Joseph Heller

Trevor White

At the heart of Joseph Heller's bestselling novel, first published in 1961, is a satirical indicement of military madness and stupidity, and the desire of the ordinary man to survive it. It is a tale of the dangerously sane Captain Yossarian, who spends his time in Italy plotting to survive. Yossarian is a bombardier in the 256th Squadron of the Army Air Forces during World War II, stationed on Pianosa, a fictionalised island in the Mediterranean between mainland Italy and Corsica. The squadron's assignment is to bomb enemy positions in Italy and eastern France. Yossarian's mission is simply to stay alive.

Catch-22

James Frey

James Frey comes to his senses on a plane, his face shattered and his body disintegrating from alcohol and drug abuse. In a desperate attempt to rescue him, his parents take him to a rehabilitation centre, where he must face the demons that have made him a violent, suicidal addict at the age of 23. He discovers a world peopled with despondent, damaged and determined characters. His friends, his family and most of all his beloved Lilly teach Frey how to love again. Frey's journey from the degradation of substance abuse to moral and spiritual redemption is as immaculately paced and structured as a novel. This bittersweet memoir is written with searing honesty. It is unflinching and devoid of self-pity, but filled with love and understanding for Frey's fellow-sufferers and his family. Uplifting, challenging and devastating in turns, this beautifully written book is poignant and compelling to the very end.'An extraordinary and deeply moving book that will make you think about family, friendship, love, religion, death and perhaps most of all, the human spirit' - Irish Sunday Independent

A Million Little Pieces

Irish village. Viking town. English city. Proud European capital. A Little History of Dublin is a high-speed history of life in the Irish capital. The key events are explained in short, digestible chapters, and the reader can expect to discover the complete history of Dublin in the time it takes to walk from Dollymount to Dalkey. Incident, humour and humanity are privileged throughout this history in a hurry. Author Trevor White writes with affection but also with a clarity that reflects his experience of running a museum that celebrates the history, humour and hospitality of Dublin. The result is a crisp and colourful account of achievement and misadventure in a city that White calls Europe’s largest village.

A Little History of Dublin

Are all food critics corrupt? What’s the trick for getting a table tonight in America’s and Europe’s most fashionable restaurants? Find out in Kitchen Con. “Waiter and customer have a lot in common. Each lingers under the delusion that lunch is on the way, neither has more than a passing interest in the other, and both are at the mercy of an ill-tempered thug with a white toque,” writes Trevor White in this hilarious account of life as a restaurant critic. Kitchen Con is his passionate, intelligent exposé of the restaurant business, from the world’s first restaurant after the French Revolution to today’s most fashionable tables in London, Paris, and New York. With style and humor, White lifts the lid off the culinary cartel—owners, chefs, and critics—that cons diners around the globe. No one—not even the author himself—is spared in this riveting account of life at the heart of the restaurant racket.

Writing on the Restaurant Racket

Kitchen Con

An awkward history of the Celtic Tiger, by a man two tried to capture it, and ended up being mauled.

The Dubliner Diaries

"The difference between Gordon Ramsay and a talking pig is that Gordon Ramsay never shuts up." —From Kitchen Con Our consumer culture can’t help but get wrapped up in designer crazes— these days our collective attention is focused on the designer food frenzy. Chefs are our newest celebrities and their restaurants are their stages, but hidden behind the elegant façade of fine dining exists the stark and sometimes shocking reality of the food industry. Renowned food critic Trevor White exposes what goes on behind the scenes in the high-stakes world of the restaurateur. Diners, be forewarned: this biting critique of restaurant culture shows today’s most celebrated restaurants for what they really are: greedy, ostentatious businesses solely dedicated to the fame of their owners. Kitchen Con pays tribute to the history of dining out, starting with the first restaurants and moving on to the most fashionable and well-known kitchens in New York, Paris and London. Witty, humourous and polished, White takes his reader on a whirlwind trip through the restaurant racket, sparing no one!

Trevor White

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