A Life in Questions

News, views and hilarious stories from the legend of Newsnight and long-standing quiz master of University Challenge.

‘Bursting with good things’ Daily Telegraph

During 25 years as BBC Newsnight’s supreme inquisitor, Jeremy Paxman proved himself as the master of the political intervview. From John Major to Theresa May and Tony Blair to Ed Miliband, he has them quaking in their boots. But it wasn’t just politicians. Paxman’s interviews with Dizzee Rascal, David Bowie, Russell Brand and Vivienne Westwood are legendary. He discussed belief with religious leaders and philosophers, economics with CEOs and bankers, books with writers, and art and theatre with artists. After 23 years on University Challenge, Paxman is also the longest-serving active quizmaster on British television.

In A Life in Questions, the tables are turned: the quizmaster answers our burning questions, telling terrifying stories and laughing at much of the silliness in the world. These are the long-awaited memoirs of the greatest political interviewer of our time.

Reviews

‘[Paxman] records his childhood and the highs and lows of his subsequent career with a sharp eye, an acerbic wit and a lingering trace of melancholy.’ Daily Mail

‘Funny, sad and revealing’ David Aaronovitch, The Times

‘Entertaining’, Books of the Year, Observer

‘[A] trenchant memoir’ Daily Mail

‘Eye-opening … [an] entertaining and anecdote-rich book’ Daily Express

‘Revealing memoir’ Observer

‘Gripping’ Literary Review

Praise for Jeremy Paxman:

‘Intelligent, well-written, informative and funny … A book to chew on, dip into, quote from and exploit in arguments’ Andrew Marr, Observer

‘He writes with wit and penetration, and every page of Empire can be read with relaxed pleasure’ Spectator

‘Paxman is witty, incisive, acerbic and opinionated . . . In short, he carries the whole thing off with panache bordering on effrontery’ Sunday Times

‘A very engaging account … with a good sprinkling of jokes, funny nicknames and sexual references. Paxman makes some very sharp points and writes well’ Guardian

‘Bursting with good things’ Daily Telegraph

About the author

Jeremy Paxman was born in Yorkshire. He grew up thinking of himself as 'English' despite being one quarter Scottish. Best known for his work presenting Newsnight and University Challenge, his acclaimed books include ‘Friends in High Places’, ‘The English’, ‘The Victorians’, ‘Empire’ and ‘Great Britain's Great War’.