Airhead: The Imperfect Art of Making News - Softcover

Maitlis, Emily

Softcover

ISBN 10: 140593834X ISBN 13: 9781405938341

Publisher: Penguin, 2019

Synopsis

'A WONDERFULLY SANE BOOK FOR OUR UNHINGED TIMES' Simon Schama

If you think you know the news, think again.

In this behind-the-scenes, no holds barred account of life in the seconds before, during and after going on air, Emily Maitlis discloses the wrangling, bust-ups, blow-ups, pleading, last-second script-shreddings, scoops, walk-outs and unexpected love-ins that we never see on-screen.

Covering everything from the Paris terror attacks to Grenfell, #MeToo to President Clinton's love affairs, Boris Johnson, goat yoga, and interviews with everyone from Emma Thompson and Tony Blair to Donald Trump and Russell Brand, Airhead is a brilliant exposé of the moments that never make the news.

Featuring THREE exclusive new chapters
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'Vividly chronicles the pains and perils of news television' Guardian

'Emily has a style that would make you enjoy her report on the end of the world' Jeremy Vine

'Fluent, conversational and funny. Acerbic, hilarious' Evening Standard

'Smart, funny and brilliantly told' Elizabeth Day

'Searing honesty, compassion, intelligence . . . engages at every level' Daily Mail

'Irresistible. Her book's a romp' The Times

THE TIMES & DAILY MAIL TOP 100 BOOKS OF SUMMER

About this title

Review:

Maitlis has written a deliciously funny book about the high-wire act of broadcasting and the madness that surrounds it. Lots of famous presenters have written books but Maitlis' is different . . . Irresistible. She sounds great company . . . Her book's a romp (The Times)

Maitlis paints a vivid picture of the intensity and unpredictability that come with her assignments, which punctures the perceived glamour of life reporting the news . . . Her writing is excellent: precise, economical and accessible (Guardian)

She is a superb writer, used to throwing together pacy, engaging scripts at a second's notice. Each chapter is dedicated to one of her interviews - it is a sort of greatest-hits compilation (The Sunday Times)

[Emily] is so absolutely of the moment, a quasi-memoir could not be better timed. Airhead is a compilation of her greatest hits. And boy are there many . . . narrated in her snappy, chatty style . . . her asides are acerbic, her observations hilarious (Evening Standard)

Airhead is, like its author, funny, wise, self-deprecating and insightful (You Magazine)

Smart, funny and brilliantly told stories about what goes on behind the scenes of television news. A joy (Elizabeth Day)

Revelatory, riveting and frequently hilarious. A joy from beginning to end (James O'Brien)

A remarkable journey through the jungle of newsmaking. It combines razor-sharp analysis with compelling narrative drive and wit. A must-read (Matthew d'Ancona, Guardian and Evening Standard columnist)

A wonderfully sane book for our unhinged times (Simon Schama)

Emily has a style that would make you enjoy her report on the end of the world. Absolutely irresistible (Jeremy Vine)

About the Author:

Emily Maitlis presents the BBC Flagship nightly current affairs show Newsnight and specialises in election coverage in the UK and the USA. The Canadian born Sheffield raised British television presenter and journalist began her career in Hong Kong. She lives in London with one husband, two boys, and a large whippet.

About this edition

• Publisher: Penguin
• Publication date: 2019
• ISBN 10: 140593834X
• ISBN 13: 9781405938341
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 400