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Over 5,700 quotations

This collection offers a stimulating picture of American culture and life. Up-to-date and thoroughly researched, the Dictionary gives readers a nutshell history of what great (and not-so-great) Americans had to say about many topics. This thoughtfully laid out compilation represents Americans ranging from the famous to the infamous, and from the distant as well as recent past, from George Abbott to Fran Lebowitz to Frank Zappa and numerous personalities, presidents, and analysts.

This is an essential browser-friendly reference not only for writers, editors, teachers and students, but also for anyone interested in the great people and ideas of American history.

Over 3,300 quotations

If you've ever wondered where the immortal phrase "A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do" originated, tried to establish who first said that "truth is stranger than fiction," been puzzled by rumors that Neil Armstrong never said "That's one small step for man...," or rashly assumed that Salome's "Dance of the Seven Veils" must be mentioned somewhere in the Bible, then Brewer's Famous Quotations will put you on the right track.

Revealing the intriguing stories behind quotations, from Julius Caesar's supposed dying words ("Et tu, Brute?") to George W Bush's "Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists," Nigel Rees offers detailed insights into a host of misremembered, misattributed and generally problematic quotations.

Authoritative and entertaining by turns, this is the perfect book for browsers, the ultimate source of information on a wide range of quotations, and the final court of appeal on the vexed issue of Who Really Said What.

Over 5,000 quotations

This up-to-date collection offers a vivid picture both of the world today, and of the landmark events and key voices leading to it. From Scott's Antarctic Expedition in 1912 to the attack on the World Trade Centre in 2001, it charts watersheds such as two World Wars as well as the ebbs and flows of popular culture.

Containing quotations from authors as diverse as Elizabeth Arden, Billy Connolly, Bertolt Brecht, Linda Evangelista, Eddie Izzard, Alison Lurie, Carl Sagan, William Shatner, and Desmond Tutu, the dictionary is author-organized with generous cross-referencing. Special categories for film taglines and cartoon captions have been added to accompany misquotations, official advice, newspaper headlines, and many more. Informative and entertaining, this book is a vital part of the modern reference shelf, perfectly designed to answer the questions, ‘Who said that...and when...and why?’

Over 4,700 quotations

A thoroughly revised and refreshed new edition of this classic collection of wisecracks, one-liners, snappy comebacks, and punch lines, now under the editorship of writer, broadcaster, and wit, Gyles Brandreth. With over 1,000 new quotations from all media, it's even easier to find apt and entertaining quotes on subjects ranging from Argument to Diets, from Computers to The Weather. Add sparkle to your speeches and presentations, or just enjoy a good laugh in company with Oscar Wilde, Mark Twain, Joan Rivers, Kathy Lette, Frankie Boyle, and friends.

‘A glorious treasure-house for browsers’ – Times Literary Supplement

Over 20,000 quotations

A major new edition of the most authoritative dictionary of quotations available brings you the wit and wisdom of past and present – from the ancients of East and West to the global village of the 21st century. Find that half-remembered line in a paradise of quotations for all occasions, from over 3,700 authors. Lord Byron may have taken the view: ‘I think it great affectation not to quote oneself’, but for the less self-centred this classic work provides a quote for every occasion, whether from the greatest minds of history or from undistinguished characters known only for one happy line.

Drawing on Oxford's unrivalled dictionary research programme and unique language monitoring, over 700 new quotations have been added to this eighth edition from authors ranging from St Joan of Arc and Coco Chanel to Albrecht Dürer and Thomas Jefferson. Here is the ultimate answer to the questions ‘Who said that?’ (and when, and why).

Over 4,900 quotations

The power of words in politics is well known and the fourth edition of the Oxford Dictionary of Political Quotations brings together both words of wisdom and things that might have been better left unsaid. This unique reference work not only charts the most influential political events of recent times via the things people said about them - including an international financial crisis and a watershed in American presidential politics - but also digs deeper than ever into the rich heritage of political history from around the world.

A mouth-watering collection for anyone with an interest in history and politics, Antony Jay (co-author of the famous TV series Yes Minister and Yes Prime Minister) has assembled both a crash course in political wisdom past and present and a treasure trove of politicians' cock-ups and put-downs, with more than 300 new quotations and over 90 new authors, from Sarah Palin to David Cameron by way of Silvio Berlusconi. The dictionary also includes an essay by the political journalist Matthew Parris.

Over 4,300 quotations

The original words announcing great scientific discoveries, from the first ‘Eureka!’ to the cloning of Dolly the sheep, can all be found in this dictionary. Put together over 15 years with the assistance of a distinguished team of specialist advisers, it includes full author descriptions and exact sources. Scholarly but accessible, it presents the human face of science, as scientists reflect on achievements and failures in their own lives and those of others. Darwin describes natural selection and assesses the pros and cons of marriage; James Clerk Maxwell constructs an electric but poetic Valentine as well as his ‘demon’. In this book you can find out who believed that ‘Science and everyday life cannot and should not be separate’, and who liked to ask what he would do if he were ‘a carbon atom or a sodium atom’.