'Beautifully researched account, full of humour and personal insight' David Crystal, author of Making Sense: The Glamorous Story of English Grammar 'A witty, wise, and wonderfully weird journey that will change the way you think . . . This book is a delight' Bianca Bosker, author of Cork Dork: A Wine-Fueled Adventure Among the Obsessive Sommeliers, Big Bottle Hunters, and Rogue Scientists Who Taught Me to Live for Taste 'Delightfully engrossing, charmingly and enthusiastically well-written history of the crossword puzzle' Benjamin Dreyer, author of Dreyer's English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style 'Full of treasures, surprises and fun . . . richly bringing to life the quirky, obsessive, fascinating characters in the crossword world' Mary Pilon, author of The Monopolists: Obsession, Fury, and the Scandal Behind the World's Favorite Board Game 'A gold mine of revelations. If there is a pantheon of cruciverbalist scholars, Adrienne Raphel has established herself squarely within it' Mary Norris, author of Between You & Me: Confessions of a Comma Queen Equal parts ingenious and fun, Thinking Inside the Box is a love letter to the infinite joys and playful possibilities of language, a treat for die-hard cruciverbalists and first-time crossword solvers alike. The crossword is a feature of the modern world, inspiring daily devotion and obsession from millions. It was invented in 1913, almost by accident, when an editor at the New York World was casting around for something to fill some empty column space for that year's Christmas edition. Almost overnight, crosswords became a phenomenal commercial success, and have been an essential ingredient of any newspaper worth its salt since then. Indeed, paradoxically, the popularity of crosswords has never been greater, even as the world of media and newspapers, the crossword's natural habitat, has undergone a dramatic digital transformation. But why, exactly, are the satisfactions of a crossword so sweet that over the decades they have become a fixture of breakfast tables, bedside tables and commutes, and even given rise to competitive crossword tournaments? Blending first-person reporting from the world of crosswords with a delightful telling of the crossword's rich literary history, Adrienne Raphel dives into the secrets of this classic pastime. At the annual American Crossword Puzzle Tournament, she rubs shoulders with elite solvers from all over the world, doing her level best to hold her own; aboard a crossword-themed cruise she picks the brains of the enthusiasts whose idea of a good time is a week on the high seas with nothing to do but crosswords; and, visiting the home and office of Will Shortz, New York Times crossword puzzle editor and US National Public Radio's official Puzzlemaster, she goes behind the scenes to see for herself how the world's gold standard of puzzles is made.

Train your brain with these fiendishly difficult puzzles, the perfect companion for anyone wanting to keep their mind busy 'Fiendishly tricky' Daily Mail With their first bestselling book, The GCHQ Puzzle Book, the UK's intelligence and security experts tested us with puzzles, codes and real-life entrance tests from their archives. Now, they are back with a NEW collection of head-scratching, mind-boggling and brain-bending puzzles that will leave you pondering for hours. For those who often found themselves stumped with the first book, The GCHQ Puzzle Book 2 offers even more starter puzzles to get those brains warmed up. Puzzle aficionados needn't worry though, as there is also an 'Even Harder' section to test everyone to their limits . . . Not only that, but in celebration of GCHQ's centenary, the puzzles in this new book sit alongside stories, facts and photos from the organisation's first 100 years at the heart of the nation's security. From the Government Code & Cipher School, to Bletchley Park, through to protecting against cyberattacks, the security of our country is in the hands of GCHQ. With this book, you get exclusive snapshots into the organisation that keeps us all safe. Train your brain to compete with the smartest in the country with this stimulating book of puzzles. If you haven't yet tested yourself with the first instalment of The GCHQ Puzzle Book, check it out now! 'This is the perfect gift to fuel his ludicrous presumption that he could have definitely been a spy - even better if he's already dog-eared the first version' Huffington Post

The bestselling reference for crossword solvers and setters The Chambers Crossword Dictionary is the perfect tool for any crossword solver - and you know it because it is used by the setters themselves! What makes The Chambers Crossword Dictionary different? Comprehensive, reliable and easy-to-use, this major new edition has been thoroughly revised and updated by a team of crossword experts, and is specially tailored to the needs of crossword solvers. With more than 500,000 solutions to cryptic and quick clues, plus explanations of cryptic clue types and the use of anagram and other indicators, and insights into the world of crossword setting and memorable clues, it is truly the ultimate crossword bible. This new edition features: - Over 500,000 solutions for every kind of crossword. - More than 2,500 crossword code words alerting you to cryptic ploys. - Over 19,500 'one-stop' entries, with both synonyms and encyclopaedic material, for extra guidance in finding the right answer. - A wealth of recent synonyms to give you up-to-the-minute answers. - New topic lists to help you solve general-knowledge clues. - Word lists sorted by length and then alphabetically to make finding solutions easy. - Includes words, phrases, abbreviations, symbols, codes and other cryptic 'building blocks'. - Packed with crossword jargon, anagram and other indicators and essential cryptic vocabulary. - Draws on the latest Chambers Dictionary 13th Edition and the authoritative Chambers reference range. It is packed with expert advice and editorial from: - Derek Arthur (1945-2010), co-editor of The Listener crossword in The Times and of The Chambers Crossword Dictionary, 2nd edition - Ross Beresford, former co-editor of The Listener crossword - Peter Biddlecombe, The Sunday Times crossword editor and The Times Crossword Championship winner (2000, 2007) - Jonathan Crowther, better known to cryptic crossword solvers as Azed, having set crosswords for The Observer for over 40 years - Don Manley, crossword setter for many quality newspapers under various pseudonyms (Duck, Quixote, Bradman, Giovanni) and Church Times crossword editor - Tim Moorey, crossword setter for The Sunday Times and The Times, and crossword editor and setter for The Week and MoneyWeek magazines. He is author of How to Crack Cryptic Crosswords Chambers is one of the world's most respected dictionary and thesaurus publishers.