Buddy Holly died on the 3 February 1959 death. He was 22 years old. Don McLean called that fatal day 'The Day the Music Died'. But, his music hasn't died, as he has left us a wonderful legacy. With his animated voice, trademark black glasses, fender Stratocaster and inimitable songs, Buddy and his music live on and continue to influence subsequent generations of musicians. Spencer Leigh has interviewed those who knew him best – his young widow Maria Elena, his band members the Crickets, Des O'Connor who compered his UK 1958 tour as well as musicians, songwriters, friends, fans and many others who worked with Buddy. A definitive account of Buddy Holly and his career. 'Spencer Leigh Raves On – brilliantly.' Sir Tim Rice A journalist, acclaimed author and BBC broadcaster for over 40 years, Spencer Leigh is an acknowledged authority on popular music. He has written an extensive list of music biographies which includes The Beatles, Buddy Holly, Simon & Garfunkel, Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley and Bob Dylan. 'A highly-readable mix of impeccable research, first-hand testimonies and a personal critique on Holly's life, career and music. First-rate.' Michael Leonard, Vintage Rock 'I am delighted to have been asked by Spencer to write the Foreword to Buddy Holly: Learning the Game, as I have read several of his biographies and he certainly knows what he is talking about.' Frank Ifield 'Spencer Leigh is a fine writer and a good researcher and I certainly enjoyed what he had to say about Buddy Holly.' Hunter Davies, author, journalist and broadcaster

Q. Why did Frosty decide to live in the middle of the ocean? A. Because snowman is an island. Q. What do you call a bunch of parents standing in line to buy their daughters a popular doll? A. A Barbie queue. Q. An opinion survey in Alaska is called what? A. A north poll. Q. When you cross a sheep with a cicada, what do you get? A. Baa, humbug!

The funniest, most memorable Twitter messages from comedian and bestselling author Steve Martin, along with hilarious responses from followers. Steve Martin's uncanny ability to pack 140 characters with humor and wit has defined what it means to be a celebrity in today's world of social media. With over 8 million followers on Twitter (a number growing by the day), Martin's tweets have been covered by personal blogs, major news outlets, and everything in between. Funny illustrations complement Martin's insights on everything from celebrity culture to jury duty to Twitter itself. Perfect, light reading for your hectic commute, busy waiting rooms, or a lazy Sunday afternoon, this collection will delight avid followers and offline fans alike.

Stuffed full of festive fun, this is an amusing and informative guide to surviving and making the most of the holiday season.

For over 2500 years many of the most learned scholars of the Greek language have concerned themselves with the topic of etymology. The most productive source of difficult, even inexplicable, words was Homer s 28,000 verses of epic poetry. Steve Reece proposes an approach to elucidating the meanings of some of these difficult words that finds its inspiration primarily in Milman Parry s oral-formulaic theory. He proposes that during the long period of oral transmission acoustic uncertainties, especially regarding word boundaries, were continually occurring: a bard uttered one collocation of words, but his audience thought it heard another. The consequent resegmentation of words and phrases is the probable cause of some of the etymologically inexplicable words in our Homeric texts.

A guide to proper American English word usage, grammar, pronunciation, and style features examples of good and bad usage from the media.

'They misunderestimated me' George W. Bush Einstein said only two things are infinite - the universe and human stupidity. So in deference to the dumbing down of our culture, comes Dim Wit - a collection of the most jaw-droppingly stupid things ever said. The cast includes every famous foot-in-mouther from George W Bush to Prince Philip, Paris Hilton to Jade Goody, not to mention hundreds of unsung idiots plucked from villages the world over. The result is a confederacy of dunces more pro-fun than profound - a clever witticism may coax an inward smile but it takes a really stupid remark to deliver a belly laugh. So pick up Dim Wit and prepare to embrace your inner moron - it may be the smartest thing you do... 'My grandma overheard two women talking in a doctor's surgery. After a while, one said to the other, "Do you know, Mary, I don't feel too well. I think I'll go home."' - Robyn Jankel 'I don't think anyone should write his autobiography until after he's dead.' - Samuel Goldwyn 'Winston Churchill? Wasn't he the first black President of America? There's a statue of him near me - that's black.' - Danielle Lloyd