Two Girls, One on Each Knee: The Puzzling, Playful World of the Crossword

Why should you always start a crossword in the

bottom right-hand corner? Which horror writer could do the Times crossword in the time it took to

boil an egg? How do you recruit a spy with a puzzle? What connects P. G.

Wodehouse and emus? Why was the humble grid deemed a menace to society?

This book is a celebration of the ins, outs,

ups and downs of the crossword in all its glory, taking in D-Day, Fleet Street, computers, Reggie

Perrin, Brief Encounter, Bletchley

Park, Pompeii, swearing, Queen Victoria and the word ‘Raisiny’.

It’s a guide to the wit, frustration and joy

of the English language, and why we love it.

‘Wonderful.’

Daily Telegraph
‘Fun galore.’

Mail on Sunday
‘Witty, charming

… in each chapter the reader

will find something to intrigue and delight.’

Spectator
‘Thorough guidance and enlightenment.’

The Times Literary Supplement
‘Wry, good-natured, lovingly crafted

… offers plenty to please both the seasoned solver and the amateur cruciverbalist.’ Sunday Telegraph