Airhead

Anyone who has spent this election campaign shouting at the TV needs a copy of Emily Maitlis's Airhead in their Christmas stocking. It's funny and subtly smart, taking the reader behind the camera * Guardian, Best Politics Books of 2019 *
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 *
She recounts the interviews of her career, from the great, the good and the questionable, offering insights into the questions that illuminated their characters and the ones they dodged. A chapter on being the target of a stalker reveals her more vulnerable side in this compelling book * Observer *
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
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 *
The irony of this riveting, enlightening and sometimes painfully honest book is that you couldn't meet less of an airhead than Emily Maitlis - a bold, fearless journalist, a splendidly probing and well-prepared interlocutor, and a warm, sharp and witty woman at the top of her game on and off camera. I'm just very disappointed there's only one chapter about me * Piers Morgan *
A light and easy read but a thought-provoking one * The Times *
An irreverent and amusing account of her media career * The Times, 100 Best Books for Summer *
Smart and Broadcast News-funny, Airhead is peppered with insider anecdotes you could only pick up working on the kind of big news stories that the journalist has covered for decades * Daily Telegraph *
Not an autobiography but a serious book about journalism, disguised in anecdotal chapters about her encounters with the great and the good and the rather awful . . . leads the reader towards a deeper understanding of an essential part of our culture: current affairs . . . this is a book that engages at every level * Daily Mail *
A deliciously funny behind-the-scenes take on broadcasting and her encounters with politicians and celebrities * i *
Fascinating . . . [an] excellent book * Mail on Sunday *
A behind-the-scenes look at how news gets made * Observer *
A fascinating and brilliantly evocative ringside seat at some of the most notable interviews she's done * Radio Times *
Behind-the-scenes accounts of her famous encounters, including those with Donald Trump, Bill Clinton and the Dalai Lama, among many others * Daily Mail Books of the Year *
She lifts the veil on the inner workings of the BBC, as she reflects on her long career as a journalist * Radio Times *
She offers insights into everyone from Donald Trump to Simon Cowell, showing them not just as what they represent, but as individuals with flaws and charm * The Press and Journal *
One of the best we've read this year . . . This insightful, hilarious and engrossing memoir from one of our most well-liked TV broadcasters takes you behind the scenes of the biggest news stories in recent years * SheerLuxe, 15 Best Beach Reads of 2019 *
Recounts, one guest per chapter, a number of her interviews with the boldest of boldface figures . . . Entertaining * Strong Words *
A quick, absorbing read . . . my overriding impression is of rather breathless thoughtfulness . . . her formidable intelligence and self-deprecating awareness shine brightly * Times Higher Education *
We love the Maitlis * Stylist *
We're obsessed with Emily Maitlis in this house
Emily Maitlis is a particular hero of mine . . . I know I'm in for a treat with Airhead * Gaby Huddart, Editor-in-chief, Good Housekeeping *
Emily Maitlis is one of my favourite interviewers and I want to read her tales of interviewing people such as Donald Trump, Theresa May and Simon Cowell * Catriona Shearer, Sunday Mail *
A fascinating behind-the-scenes insight into modern television news * Time & Leisure Magazine *
It's a brilliant, often funny, behind-the-scenes account of her working life, written by one of Britain's best television broadcasters. It proves she's far from an airhead! * John Craven *
She gives readers a behind-the-scenes look at some of the most engaging interviews she's conducted in recent years - with all the wrangling, arguing, pleading and last-minute script writing they involved. Insightful, funny and engrossing, we love it. * SheerLuxe *