The Spectator

Possibly more farcical than Richard Littlejohn's latest tome, 'Littlejohn's Britain', are the rave reviews he is getting on Amazon. "When Richard started out in his professional life, we are told in this book's introduction, he had little else to his name but a strong work ethic and Leni Riefenstahl's biography," says one reviewer, awarding him five stars. "Yet he has since shown himself to be a master of prose and scourge of those Guardianistas that would seek to turn our beloved Fatherland into Mogadishu - without allowing the admirable gun laws present in that much- maligned Somalian city." Another, referring to Littlejohn's previous book, 'Hell in a Handcart', offers this: "Where once Littlejohn's handcart was Tressell's Cave, now Littlejohn's Britain is Blatchford's Utopia. Littlejohn piles his new handcart high with Swift, Fielding, Whittier, Engels and even, at times, Chaucer - sending it hurtling down Merrie England's hills, casting haywains asunder." Who said satire was dead?

Good week for

Last.FM founders Felix Miller, Richard Jones and Martin Stiksel have sold their company for £280m to CBS. From humble beginnings four years ago - they used to pitch tents on the rooftop of their office block as they couldn't afford to rent flats - the boys have achieved 20 million active users each month.

Bad week for

Endemol: After 'Celebrity Big Brother', one might have thought its production company would lower its profile. Instead Endemol, headed by Peter Bazalgette, has launched 'The Big Donor Show' (win the show, get a life-saving kidney) in the Netherlands.

What goes round...

Falling on his sword at the 'News of the World' hasn't been too painful for Andy Coulson. As well as the David Cameron spin-doctor gig, he was offered the top job at the New York 'Daily News', rival to Rupert Murdoch's 'New York Post'. His successor at the 'News of the World', Colin Myler, was formerly executive editor of the 'New York Post'. Makes a change from the 'Telegraph'/'Mail' revolving doors.

Heavy traffic at 'GQ'

As if one blonde bombshell as motoring correspondent wasn't enough, Boris Johnson now has a rival on 'GQ'. The magazine has also hired the 'Telegraph' siren Celia Walden to review the finest handling and torque in the automobile world. Why does the magazine need another motoring writer? Would Boris not obligingly drape himself over the bonnets of cars for the classy glossy?

It's not who you know

Times really are a-changin' down at the 'Telegraph'. Where once it seemed assured that any member of the Deedes clan could at least get a passcard to the office, it is no longer so. Sophia Money Coutts, granddaughter of the veteran Bill Deedes, applied for the 'Telegraph' trainee scheme, had a jovial interview with editor Will Lewis and was politely told there was no vacancy. Roll on the meritocracy.

In the cheap seats

For tastelessness let us turn to the website of 'Encore Theatre Magazine'. It carries a list of people it likes - including the National Theatre's director, Nick Hytner, and various go-ahead playwrights of the bad language, shock-tactics variety - and a list of those it does not like, who tend to be the critics whom Hytner despises. And at the top of the latter list? Sheridan Morley - who died in February.

Interesting? Click here to explore further