This collection investigates the role of visual satire in documenting the political and social landscape of Britain through the lens of the magazine Private Eye. Richard Ingrams, a long-time editor of the publication, curates a selection of cartoons that reflect the magazine's irreverent approach to public figures and institutional norms. The book serves as a historical record of the specific brand of British wit that defined the publication's output during its formative decades.

Critics and readers often identify this volume as a representative sample of the magazine's distinctively cynical and sharp-witted humor. Experts frequently cite this collection as a useful primary source for understanding the cultural climate of British satire during the late twentieth century.