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FRASER, VIRGINIA - Compiled and Edited by: : Best Seat in the House: The Wit and Parliamentary Chronicles of FRANK JOHNSON

LONDON.JR BOOKS,2009.

ISBN 9781906779337.

UK,8vo HB+dw.dj,1st edn.FINE+/FINE. [Complete number line 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2.] No owner inscrptn and no price-clip to dw/dj.Bright, crisp,clean,glossy laminated,montage'd colour photographic illustrated upper panel of dw/dj, with red+black lettering; with negligible shelf-wear and creasing to edges and corners - no nicks or tears present.Top+fore-edges bright and clean; contents bright,tight,clean - pristine - no dog-ear reading creases to any pages' corners,appears unread - apart from my own collation.Bright,crisp,clean,sharp-cornered, publisher's original plain maroon cloth boards with bright,crisp,blocked silver gilt letters to spine/backstrip and immaculate plain white endpapers.UK,8vo HB+dw/dj,1st edn,2-338pp [paginated] includes introduction,a tribute by William Rees-Mogg,Remembering Frank by Simon Hoggart,Pts 1+2 comprising 18+4 chapters each respectively - each chapter having a varying number of sketches (either 3 minimum or 11 maximum),16pp contemporary b/w+colour autobiographical photographs in 1 block,between pp146/7,and an index.Plus [unpaginated] half-title+title pages,contents list/table,a dedication to verso of last page of contents list,and acknowledgements. Frank Johnson coined the term 'chattering classes',referred to Norman Tebbit as 'The Chingford Strangler' and Dennis Skinner as 'The Beast of Bolsover'.When he died (2006),the Evening Standard hoardings declared: 'Fleet Street Genius Dies'.For over 33 years Frank Johnson delighted readers and kept politicians on their toes with his dazzling and irreverent reports from the theatre of parliament. 'Best Seat in the House' entertainingly recalls the clashes,characters and occasions - the day when Norman Tebbit nearly came to blows with a Labour MP and the time Margaret Thatcher was thought to have disappeared down a manhole. Prophetically it was Johnson who bravely described Thatcher,then a Junior Minister,as having 'dimples of iron',long before she became known as The Iron Lady. The cast is wonderful: Boris Johnson failing to make Michael Heseltine laugh; dung flung from the gallery stopping the locquacious Tam Dalyell from speaking; John Prescott being dropped on the Japanes; and Tony Blair,seen by Frank as having organised the Fall of Baghdad on the same day as the Budget,simply to scupper Chancellor Brown. There are serious moments too: the Brighton Bombing,The Falklands War and Dr David Kelly's mysterious death.There are also excursions to the opera: Johnson's account of the time when, aged 14,he spent a night on stage at Covent Garden,clasped to Maria Callas's bosom,her right nipple in his eye,is a comic masterpiece. This unique collection of writings by Frank Johnson is a spectacular roller coaster ride through the political life of our times from one of the best and most loved political sketchwriters ever. Virginia Fraser was his wife,whom he married in 1998. Please contact seller,because of the weight of this item,for correct shipping/P+p quotes - particularly ALL overseas buyers - BEFORE ordering through the order page! N.B. ALL buyers please note,stocks' actual shipping/P+p costs are adjusted and any difference is refunded,after order's receipt and before the order's despatch,especially if the item(s) are offered either P+p included/FREE. ** N.B. US/Canada customers please be aware: Standard AIRMAIL postage from UK to these destinations can now cost more than the price of the book! If speed is not of the essence,then Economy rate is recommended - at approx. anything from a 1/3rd to 1/2 of the standard AIR quote/rate - sometimes arriving sooner than the 42 days - but not always. **

UK,8vo HB+dw/dj,1st edn.
Not SIGNED.

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