I have very little to say about this book that’s not here.
The book is enjoyable to read, it damns the press, and it’s full of observations on foreign wars, African countries and international politics.
There’s little better than Waugh at his best, and this book is probably Waugh at his best.
The cleft stick joke that plays out over hundreds of pages is a model for humor-writing.
My favorite quip from “Scoop” is at the beginning, about the Marxist journalist who is insufferably rude to all working-class people he encounters, so as to increase their unhappiness and accelerate the process leading towards a proletarian revolution.
I disagree that “Scoop” is among Waugh’s best work. To me, “Decline and Fall” and “Vile Bodies” are more light-hearted. I’m not sure “Black Mischief” is acceptable in polite company any more, despite the viciousness extending fully to the white colonial class. Anyway, “Scoop” strikes me as a bit flat despite the good parts.
“Feather-footed through the plashy fen” just about describes Obama’s career before he became President.