The Thick of It: The Missing DoSAC Files

by Armando Iannucci, Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell

Based around the idea that King of Spin Malcolm Tucker has lost a confidential and highly-damaging file on a train, this book presents a collection of sensitive documents: personnel files, policy drafts, letters and emails, election campaign documents and top secret papers on the government's media strategy for wars and recessions.

Genres: Fiction, Humor, Comedy, Politics, Satire, Tv

136 pages, Paperback

First published November 4, 2010

About the author

Armando Giovanni Iannucci, OBE ( born 28 November 1963) is a Scottish comedian, satirist, writer, television director and radio producer. Born in Glasgow, he studied at Oxford University and left graduate work on a PhD about John Milton to pursue a career in comedy.
Rising quickly through BBC Scotland and BBC Radio 4, his early work with Chris Morris on the radio series On the Hour was transferred to television as The Day Today. A character from this series, Alan Partridge, went on to feature in a number of Iannucci's television and radio programmes including Knowing Me, Knowing You and I'm Alan Partridge. In the meantime, Iannucci also fronted the satirical Armistice review shows and in 2001 created his most personal work, The Armando Iannucci Shows for Channel 4.[2]
Moving back to the BBC in 2005, Iannucci created the political sitcom The Thick of It as well as the spoof documentary Time Trumpet in 2006. Winning funding from the UK Film Council, he directed a critically acclaimed feature film In the Loop featuring characters from The Thick of It in 2009. As a result of these works, he has been described by The Daily Telegraph as "the hardman of political satire". Other works during this period include an operetta libretto, Skin Deep and his radio series Charm Offensive.
Iannucci's latest television project is the HBO political satire Veep. In March 2012 it was announced that he is working on his first novel, Tongue International, described as 'a satirical fantasy about a privatised language'.

Reviews

[MJ Nicholls · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will treat this review simply as a place to promote Armando Iannucci’s The Thick of It, In the Loop, and the recent American remake Veep. There. Go watch them. This ‘missing file’ contains various snippets pertaining to the employees of most incompetent government department in the world, DoSac. Based on Labour’s recent decline into gibbering drooling madness, this is a mixture of gov-speak satire, ritual abuse from Malcolm Tucker, and fun extras from the BBC series. It is somewhat depressing we’ve come to expect incompetence and hypocrisy from our governments and that governments basically conform to our expectations, as though moulding themselves into the bastardy shapes we expect. No one in this country who isn’t rich likes the Prime Minister. Depressing. Fortunately, this collection of foul-mouthed missives provides erudite respite from one’s boiling rage. If there’s one thing you can rely on in Britain it’s savage mockery and contempt for our leaders.

[Adam Dodd · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like the series, you will enjoy this. It could have gone harder and more creative with the swearing, but the television version has perhaps set the bar impossibly high.

One thing that represents (I believe) a genuine character development from the television version is that Malcolm Tucker puts kisses at the bottom of many of his emails. He also seems to have a very genuine fondness for his secretary.

[Kribu · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is pretty much a book that would only make sense to people who are familiar with the world of The Thick of It, the wonderfully funny (and very sweary) British political satire show, as it's very much a compendium to the show and requires knowing both the setting and the characters.

Anyway, for any fan of TTOI, I think it's a pretty great addition. It's not a must-have - well, it sort of is if you love Malcolm Tucker (are there fans of TTOI who don't love Malcolm Tucker?) and in particular if you love Malcolm in a way that makes you appreciate those A4 colour pictures of him accompanying the interview, because phwoar, he's hot - and the mixture of funny and bizarre/awkward doesn't always work as well in print as it did on TV, but it's got a lot of good bits.

So, yeah. I enjoyed it, from the e-mails to Malcolm's how-to guides (and I loved a lot of Nicola's stuff as well!), and the ending was pretty much perfect.

[Commanderd · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a huge fan of the series, and the caracter of Malcolm Tucker in particular this was side splittingly hilarious. From Olli'e pathetic attempts to create smear material on the opposition to the emails between Malcolm and his PA Sam (signed with an X...) it's a fantastic read.

[Ulrike · Rating 5 out of 5]

#gaysex

[Chris Greensmith · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Well you know what, Howard? She's not bent, either in the sense of being corrupt or being gay. And by the way, that's an incredibly homophobic headline, you massive poof."

[Eva Müller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well this was brilliant. I'm not sure when was the last time I laughed as much...possible while watching an episode of TTOI so I guess this book did what it was supposed to ;)
It's not one of those tie-in books where they just stuck some behind the scenes-photos and quotes together, clearly lots of work and thought went into this.

The focus is of course on Malcom. These are his files after all but being Malcom he of course has dirt on everyone...or at least embarassing things about everybody, including a cringe-worthy interview with Nicola...more cringe-worthy things by Nicola, details on Jamie's 'Summer of Shame' (seriously, that had me in stitches) and accompaning e-mails in which Malcom teases him for it (and calls him 'wee Jamie'), Ollie being so useless at diging up dirt on Peter Mannion that Malcoms has to write Peter and ask for help, Phil and Terri being to full of themeselves and Emma being...well Emma. Oh and the e-mails between Malcom and Sam which are adoreable.

I found some of the things that directly focussed on Malcom a bit over-the-top, especially the interview (though the photo-manips portraying him as the Lord of Darkness were hillarious) and that...strange self-insert polit-thriller but the rest was awesome.

[Peter Dunn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been savouring a few pages of this at a time over, several months, to provide me with a regular fresh dose of ‘The Thick of It’ and in particular Malcom Tucker long after the end of the show. While the last few pages were a little weak the rest of book did not disappoint – well it was written by written by Armando Iannucci, Jesse Armstrong and the original ‘The Thick of It’ crew. It was wonderful to have the equivalent of roughly two or three more episodes of the show in book form.

[Isa · Rating 4 out of 5]

 
There were a few parts in this that could only work if they were being read by the actors, but most of it was the usual brilliance you see in the show, like:
 
• Malcolm's interview, where he claims he could win a fight against Muhammad Ali (because he has Parkinson's now)
• Nicola's interview, where she reveals she did try yoga (but had to stop because she broke her sternum)
• Mannion's attack points file, where we find out he crashed his yacht against another yacht (because "the ocean made a sudden unexpected up and down motion")
• Malcolm's Guide to Managing Your Public Image, full of helpful tips like "if you feel you might be unable to stop yourself smiling at a service of remembrance imagine your own cock being fed into a moulinex (Clinton once coaxed a tear this way in Normandy)
 
If you love the show, you'll love the book.

[Reni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just what you need if you're like me and have recently finished watching The Thick of It and ended up starved for more of the same. This beautiful, hilariously detailed collection of emails, memos, magazine articles, notes and telephone transcripts nails the mean humour and tone of the TV-show.

Some sections of the book, to me, were more enjoyable than others, but that's of course due to personal taste. All in all the spectrum of assembled material is wide enough that the humour won't feel repetitive even if you wolf down the whole thing within only two days, as I did (oops).

[Ben Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

G O L D E N

[Martin Locock · Rating 3 out of 5]

Watching The Thick Of It now is a strange experience: what used to be a darkly fantastic exaggeration of the mundaneness of government, where an unfortunate photo opportunity might trigger a political crisis, is now mere reportage. Sadly the antics of the DOSAC gang seem less harmless in this context, and laughs may be hard to find. This book follows in the tradition established by Monty Python and The Goodies in the 1970s of the cheap TV tie-in book that has been compiled with much more care and creativity than the format expects. Here, the files are a collection of documents, including Terri's appraisal form for Robyn, a bizarre ghostwritten draft of a Malcolm Tucker novel, and email trails of gossip and insult. Like the later seasons, the book bows down to the central figure of Tucker, as if he is to be admired for his near-constant rage and rudeness. We get only glimpses of him being charming, convincing and efficient, when this must be a large part of his role. Sadly Glen and Oliver are largely absent: their strange uneasy comradeship is for me the glue of the series. Perhaps the most enjoyable parts for the contemporary reader will be the Nicola Murray sections, where the tone of fake self-deprecation as she tries to articulate her Big Idea of the the Fourth Sector sounds uncannily like Liz Truss.

[Maj · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, I was in luck a few weeks ago, and found this on the bargain stand in the English language section of one of the book shops I pop into from time to time.

As a TTOI fan I had to have it, even though it pretty much features the docus you can find on the Tucker Phone app (which I still have on my ancient iPhone, which I occasionally use as a music player). But it's certainly nice to have them in eye-friendly size and in physical form, not easily perishable with decaying software.

Some of the humour contained lands better, some is less successful (you realise how much the actors bring to the material, really)...but all of it is true to the different characters.

It's certainly a must-have for TTOI fans (who, I'm sure, all already have it) - or for anyone who is into not-just-political comedy of the intelligent variety.

[Sergio GRANDE · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, my fuck! This is where Goodreads is completely out of touch with reality. A mere 5/5 does no justice to this book. This is 101/100. Nothing less.

There is no acerbic comedy writing like Armando Iannucci’s team; there is no anger like Malcolm Tucker’s; there is no accent to deliver a threat like Peter Capaldi’s. And they all come together in this book.

Next week, long after I’ve started my second or third book, I will still be laughing at this one.

Dear Nobel Prize committee, stop your pretentious shit with unknown Burmese and Rwandan writers not even their editors can figure out. I know you have not read those books, nobody does.

This should be your next winner if you want to regain a modicum of credibility.

[Sebastian Zavala · Rating 5 out of 5]

A hilarious dossier of missing DoSAC files, this book, based on the "In The Thick of It" universe definitely manages to convey the hilarity and profanity of the show's characters. We have a little bit of everything: emails in which Malcolm Tucker insults pretty much.... everyone; letters; dossiers; newspaper articles; transcripts of telephone calls, and even extracts of Malcolm's diary. I laughed out loud while reading this book, reminded me of some of the best bits of the show, from Malcolm's tirades to Oliver Reeder's comments and Nicola Murray's ineptitud. So yeah, it's the perfect companion for "In The Thick of It".

[Jemiah Jefferson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought the hell out of this book as soon as I knew of its existence, and it did not disappoint (it had to come from SWITZERLAND of all places). Excellent writing from the writers of the show in the voices of the characters (or at least how they are in email, and in magazine interviews and articles, hilariously) and with lots of amazing photos and other visual evidence of just how screwed we are as a species. If you're a fan of The Thick of It I recommend making the effort to track this down. It will require effort. Just do it.

[Jake · Rating 3 out of 5]

definitely for fans only (recently rewatched the entire run of the show - some of the best tv ever made)
did enjoy it and got some good laughs out of it, but felt a lot of it was offcuts or things they couldn't fit into the show.
certainly not bad though. would prefer more of the tv show though (a boy can dream).

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This has some fun facts for fans of the tv show! It’s not as good as the tv but is quite entertaining in its own right! There were some lulls in the comedic value but I loved all of the fowl language and Malcom Tucker centric pieces as they really showed off his terrible attitudes. Still a good read and I love the tv show!

[Flyss Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 - The thick of it, is some of the best television ever made, this book is a nice companion piece, it’s very well put together and really does look like a shady collection of government files, even if the laughs are a little harder to find.

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omg if you liked The Thick of It, you'll love this

[Gary · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you enjoyed "The Thick of It" and/or its movie spin-off "In the Loop" then you'll find this spin-off book equally as amusing. It's as rude and as funny as the award winning show.

[liv · Rating 4 out of 5]

This short-book would only make sense to people who have seen (& enjoyed) the thick of it. Had moments of audible laughing at some of content. all in all, highly enjoyable book.

[Emmett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every bit as good, outrageous and funny as the tv series. Iannucci's brand of poetic vulgarity (channeled through Malcolm and Jamie) existing within the labyrinth of marketing buzzwords, image-making, and spectacular failures and desperate cover-ups distinctive of government operations is unparalleled.

[cant bug · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the fact that Malcolm and Sam put kisses at the end of their emails. Genuinely adorable.

Very funny stuff in here - I must get round to post some of my favourite quotes from it.

[Will Spice · Rating 5 out of 5]

brilliant. i loved the thick of it and any additions to characters or the world are always welcome <3

[Jess H · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent companion to the television show. Its like reading deleted scenes/additions

[Sunil · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Missing DoSAC files is hardly a book; it's a pastiche of important, bringing- down-the- government type of documents that has been lost on the tube.

Iannucci and co recreate the magic of the TV show by assorting a smorgasbord of emails, correspondences, book reviews, press releases, diary entries, media stories from the corridors of Whitehall. I must say, while it is as funny as anything can ever be on paper, it lacks the punch of the actors delivering them. Also, for readers not acquainted with contemporary British politics or the cult TV series, it wouldn't make any sense whatsoever but for readers who are, it is as ribticklingly outrageous as the TV show. Recommended for Thick of It fans and the British satire enthusiasts! Ideally I would have given 3 1/2 stars but can't, so well..four it is.

[Erica · Rating 5 out of 5]

BLESS THIS
If you enjoyed TTOI the show you HAVE to read this. Most of it is just Malcolm swearing at various people via email or other form of communication. There's also a lot of funny memos from Nicola Murray and some correspondence between Jamie and Malc that I loved (oop it's cuz I ship them. I mean Malc signs one "Love and fucks." and like COME ON!!!)
My only lament is that there is no audiobook of this that I know of. I would kill for an audiobook.

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Parts of this are very funny if you read while channeling Tucker's voice. If you're a fan of the series, you will enjoy some, if not all of this (parts of it, go on far too long). If you are not a fan or haven't seen the series, you shouldn't touch. Tucker will bollock you if you do.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A companion book to one of my favourite television shows. Malcolm's entries were by far the best and I read them in my head in his lovely Scottish accent. I did skim over some of the pages about the minor characters; these bits would have worked better in the show. Overall, a really funny book!