My Lords, Ladies and Gentlemen

This book is the fruit of asking over a hundred famous people for their favourite after-dinner story. The book is full of gems which you can dine out on. For instance Sir Patrick Nairne tells of a story when he was working for a politician who had to make an important address in a room with bad acoustics. After he had been speaking for five minutes he paused and asked: 'Can you her me at the back?' A wag at the back of the room replied: 'I can hear you alright, but I am quite ready to change places with somebody who can't.'