Exterminate/Regenerate

A cultural history of one of the most enduring creations of the 1960s . . . Unmissable

THE HERALD

A TARDIS of a book. On the outside it's about a TV show, but open it up and you're plunged into the space-time continuum. John Higgs is your man for seeing eternity in a grain of sand

FRANK COTTRELL-BOYCE

Absolutely wonderful. The book I've been waiting to read since I was ten years old. Full of surprising and piercing insights, and fascinating meditations on the nature of mystery. The first thing I've come across that absolutely nails the extraordinary nature of the cultural phenomenon that is Doctor Who. Like its subject, it's about so much more than it appears to be

JEREMY DYSON

With his usual mix of cultural savvy and sharp philosophical insight, John Higgs frees Doctor Who from the rubber tendrils of fandom to reveal an unkillable British myth which millions of us helped create together

JOEL MORRIS

Full of interesting tidbits and perfect for the Doctor Who fan in your life

JENNY COLGAN

Epic, pacey and blisteringly insightful. Higgs is a masterful guide to one of the weirdest elements in British pop culture. This is an adventure in time and space which manages to be thrilling, laugh-out-loud funny and oddly melancholic, often on a single page. He gives us the full authoritative story of Doctor Who. And along the way, we learn a great deal about modern Britain, our weird relationship with change, and the haunted corridors of our own childhood

IAN DUNT

Wonderful! You do not need to be a Whovian to delight at John Higgs's journey through Doctor Who, but you may well be one by the end of the book

ROBIN INCE

One of the greatest books on a cultural phenomenon ever written . . . I found myself giggling and chortling throughout, heard myself make little gasps of recognition and at certain points, there were even tears. It is brilliantly insightful [and] absolutely essential reading for anyone interested in pop culture and modern storytelling. Read this book

NICK ABADZIS

Astute . . . there are engaging new theories to share and fascinating connections to trace. A fitting biography

SFX magazine

Though chronological, the book takes a suitably 'timey-wimey' approach, with frequent diversions into the lives of its stars, writers and producers, its narrative parallels with English and Norse folklore, Dickens, Tolkien and Buddhism, and the political and cultural forces that have guided its evolution . . . Illuminating

RADIO TIMES

I was very taken with Higgs's "biography of the infamous Time Lord". As well as being a study of the famous science fiction character, [Higgs] offers telling insights into British society and the failings of the BBC. There are shocking accounts of bad-tempered, homophobic, heavy-drinking, sexist actors and corporate bigwigs in the mix of a book that is also crammed with fascinating nuggets about the Doctor Who villains

INDEPENDENT, Books of the Year

An absorbing, engaging and gossipy history of Doctor Who, full of new insight and detail - both comprehensive and breezy, and so bigger on the inside. A joyous celebration of a British institution

SIMON GUERRIER, author of DAVID WHITAKER IN AN EXCITING ADVENTURE WITH TELEVISION