Keith Waterhouse Books

Keith Waterhouse is very particular about what lunch is not: 'It is not prawn cocktail, steak and Black Forest gateau with your bank manger. It is not civic, commemorative, annual office or funeral. It is not when either party is on a diet, on the wagon or in a hurry.' He is equally precise about what lunch is: 'It is a mid-day meal taken at leisure by, ideally, two people. Three's a crowd, four always split like a double amoeba into two pairs, six is a meeting, eight is a conference... A little light business may be touched upon but the occasion is firmly social. Whether they know it or not, for as long as they linger in the restaurant they are having an affair. The affair is lunch.' The Theory and Practice of Lunch is an authoritative and delightfully witty manual on the art of taking the most agreeable meal of the day, written by a shrewd observer of the passing show who listed his sole hobby in Who's Who as 'Lunch'.

'The funniest book I've read for years' - The Times (London) 'Among the few great writers of our time' - Auberon Waugh, The Independent 'Well written and amusing' - Library Journal Keith Waterhouse's comic masterpiece Billy Liar (1959) introduced us to Billy Fisher, a seventeen-year-old undertaker's clerk whose inability to tell the truth led him into constant (and often hilarious) trouble with his parents, his employer, and his three girlfriends. It was a smash success, becoming a bestseller and winning widespread acclaim for both the novel and the classic film adaptation. In this 1975 sequel, Billy is thirty-three but still hasn't grown out of his propensity for lying. Stuck in a loveless marriage in a dismal town, where he has a dead-end job in local government, Billy seeks escape through his affair with Helen, who is also unhappily married. But once again he finds himself in danger of being undone by his lies: vodka martinis charged to his expense account, a wise-cracking alter ego named Oscar, a false police report about a stolen set of nonexistent golf clubs, an imaginary cat named 'Mr Pussy-paws' . . . Now the all-important town festival is approaching, but instead of doing the planning, Billy is busy trying to keep ahead of the suspicions of his wife, the police, and Helen's jealous husband. It all leads up to a disastrous and uproarious conclusion that The Times called 'side-achingly, laugh-aloud funny'. This edition includes a new introduction by Alice Ferrebe.

55" overall. 37.50" stainless unsharpened blade with blood groove. Brown wood handle with brass guard and pommel. Black leather scabbard.

Billy Liar captures brilliantly the claustrophobic atmosphere of a small town. It tells the story of Billy Fisher, a Yorkshire teenager unable to stop lying - especially to his three girlfriends. Trapped by his boring job and working-class parents, Billy finds that his only happiness lies in grand plans for his future and fantastical day-dreams of the fictional country Ambrosia.

Doran, Amanda-Jane, Punchlines - 150 years of humorous writing in Punch. London, HarperCollins, 1991. 26cm. XII, 371 pages. Original hardcover with dustjacket in protective mylar. Excellent, close to new condition with only minor signs of external wear. Includes work by authors / comedians such as: John Bentjemen / Mary Dunn / Graham Greene / Melvyn bragg / Stevie Smith / William Boyd / Robert Graves / etc.

The stage musical adaptation captures the whimsical adventures of Worzel Gummidge, a lovable yet mischievous scarecrow. With familiar characters like Aunt Sally and Sergeant Beetroot, the story unfolds as Worzel's antics lead him to a scarecrow court facing a serious charge. The narrative blends humor and chaos, culminating in a joyous resolution featuring a giant birthday cake that caters to Worzel's insatiable appetite. This production showcases a diverse cast, with 5 women and 13 men, ensuring a vibrant theatrical experience.

Keith Waterhouse has combined his interests in travelling and writing to produce this book which will appeal to both the intrepid explorer and the armchair traveller. It includes witty anecdotes and helpful hints - including a dictionary of brochure-ese - and is written in the same style as his earlier The Theory and Practice of Lunch. There are cartoons by Graham.

Original research shines a light on the little discussed midget class submarines, from their WW2 inception to the unique and short-lived Stickleback class, developed in the Cold War