Peter York - A Dead Cat on Your Table - a new take on culture wars

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A New Guide to Culture Wars and How Not to Lose Them.

Britain’s culture wars, says Peter York, are waged by a shameless minority with no shortage of money or media access. Their battle against society’s most vulnerable, whether it’s asylum-seeking refugees or transgender youth, is fought not for principle, but for money and political power.

‘A Dead Cat on Your Table’ illuminates the dark corners where these culture warriors operate. Amplified by the viscerally profound artwork of cartoonist Martin Rowson, this book not only cuts through the divisive and dangerous narratives pervading our politics but exposes the cynicism and rancour of those who promote and promulgate them – all in graphic detail.


Books will be available to purchase for signing by Peter.

More (thanks to Melanie Lay) :

York has often been at the forefront of the conversation about what makes British society tick. From his early work co-authoring "The Official Sloane Ranger Handbook" (1982), which humorously profiled Britain's privileged young elites, to "Peter York's Eighties" (1995), a dissection of the defining decade’s social and aesthetic trends, In the more satirical vein, his book "Dictators' Homes" (2005) took readers on a fascinating (and somewhat absurd) tour of the extravagant residences of the world’s most notorious leaders, combining sharp commentary with an eye for the bizarre.
Over the years, York has become a familiar face on television, whether critiquing the homes of the rich and powerful or dissecting societal shifts his ability to blend humour with a keen social critique has accumulated a loyal audience.

The “dead cat” Strategy
Now York is back and with something quite different. His latest book, "A Dead Cat on Your Table" (2024), dives into the turbulent waters of the so-called 'culture wars'. But rather than rehash the tired debates, York takes a fresh approach. In the book, York examines how political figures, media, and lobbyists manipulate public sentiment through what’s been dubbed the "dead cat" strategy—a phrase famously coined by political strategist Sir Lynton Crosby and made popular by former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson. The idea is simple: when you're losing an argument, you throw a metaphorical "dead cat" on the table, diverting attention from the real issues to something more shocking or emotive. And that, York argues, is what lies at the heart of today's culture wars—diversion and division.