The Information by Martin Amis

The Information by Martin Amis lands on the shelves of my shop.

Flamingo, 1995, Hardback in dust wrapper.

From the cover: But he had other information to process, the kind that only comes when life is turning, the kind you have to be there to get, because no one will ever tell you about it. And if they did you d never listen.

There arent many ways for one writer to hurt another. Even if the literary world were as hopelessly corrupt as some people like to think it is, a writer cannot seriously damage a rival. This is the unwelcome conclusion reached by Richard Tull, failed novelist, when he contemplates the agonizing success of his best friend (and worst enemy) Gwyn Barry. A scathing review, a scurrilous profile? Such things might hurt Gwyn Barry, but they wouldnt hurt him. So Richard Tull is obliged to look elsewhere, to the weapons of the outside world seductions and succubi, hoaxes, mind games, frame-ups, sabotage -until at last Richard finds what he is looking for: a true professional someone who hurts people in exchange for cash.

In The Information Martin Amis returns to the big picture of Money and London Fields. The book takes in the whole of society, with the possible exception of the middle classes. . This leaves us with the very rich, the very desperate, and the very bohemian. Comedy, the author has said, is the only genre with any future: it is all thats left. So The Information is a comedy that goes where comedy shouldnt normally go, into the territories abandoned by romance, by satire and by tragedy.

Very Good in Very Good Dust Wrapper. Price Clipped. Gently bruised at the head of the spine and the top corners of the boards with commensurate wear to the dust wrapper. Text complete, clean and tight.

Black boards with Gilt titling to the Spine. 494 pages. 8¾” x 5½”.

Of course, if you don’t like this one there are plenty more available here!

Voodoo Histories: The Role of the Conspiracy Theory in Shaping Modern History by David Aaronovitch

Voodoo Histories: The Role of the Conspiracy Theory in Shaping Modern History by David Aaronovitch lands on the shelves of my shop.

Jonathan Cape, 2009, Hardback in dust wrapper.

Illustrated by way of: Black and White Photographs;

From the cover: Our age is oosessed by the idea of conspiracy. We see it everywhere from Pearl Harbor to 9/11, from the assassination of Kennedy to the death of Diana. Bookshop shelves threaten to collapse under the weight of texts devoted to proving myriad conspiracy theories true, while even quality newspapers and serious TV channels are prepared to give them credence.

For David Aaronovitch, there came a time when he started to see a pattern. These theories used similar dodgy methods with which to insinuate their claims: they linked themselves to the supposed conspiracies of the past (it happened then so it can happen now); they carefully manipulated their evidence to hide its holes; they relied on the authority of dubious academic sources. Most importantly, they elevated their believers to membership of an elite a group of people able to see beyond lies to a higher reality. But why believe something that entails stretching the bounds of probability so far? Surely it is more likely that men did actually land on the moon in 1969 than that thousands of people were enlisted to fabricate a deception that they did.

In this entertaining and enlightening book aimed to provide ammunition for those who have found themselves at the wrong end of a conversation about moon landings or twin towers Aaronovitch carefully probes and explodes a dozen of the major conspiracy theories. In doing so, he looks at why people believe them, and makes an argument for a true scepticism: one based on a thorough knowledge of history and a strong dose of common sense.

Good in Very Good Dust Wrapper. A little rubbing to the edges of the dust wrapper. Book would be Very Good were it not for the faint (coffee?) stain to the foot of the first few leaves. Text unaffected else.

Black boards with Silver titling to the Spine. 358 pages. Index. Bibliography. 9½” x 6¼”.

Of course, if you don’t like this one there are plenty more available here!