The Bedside Guardian 36

The Bedside Guardian 36 (1987) edited by W. L. Webb — Condition: Good (Crappy Old Books)

Some people keep mints by their bedside. Others, apparently, keep The Guardian. The Bedside Guardian 36 (Collins, 1987, ISBN: 9780002179829), edited by W. L. Webb, is part of the long-running annual series that gathers the very best (and occasionally the most infuriating) journalism from the newspaper’s pages. Think of it as a time capsule from the mid-1980s: Thatcher in full cry, Cold War tensions refusing to thaw, social debates bubbling like kettles left unattended, and cultural commentary sharp enough to leave paper cuts.

Inside you’ll find a mix of political analysis, reportage, essays, arts reviews, obituaries, and the kind of waspish humour that proves journalists never really do switch off, even when writing about opera or football. It’s witty, wide-ranging, and occasionally a little smug—perfect bedside reading if you like your lullabies spiced with righteous indignation and clever turns of phrase.

Now, about this particular copy: it’s sold by the ever-honest Crappy Old Books and rated Good. Which means the dust jacket has weathered a few battles (a scuff here, a crease there, like a broadsheet folded too many times on the morning train), the spine has been gently flexed, and the pages have mellowed into that inviting, honeyed hue of late-1980s paper stock. But it’s intact, sturdy, and ready to deliver another round of opinionated bedside company. No spilled coffee rings from deadline nights, no crossword half-scribbled in biro, no secret notes to editors lurking in the margins.

In short: The Bedside Guardian 36 is journalism as history in real time, preserved between hard covers. This copy is in Good condition: seasoned, serviceable, and ready to keep you awake far later than you planned. Another opinionated survivor from Crappy Old Books, where even yesterday’s headlines still make excellent bedside companions.

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