British satirist and cartoonist Martin Rowson’s acerbic chronicles of the evolution—or rather, regression—of politics in the last two decades.

 In 1997, on top of his regular visual contributions to the Tribune, Martin Rowson—the veteran mouthpiece of the Left of the British Labour Party—started writing a monthly column in the paper’s “As I Please” section, which was George Orwell’s slot fifty years earlier. Through his columns, Rowson chronicled the changing tides and tsunamis in the current political scene, documenting the rise of nationalism and the right-wing in these prescient musings. Over the next two decades, he pondered everything—the ideological battles inside Labour, the psychopathology of the Tory Party, the London Zoo, the British class system, Doctor Who, terrorism—and anything else that came to mind a day or so before the deadline.

Here, for the first time, a selection of these columns has been collected alongside Rowson’s other textual journalism, from tiny underground magazines in the United States to contributions to the Guardian, the Independent, and many other mainstream publications, on subjects ranging from the Charlie Hebdo massacre to his favorite books.

"Rowson is one of Britain’s best-known satirical cartoonists. . . . An enjoyable read, full of acerbic opinion and insights, including into the secrets of drawing politicians." * The Independent *
“This hefty 500-page tome offers a colorful and refreshingly irreverent raconteur’s record on politics at the turn of the millennium and its turbulent aftermath.” * Morning Star *
"A relentless tilt against the truth-suffocating miasma of political cant. . . . this collection of articles is as fresh, challenging, gloriously funny and anger-inducing as they were when the chosen subjects were first skewered by Rowson's unforgiving pen." * Tribune *

Martin Rowson is a writer and cartoonist. His work appears frequently in the Guardian and the Independent. His books include The Dog Allusion, Fuck: The Human Odyssey, and Giving Offence. He lives in London.