisive and frank memoirs from the legend of Newsnight and long-standing quiz master of University Challenge. Filled with views, opinions and stories from 4 decades in front of the camera. ‘Bursting with good things’ Daily Telegraph

This anthology contains poems shortlisted for the Forward Poetry Prizes, the UK's most valuable annual awards for contemporary poetry.

Life in Britain during the First World War was far stranger than many of us realize. The author tells the story of the war through the experience of those who lived it - nurses, soldiers, politicians, factory-workers, journalists and children - explaining why we fought it so willingly, how we endured it so long, and how it transformed us all.

The influence of the British Empire is everywhere, from the very existence of the United Kingdom to the ethnic composition of our cities. This title describes the selection process for colonial officers, the importance of sport, the sweating domestic life of the colonial officer's wife and the crazed end for General Gordon of Khartoum.

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 food we hunger for, the British Empire is never very far away. In this acute and witty analysis, Jeremy Paxman goes to the very heart of empire. As he describes the selection process for colonial officers ('intended to weed out the cad, the feeble and the too clever') the importance of sport, the sweating domestic life of the colonial officer's wife ('the challenge with cooking meat was 'to grasp the fleeting moment between toughness and putrefaction when the joint may possibly prove eatable'') and the crazed end for General Gordon of Khartoum, Paxman brings brilliantly to life the tragedy and comedy of empire and reveals its profound and lasting effect on our nation and ourselves

Jeremy Paxman's unique portrait of the Victorian age takes readers on an exciting journey through the birth of modern Britain. Using the paintings of the era as a starting point, he tells us stories of urban life, family, faith, industry and empire that helped define the Victorian spirit and imagination.

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.

The book explores the historical progression of chemical and biological warfare, beginning with the first use of lethal gas in World War I and extending through World War II and beyond. It examines the stockpiling of these weapons, inhumane testing practices, and the emergence of a black market for such arms after the Soviet Union's collapse. Recent developments, including the acquisition of these weapons by Third World nations and their use in terrorist attacks, are highlighted in the updated introduction and final chapter.

First published in 1982, this revised and updated edition takes into account the events that have happened since the early 1980s - including the break-up of the former Soviet Union and the black market that appeared in chemical and biological weapons, the acquisition of these weapons by Third World countries, etc.