The Joy of Quiz (Hardback)

Alan Connor (author)

£14.99

Hardback 320 Pages / Published: 03/11/2016

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Synopsis

'An absolute must-read for anyone who loves quizzes ... I loved it!' Richard Osman A jaunty journey into the world of the quiz, from the question editor of BBC2's Only Connect, sometimes in the form of 300 excellent quiz questions In 1938 Britain started to quiz. Since then, quizzes have become ubiquitous entertainment from pubs to primetime, suffered major criminal investigations, created unlikely folk heroes and been subjected to the rigours of question checkers. The Joy of Quiz tells the history of quiz and its makers, wonders how we came to make a game out of remembering scraps of information, looks at the tactics of professional quizzers and reveals the shadowy worlds of setters and checkers. Along the way, it asks questions such as 'What is a fact, anyway?' and 'Whatever happened to prizes like sandwich toasters?'

Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
ISBN: 9781846148682
Number of pages: 320
Weight: 393 g
Dimensions: 204 x 138 x 30 mm

MEDIA REVIEWS

An absolute must-read for anyone who loves quizzes. Alan knows everything, knows everyone, and writes beautifully too. I loved it! -- Richard Osman
Knowledgeable and playful ... An absolute delight -- Simon Humphreys * Mail on Sunday *
An entertaining new book on quizzing ... Connor has again succeeded in explaining the enduring popularity of a curious pastime. The Joy of Quiz offers an entertaining sideways social history that takes in debates over quizzing and public morals, government oversight, and - I've started so I'll finish - the strange things otherwise ordinary people will undergo to win a round of drinks -- John Gallagher * Guardian *
Alan Connor has the mind of an entertainer and the soul of a quizzer. I can't think of anyone better placed to lead readers through this weird, wonderful, competitive and dastardly trivial pursuit -- Victoria Coren Mitchell