Off the Page - Current Affairs Books, Comment & Debate

Our Man at the London Book Fair - day 3

Day three of the fair and the last day. I always get into the hall by eight, partly because I like to be prepared for all the different people I am going to see during the day, partly to tidy the stand and partly to have a quick wander round the rest of the hall before it becomes too busy. Invariably publishing friends will say, “Will see you at the book fair” implying that you will be having a good old chat but all too often in the end all you get to do is literally just “see” them as they go past the stand. So apologies to Andrew Johnson, Wilf Clark etc. I will catch up with you all at Frankfurt!!

Books and their tangents

The Worst Jobs in History, Hating Spring and What Tony Blair should be reading...

Telegraph editor/writer/blogger Ceri Radford enjoys writing about books without the pretence of something like the Booker prize. Books are fun. Ceri thinks so too.

Here's a link to her blog.

Visit it or be boring.

Our man at the London Book Fair - day 2

The evening of the second day of the London Book Fair and I am in a restaurant in South Kensington with a great crowd of people. We are all guests of Theo Philips, our agent from South East Asia. In one moment this encapsulates all that the book fair is about - people from many different countries and backgrounds sharing one passion for books, enjoying one another's company and pooling our different experiences.

News in brief

O.J.'s confession, Agassi's memoirs and the best book ever: here is a selection of news from the book trade today.

Our man at the London Book Fair - day 1

By Andrew Hayward, Sales & Marketing Director

The book fair officially started at nine o'clock this (yesterday) morning but for many of us it is our third day inside Earl's Court. Our book fair started at 8am on Saturday morning in the empty confines of a large, gaping space that is the Earl's Court arena. Stands go up and posters, pictures and books start to decorate them. There are always two certainties every year, firstly that some part of the furniture package will be missing and secondly that despite carefully indicating where the shelving should go, it is never in the right place.

Having said all that the transformation of an empty space on Saturday morning to a hall packed with brightly coloured stands, flying the company livery and boasting the exciting new publications, never ceases to amaze and to thrill me.

Bankrolling Basra by Andrew Alderson

The incredible story of a part-time soldier, $1 billion and the collapse of Iraq. In the lead up to the launch of this extraordinary book, we're lucky enough to be able to offer you some exclusive content including an interview with the man himself, a man who was asked when he arrived in Basra if he 'knew anything about finance' only to be entrusted with structuring Iraq's finances.

Check back soon for the first of many special features.

Bankrolling Basra is out on April 26

To visit the official website, click here

London Book Fair 2007

Today marks the first day of the world's leading springtime publishing event and takes place at Earl's Court, London over the next three days.

Visit the official site here

Off the Page will be there all week and will report back with a diary of the event and any interesting news, photos and anything else we find.

Cart home a gem

This year's Diagram Prize for the Oddest Title of 2006 was won by The Stray Shopping Carts of Eastern North America: A Guide to Field Identification.

Written by Julian Montague, this winner was voted for by the public via theBookseller.com and in the process it beat off competition from Tattoed Mountain Women and Spoon Boxes of Daghestan.

Here is a review from Amazon, in case you're wondering...

"One of the most complete and well thought-out works I have ever encountered. Montague's language coupled with his beautiful photography give the lowly carts individual personalities. Refreshing, for an art piece, it never takes itself too seriously. It will change the way you look at the urban environment, and most importantly it's endless fun."

New releases out today

The Last Supper: the Mafia, the Masons and the Killing of Roberto Calvi by Philip Willan (ISBN 978 1 84529 296 6)

The death of Roberto 'God's Banker' Calvi, found hanging from Blackfriars Bridge in 1982 days before his bank's collapse, remains one of the most extraordinary crimes of all time. Straight from the dark heart of Italy, it involved dark Masonic rituals, political involvement at the highest level, bizarre forensics, intense mafia involvement, the Vatican, a man on the run, and phenomenal sums of money swirling around. Revealing new sources that speak for the first time, investigative journalist Philip Willan finally uncovers the full truth behind Calvi's death and his last days on the run.

To purchase this book, click here

The Tax Guide by David Genders (ISBN 978 1 84529 587 5)

This is a clear, bestselling guide to understanding the tax system and managing your personal finances. It has been completely reviewed and revised for 2007, and will carry any updates from the March 2007 budget. This comprehensive work has been honed over the past years, to offer the clearest and most helpful information for all potential taxpayers, whether self-employed or unemployed, retired, part-time, on a high or low salary. Apart from salary and benefits, it also deals with other taxable assets and every kind of tax from capital gains to inheritance tax and VAT. It contains the most up-to-date information in an easy-to-read format, with practical advice on all aspects of your financial planning.

To purchase this book, click here

The Power and the Glory

The legacy of Pope John Paul II abounds with myths, fantasies and disinformation. In The Power and the Glory, David Yallop reveals important new information that will lead to a reappraisal of Karol Wojtyla and the Roman Catholic Church.

Based on many years of research which includes interviews that range from men within the very highest reaches of the Church to secret service officers in many countries, Yallop:

Unveils the dark crisis of child abuse scandal in Great Britain, and worldwide, and how John Paul II tried to protect and conceal the extent of the tragedy. This includes a condemnation of the present British primate, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor.