'We have had diaries from other Cabinet Ministers, but none I think which have been quite so illuminating... It is a fascinating diary... It is shorter than Barbara Castle's... and although it is rather more accurate than Dick Crossman's, it is distinctly funnier' - Lord Allen of Abbeydale (formerly Permanent Secretary at the Home Office) in The Times 'It has an entertainment and educational value which is unique. It is uproariously funny and passes the acid test of becoming more amusing at every subsequent reading... I will go so far as to claim that in the characters of Jim Hacker and Sir Humphrey Appleby, Messrs Lynn and Jay have created something as immortal as P.G. Wodehouse's Bertie Wooster and Jeeves' - Brian Walden in The Standard

M1 F6 1F Voice. The Prime Minister's study at Chequers The UK is in crisis: debt is spiralling, unemployment is on the rise and the fragile coalition cabinet, led by Prime Minister Jim Hacker, is at breaking point. But salvation may exist in the form of a complex pipeline deal with the oil-rich country of Kumranistan that would entitle the government to a multi-trillion pound loan. When the Kumranistan Foreign Secretary makes a shocking request of Jim's Private Secretary Bernard Woolley, moral considerations collide with the economic future of the nation. But how will Jim and his team: Bernard, Cabinet Secretary Sir Humphrey Appleby, and Special Adviser Claire Sutton, reconcile the two? Political machinations, media manipulation and an appeal for divine intervention ensue. From the writers of the original television series Yes, Minister and Yes, Prime Minister, comes the equally sharply satirical stage version, seen at the Festival Theatre, Chichester in 2010 and the Gielgud Theatre, London, in 2011, followed by a tour in 2012.

The power of words in politics is well known and the fourth edition of the Oxford Dictionary of Political Quotations brings together both words of wisdom and things that might have been better left unsaid. This unique reference book not only charts the most influential political events of recent times via the things people said about them - including an international financial crisis and a watershed in American presidential politics - but also digs deeper than ever into the rich heritage of political history from around the world. A mouth-watering collection for anyone with an interest in history and politics, Antony Jay (co-author of the famous TV series Yes Minister and Yes Prime Minister) has assembled both a crash course in political wisdom past and present and a treasure trove of politicians' cock-ups and put-downs, with more than 300 new quotations and over 90 new authors, from Sarah Palin to David Cameron by way of Silvio Berlusconi. The dictionary also includes an essay by the political journalist Matthew Parris and keyword and subject indexes to help in tracing just the right quote. Quotations include: 'The inherited and permanent fact that North America speaks English.' Otto von Bismarck, when asked what was the greatest political fact of modern times 'British jobs for British workers.' Gordon Brown 'If I misspoke that was just a misstatement.' Hillary Rodham Clinton 'You never want a serious crisis to go to waste.' Rahm Emanuel 'A prince never lacks legitimate reasons to excuse his failure to keep his word.' Niccolo Machiavelli 'We are not going to give up our country for a mere X on a ballot. How can a ballpoint pen fight with a gun?' Robert Mugabe 'We will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.' Barack Obama