Pre-order
1
of
1
Different Times
A History of British Comedy
Brief Description
They don't make comedy like they used to . . . From the slapstick comedy of Charlie Chaplin and Stan Laurel, the surrealism of Spike Milligan and Monty Python, and the golden age of political incorrectness helmed by Benny Hill, to the alternative scene that burst...
Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$3299
Unit price
/
Unavailable
Pre-order
Releases
1st
December 2026
(Approx. Date)
Pre-order "Different Times" now to secure your copy from our first shipment
Found a better price? Request a price match
Different Times
$3299
Unit price
/
Unavailable
Latest News
Meet Serena: The Month I Finally Started Reading Again
After months of being stuck in a reading slump, Serena set herself one simple goal...
Tiny Books, Big Adventures: Meet Bookcessories!
We are so excited to introduce to you our mini Bookcessories range! These are super cute...
New Releases to add to your TBR this week (9th September)
Lizzy is rounding up the newest arrivals across fiction, non-fiction, and children's books! Check out...
The Book Briefing - September 9th
Welcome to this week's Book Briefing where we round up the news for the week!
Your Introduction to Paranormal Romance
Paranormal Romance is a sub-genre of the romance world that I love in all it's...
See moreA history of the great British comedy tradition of the twentieth century to the present day.
A history of the great British comedy tradition of the twentieth century to the present day.
Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and
still learning, it may not be perfect - your
feedback is welcome!
Description
They don't make comedy like they used to . . .
From the slapstick comedy of Charlie Chaplin and Stan Laurel, the surrealism of Spike Milligan and Monty Python, and the golden age of political incorrectness helmed by Benny Hill, to the alternative scene that burst forth following the punk movement, the hedonistic joy of Absolutely Fabulous, the lacerating scorn of Jimmy Carr, Ricky Gervais, and Jo Brand and the meteoric rise of socially conscious stand-up today: comedy can be many things, and it is a cultural phenomenon that has come to define Britain like few others.
In Different Times, David Stubbs charts the superstars that were in on the gags, the unsung heroes hiding in the wings and the people who ended up being the butt of the joke. Comedians and their work speak to and of their time, drawing upon and moulding Britons' relationship with their national history, reflecting us as a people, and, simply, providing raucous laughs for millions of people around the world.
Different Times is a joyous, witty and insightful paean to British comedy.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9780571353477
Publisher: Faber & Faber
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 06 August 2026
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: Faber & Faber
Edition: Main
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Width: 129.0mm
Height: 198.0mm
Weight: 0g
Pages: 320
About the Author
David Stubbs is a British author and music journalist. Alongside Simon Reynolds, he was one of the co-founders of the Oxford magazine Monitor before going on to join the staff at Melody Maker. He later worked for NME, Uncut and Vox, as well as the Wire. His work has appeared in The Times, Sunday Times, Spin, Guardian, Quietus and GQ. He has written a number of books, including Fear Of Music: Why People Get Rothko But Don't Get Stockhausen, Future Days: Krautrock and the Building of Modern Germany and Mars by 1980: The Story of Electronic Music. He lives in London.
Also by David Stubbs
View all-
Future Days
West Germany after the Second World War was a country in shock: estranged from its recent history, and adrift from the rest of Europe. This proved to be fertile ground for a generation of musicians who, from the 1960s onwards, would develop the experimental sounds that became known as Krautrock. Faust, Neu!, Cluster, Ash Ra Tempel, Amon Düül II, Can,...Paperback$3400Elsewhere:$3699Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
Different Times
They don't make comedy like they used to... From the slapstick comedy of Charlie Chaplin and Stan Laurel, the surrealism of Spike Milligan and Monty Python, and the golden age of political incorrectness helmed by Benny Hill, to the alternative scene that burst forth following the punk movement, the hedonistic joy of Absolutely Fabulous, the lacerating scorn of Jimmy Carr,...Hardback$4999Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
Mars by 1980
In Mars By 1980, David Stubbs charts the evolution of electronic music from the earliest mechanical experiments in the late nineteenth century, through to the ubiquitous, familiar sounds of electronica, house, and techno that we know today. It's a tale of mavericks and future dreamers overcoming Luddite resistance, malfunctioning devices, and sonic mayhem. The beginnings may be in the world...PaperbackSold Out
More from Humour
View all-
Me vs Brain
The hilarious book from TikTok and Insta sensation, Hayley Morris Brain - No one's going to buy your book Me - But it's good! My editor says so! Brain - Well she would, wouldn't she... Btw, didn't you leave your hair straighteners on? Me - I can't get into this now, I've got a book description to write Hello! Hayley...Paperback$2600Elsewhere:$3000Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
What A Way To Go
The Million Copy #1 Bestselling Author of How to Kill Your Family is back with the new book of the moment. Featured in Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Sunday Times Style, You Magazine… 'Super-sharp, lethally witty' - NIGELLA LAWSON 'Delicious' - JOJO MOYES 'Very funny… I inhaled it' - JOE LYCETT ‘Taut, pacy, seamless… a huge pleasure to read’ - MARIAN KEYES ‘I...Paperback$3699Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
Murdoku
Place the suspects, reveal the killer! An innovative puzzle book that incorporates murder mysteries with sudoku-like logic. An addictive mix of cosy crime and colourful grid logic puzzles. These visually appealing, addictive puzzles drop solvers into immersive mini murder mysteries, combining the elegant simplicity of games like sudoku with the storytelling of classic logic problems. But Murdoku introduces its own...Paperback$3899Elsewhere:$4000Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
The Gate of the Feral Gods
The fourth book in the explosive LitRPG Dungeon Crawler Carl series New Achievement! Total, Utter Failure.You failed a quest less than five minutes after you received it. Now that's talent. Surviving in a multilevel dungeon that also happens to be the set of the galaxy's most watched game show has taught Coast Guard vet Carl and his ex-girlfriend's cat, Princess...Hardback$6000Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
Minute Cryptic
Welcome to your brand-new wordplay obsession. From the creators of the hugely popular online puzzle platform, Minute Cryptic, comes this step-by-step guide to solving cryptic crosswords. With over 160 different clues for you to solve, each chapter takes you through a different wordplay concept essential for unlocking cryptic crossword clues. As you complete the book, you'll build your skills and...Paperback$2799Elsewhere:$3600Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
Murdle
Bored of Wordle? Try being a sleuth with these murder mystery puzzles. Murdle by G. T. Karber, the creator of the popular online daily mystery game, presents a collection of 100 original murder mystery logic puzzles - the perfect gift for armchair detectives and puzzlers to hone their minds and solve a crime. - Who committed the ghastly deed? -...Paperback$3200Elsewhere:$3699Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
Kitchen Confidential
The classic bestseller from the star of Parts Unknown and No Reservations: 25th Anniversary edition, with a new introduction by Irvine Welsh. BEFORE THERE WAS THE BEAR, THERE WAS BOURDAIN. ‘Elizabeth David written by Quentin Tarantino’ — A.A. Gill ‘Fantastic: as lip-smackingly seductive as a bowl of fat chips and pungent aioli’ — Daily Telegraph After twenty-five years of sex,...Paperback$2500Elsewhere:$2799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
The Butcher's Masquerade
The fifth book in the explosive LitRPG Dungeon Crawler Carl series Attention. The gates are down. The hunters are loose. Run. A deadly jungle. Bloodthirsty dinosaurs. A fallen princess seeking revenge. And a mysterious celebration known as The Butcher's Masquerade. Coast Guard veteran Carl and Princess Donut think they've seen everything the galaxy's favorite game show can throw at them-until...Hardback$6000Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
The Wedding People
'BEST READ OF THE YEAR SO FAR' THE TIMES 'BOOKS AS FUN AS THIS ONE ARE FEW AND FAR BETWEEN' GUARDIAN Phoebe Stone arrives at a grand beachside hotel in Rhode Island wearing her best dress and least comfortable shoes. Immediately she is mistaken for one of the wedding people — but she's actually the only guest at the Cornwall...Paperback$2399Elsewhere:$2799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
Women's Prize WinnerThe Correspondent
84 Charing Cross Road meets A Man Called Ove in this heartwarming, witty story about the life of an extraordinary woman, told through her letters. In her letters to family and friends, we come to know the life of Sybil Van Antwerp—stubborn, cantankerous, opinionated, always steadfast in her belief in the power of the written word. But as the clock...Paperback$2999Elsewhere:$3700Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
The Eye of the Bedlam Bride
The sixth book in the explosive LitRPG Dungeon Crawler Carl series. Chaos reigns on the eighth floor. Coast Guard vet Carl and Princess Donut have survived longer—and climbed higher—than anyone expected in the galaxy's favourite reality show, but now the game is wide open. The task: capture six monsters and turn them into battle cards. The stronger the creature, the...Hardback$6000Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
Detective Beans and the Map of Mystery
Enjoy this new DETECTIVE BEANS adventure in the bestselling and award-winning graphic novel series by Li Chen! Your favourite kitten detective is back with a new mystery to solve . . . and treasure to find! When Captain Scuttlebeard gives Beans a treasure map, Beans is determined to find the prize at the end. The clues take him all over...Paperback$1900Elsewhere:$2200Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today
Why buy from us?
Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!
Service & Delivery
Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.
Auckland Bookstore
We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.
Our Gifting Service
Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.
