Books: Bestsellers

The running order in the top half of the fiction list remains unchanged this week - but only Bridget Jones and Adrian Mole have significantly increased their sales. Hannibal also returns to the list after one week's absence: all three titles are, no doubt, on many Christmas wish-lists. Unlike Who Wants to be a Millionaire? The Quiz Book which, without the tension of the TV cameras and Chris Tarrant's skill at introducing doubt into the contestant's mind, let alone the absence of the lure of big money prizes, is just another tedious quiz book for quizees. But a lucrative one for the publishers!

The history list and current affairs list remains stoically unmoved by millennium fervour: Antony Beevor's Stalingrad has been in the top two since June.

Compiled on sales over seven days ending 4 December Bookwatch Ltd & Whitaker BookTrack 1999

HISTORY/POLITICS/CURRENT AFFAIRS

TITLE AUTHOR/PUBLISHER WEEKLY PRICE

SALES

1 The English Jeremy Paxman (Penguin) 7,952 pounds 7.99

2 Stalingrad Antony Beevor (Penguin) 6,305 pounds 12.99

3 John Major John Major (HarperCollins) 5,333 pounds 25

4 Encyclopedia of British History (Parragon Small Books) 4,164 pounds 4.99

5 Finest Hour Phil Craig & Tim Clayton (Hodder) 4,101 pounds 20

6 The 1900 House Mark McCrum & Matthew Sturgis (Channel 4) 3,828 pounds 18.99

7 Galileo's Daughter Dava Sobel (4th Estate) 3,750 pounds 16.99

8= 100 Years of Human... ed Bruce Bernard (Phaidon) 3,231 pounds 29.95

8= Strange Places... John Simpson (Pan) 3,231 pounds 6.99

10 World War (Mustard) 2,352 pounds 4.99

ORIGINAL NON-FICTION

TITLE AUTHOR/PUBLISHER WEEKLY PRICE

SALES

1 Guinness World Records (Guinness) 29,167 pounds 18

2 Who Wants to be a Millionaire: quiz book (Boxtree) 24,307 pounds 5..99

3 The Beano Book 2000 (D C Thomson) 23,143 pounds 5.99

4 If Only Geri Halliwell (Bantam) 11,271 pounds 16.99

5 Walking with Dinosaurs Tim Haines (BBC) 11,211 pounds 19.99

6 Managing My Life Alex Ferguson (Hodder) 10,705 pounds 18.99

7 How to Cook Book One Delia Smith (BBC) 9,232 pounds 16.99

8 Star Wars Annual 2000 (Egmont World) 9,206 pounds 6.99

9 'Tis Frank McCourt (Flamingo) 8,822 pounds 16.99

10 The Dandy Book 2000 (D C Thomson) 8,650 pounds 5.99

ORIGINAL FICTION

TITLE AUTHOR/PUBLISHER WEEKLY PRICE

SALES

1 The Edge of Reason Helen Fielding (Picador) 35,915 pounds 12.99

2 Adrian Mole... Sue Townsend (M Joseph) 19,250 pounds 14.99

3 The Fifth Elephant Terry Pratchett (Doubleday) 12,179 pounds 16.99

4 Harry Potter and... J K Rowling (Bloomsbury) 11,161 pounds 10.99

5 Crisis Four Andy McNab (Bantam) 8,269 pounds 16.99

6 Power Plays: shadow... Tom Clancy (Penguin) 7,315 pounds 5.99

7 Last Chance Saloon Marian Keyes (M Joseph) 5,663 pounds 9.99

8 Hannibal Thomas Harris (Heinemann) 5,604 pounds 16.99

9 Second Wind Dick Francis (M Joseph) 5,580 pounds 16.99

10 The Remorseful Day Colin Dexter (Macmillan) 5,160 pounds 16.99