David Cameron’s book found in shop with 'alternative' cover left by prankster
By Charlie Duffield
An unidentified trickster has entertained thousands of people by swapping the cover of former Prime Minister David Cameron’s autobiography, For the Record, with one of their own creation.
The fake cover was discovered at a branch of Foyles bookstore on Charing Cross Road, in London, this weekend by customer Alex Bray, who shared the find on his Twitter and Facebook accounts.
Cameron’s memoir was published last month and includes insights into his Downing Street life, along with his reasons for holding the 2016 EU referendum.
Except, the mysterious mastermind’s revamp now means the book’s cover reads a little differently.
I popped into Foyles in my lunch break. Someone has been putting fake covers on @David_Cameron’s book. 😂 #Brexit @davidschneider @bbclaurak #davidcameron pic.twitter.com/B69bcJvI3M
— Alex Bray (@StGilesResident) October 19, 2019
The front features a fake quote from Donald Trump which says: ‘A very great book. So great. No, it’s a great book. All the words. All the pages.’
Instead of the previously straight-faced photo of David Cameron, he looks sad and appears to be nervously biting his lip on the mock cover.
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Turning to the back, the ridicule continues in the book’s blurb.
It reads: ‘Women wanted him. Men wanted to be him. Animals feared him. He had the world at his feet, yet he threw it all away over a bitter rivalry that began at the urinals of Eton forty years ago.
‘This isn’t so much a book as a blueprint of how to completely destroy a country - written by a tired man with face like a satellite dish made entirely of ham.’
Testimonials include the former gold medal winner Linford Christie, whose quote reads: ‘Horrifying and arousing in equal measure’.
The fake cover also features a cutting endorsement from Judy and Andy Murray, with the pair quoted as saying: ‘A poorly-written romp around the world, with hardly any reference to tennis whatsoever.”
On discovering the hoax, Judy Murray gleefully revealed the creator’s work on Twitter.
Someone has added an alternative book cover with fake reviews to David Cameron’s memoir in Foyles on Charing Cross Road. And one of the fake reviews is from @andy_murray and me. 👇🏼🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/H3W4Gxepqz
— judy murray (@JudyMurray) October 19, 2019
The mockery continues on the inside flap, with the former Prime Minister referenced as a ‘late developer with an overactive bladder and tiny hands’.
It is believed the fake jacket is just on one copy of the book, with the offending item now removed from sale at Foyles, according to the Guardian.
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However, since the images were posted on Twitter and Facebook by Alex Bray, there’s been an influx of interest both offline and online, in purchasing the book with the inauthentic jacket.
The Twitter post has currently been shared almost 5000 times, and similarly, at the time of writing, the same content on Facebook has been re-posted 21,000 times.
And what about the former Prime Minister’s life following his political career? According to the fake cover, ‘David lives in a weird hut on wheels in the Cotswolds. He keeps wasps and brews his own vinegar.’