George Mikes Boeken

George Mikes describes the strange things the English do and say.

How to be God

Hands up, those in the new first class who don't know George Mike's method of instruction. He mixes the sugar- i.e. the humour - so thoroughly that they become one substance, both delightful and nourishing. You will get a great deal of entertainment from this book, and it's the entertainment in itself which will teach you a great deal about Switzerland. Each chapter is illustrated by the witty Swiss artist, Godi Hofmann

Over thirty years after George Mikes penned his classic guide for foreigners in Britain, he has felt compelled to create a new edition. This updated version addresses the evolving nature of British identity and culture, recognizing that even the British can change significantly over three decades. Key sections explore themes such as How to Lose an Empire, Become a Colony, and Stop Being an Island, offering fresh insights into these contemporary issues. Familiar topics, like sex, receive more nuanced treatment than before, requiring more than just a brief mention. Navigating London has also grown increasingly complex, and the evolution of language presents its own challenges. While natives may experience some blows to their self-esteem, they ultimately find themselves basking in a sense of self-congratulation. Mikes's enduring relationship with his adopted country shines through, alongside the perfect illustrations by Nicholas Bentley that complement his humor. Together, they create a work that rivals Mikes's most famous writings, capturing the unique chemistry that defines his perspective on Britain.

George Mikes has written many successful books on a variety of interesting subjects, but one so successful as those on the subject most central to his own experience: his adopted country. The first of these came out in 1946: the ever famous "How to be an Alien." Later he enlarges the picture with "How to be inimitable" and "How to be Decadent." All three books were illustrated by the master of the cartoonists’ art, the late Nicolas Bentley. Here they are, all in one volume, which will make life much easier for today's would-be Brits than it was for those who pervaded them. It is said that a few of the latter actually failed to become indistinguishable from the genuine British article because they found it too tiresome to seek out three separate books: a misfortune that need never again occur to anyone.

George Mikes says, 'the English have no soul; they have the understatement instead'. But they do have a sense of humour - they provide it by buying over three hundred thousand copies of a book that took them quietly and completely apart, a book that really took the Mikes out of them.

Presents a satirical discussion of the advantages of a life in poverty and humorous advice on the enjoyment of poverty

"If you want to succeed here you must be able to handle the English sense of humour."So proclaims George Mikes' timeless exploration of this curious phenomenon. Whether it's understatement, self-deprecation or plain cruelty - the three elements he identifies as essential to our sense of humour - being witty is a way of life here.Perfectly placed as an adopted Englishman himself, Mikes delivers his shrewd advice - helpfully divided into "Theory" and "Practice" - with comic precision. Drawing on a trove of examples from our rich comic canon, from Orwell (who said, "Every joke is a tiny revolution") to Oscar Wilde, this is the essential handbook for natives and foreigners alike.