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In 1995 high-flying British journalist Toby Young left London for New York to become a contributing editor at Vanity Fair. Other Brits had taken Manhattan - so why couldn't he? How to Lose Friends and Alienate People is his hilarious account of the five years he spent steadily working his way down the New York food chain, and an insider view of modern celebrity culture. Now a major film starring Simon Pegg.

In 1995, high-flying British journalist Toby Young left London for New York to become a contributing editor at Vanity Fair. Other Brits had taken Manhattan - Alistair Cooke, Tina Brown, Anna Wintour - so why couldn't he? Surely, it would only be a matter of time before the Big Apple was in the palm of his hand.

But things did not go according to plan. Within the space of two years he was fired from Vanity Fair, banned from the most fashionable bar in the city and couldn't get a date for love or money. Even the local AA group wanted nothing to do with him.

How To Lose Friends and Alienate People is Toby Young's hilarious account of the five years he spent steadily working his way down the New York food chain, from glossy magazine editor to crash-test dummy for interactive adult toys. But it's not just a collection of self-deprecating anecdotes. It's also a seditious attack on the culture of celebrity from inside the belly of the beast. Not since Bonfire of the Vanities has the New York A-list been so mercilessly lampooned - and it all really happened!

About The Author

Toby Young was born in 1963. In the course of his career as a journalist he's been fired from a succession of prestigious newspapers and magazines, including The Times, The Guardian, The Independent and Vanity Fair. He lives in Shepherd's Bush.

About the Narrator

Gareth Armstrong is a highly experienced actor and voice-artist. As well as performing with the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Globe, in the West End and major regional theatres in the UK he has toured over sixty countries worldwide with his solo performances and drama workshops. Gareth has appeared in many radio programmes and has recorded many audiobooks, including How to Lose Friends and Alienate People by Toby Young and Must You Go: My Life with Harold Pinter by Antonia Fraser.

Reviews and Press Quotes

Julie Burchill

“The funniest, cleverest, most touching book I've read for as long as I can remember.”

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Content Advisory

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• Sex: Moderate
• Language: Moderate

This recording is unabridged. Typically abridged audiobooks are not more than 60% of the author's work and as low as 30% with characters and plotlines removed.