"Victory sometimes carries more responsibilities than gains" p 185, raises serious issues, survival of human race over nation. Idealistic, optimistic, sweet tale, more naive than silly. Medieval morals vanquish diplomacy "exactly the right words with which to promise everything and guarantee nothing" p 255. The woods "loveliness of early summer .. rich blossoms .. cathedral columns .. spreading oaks .. squirrels chattering" reminds mere mortals of nature "link with posterity" p 217-219.In 1956, the sole product of tiny Duchy of Grand Fenwick, connoisseurs' choice wine, is undercut by California. Declaration of war by pretty young ruler Gloriana XII are ignored. Tully Bascomb, chief forester, "no respect for anyone's opinion, not even his own .. roving nature" p 23, "bushy eyebrows and a rather prominent nose .. tall .. impolite way of looking you straight in the eyes" p 25, "remarkable resemblance .. portrait of her ancestor Sir Roger Fenwick" p 32 country's founder selects twenty of the best bowmen. Soft sweet romance mellows international catastrophe. "For a second the sun seemed more splendid upon him, and he the manliest of men" p 58 on the day of departure. Patriotism for the others, "the golden hair, the soft persuasive voice, the smile that was as gentle and as personal as a blessing .. patriotism .. rapidly .. knight errantry" p 119.The Expeditionary Force boards "bus to Marseilles" p 59, sails on brig Endeavor to New York, funded by "special tax of a penny on each glass of wine drunk .. in two weeks set a record" for all-time consumption p 57. In fourteenth century arms and armor chain mail xx , they march through streets emptied by east coast siren alert, capture General Snippett, four cops, doomsday quadium bomb, and inventor bird-loving Dr Kokintz. Odd to read Canada alongside "Big Three" p xx, from future viewpoint of nuclear power plants, Chernobyl. Unlike Brits who suffered Blitz, after few hours Yanks leave shelters. Silver-haired advisor Count of Mountjoy 'Bobo' chided for "reading Churchill's memoirs .. marked effect upon your oratory" p 177. (view spoiler)[ One casualty, shot by policeman, never punished, is farmer Tom Cobley 45 "first to die .. in over five hundred years. His body, pickled in a barrel of brine .. buried .. next" to founder in castle p 136. Troops in "assistance" from U.S., Russia, and Britain by "treaty of 1402" p 205 are all turned back at border. Tully is "1385 sets aside .. son, born out of wedlock .. mistress" p 209 ancestor Tully; accepts his father Pierce's proposal of in-law as did Pierce before him. Kokintz zips three mice into blue-skin patchy fur six-legged "surviving results .. monster" of deadly gas liberated after explosion p 246, fools Soviet Commissar same as new biology students. Wedding, attended personally by international heads, not representatives, would today be endangered by terrorists. Here, Arab countries are among the "Tiny Twenty". After Twin Towers, the West felt a different world. Kokintz, alone with bomb to secretly disarm, accidentally drops -- dud. "It is a better bomb than ever" p 280 The End. (hide spoiler)]
This book is wonderfully ridiculous - a satire of this finest kind. "The Mouse" in this story is the tiny country of The Grand Duchy of Fenwick - an Alpine country five miles long and 3 miles wide near the borders of France and Switzerland. Their entire economy, based on the successful export of their world-famous wine Pinot Grand Fenwick, is brought to its knees after American vintners in San Rafael, California begins bottling a competitive wine they call Pinot Grand Enwick. After being laughed at when they send several official documents of complaint to United States officials, they hit upon a scheme which they feel will restore their national economy forever. They plan to declare war on the United States and following their inevitable defeat, expect the United States to be the "gracious victors" and shower them with funds to rehabilitate them, as was done following Germany's defeat at the end of World War II. Grand Fenwick's Duchess Gloriana XIII tasks the duchy's high constable Tully Bascomb with assembling an appropriate expeditionary force to invade the U.S. Constable Bascomb vigorously proceded to do so and soon marched out the duchy's only road connecting it with the outside world with his force of three men-at-arms, besides himself, and 20 longbowmen dressed in chain mail and surcoats. Once outside the duchy, they had to catch a bus to the port of Marseille, France, where they chartered a two-masted, square-rigged sailing vessel - a brig - to take them to their point of invasion, New York City.As the result of a hilarious series of events, they "invade" during a 100% Civil Defense drill during which there were no people on the streets or anywhere in sight when they arrive in New York. The Grand Fenwickian expeditionary force ends up "winning" the war by capturing the Columbia University physicist and the ultra-destructive "Q" bomb that he created, then calmly sailing out into the Atlantic Ocean well before the United States realizes that it has been "invaded."The remainder of the book describes, in hysterical fashion, how this event leads to "guaranteed" peace for the entire world. It is a "light" read and very funny, but it is also very thought-provoking in a "what-if" kind of way regarding how the guarantee of world peace came about. It is not great literature, but it is wonderfully imaginative satire. I recommend it to readers who can accept it on that basis.============================================This book was originally published in The Saturday Evening Post on a serialized basis beginning in December 1954. I read a paperback copy published in 1959 and which sold for $0.35. The pages were literally falling out, but I managed to keep them together long enough.Some may remember the 1959 movie of the same name starring Peter Sellers. He not only played High Constable Tully Bascomb but also the parts of Grand Duchess Gloriana XII and the duchy's Prime Minister Count Rupert of Mountjoy. As I read the book, I recalled fairly clearly having seen the movie many years ago. To the best of my recollection, the movie was an excellent adaptation of the book.
Do You like book The Mouse That Roared (2003)?
The Mouse that Roared by Leonard Wibberley is a satirical novel about the Cold War. The plot centers on the fictional country of Grand Fenwick and the exploits of its inhabitants. In the story, Grand Fenwick is the world’s smallest country. Yet, through the actions of a few devoted citizens it wins a war against the United States, captures the world’s most powerful weapon, and eventually brings an end to the Cold War. This book has several important attributes that make it enjoyable. First, is
—Van
I first read this cold war era political satire when I was in junior high, and remember enjoying it very much. I wanted to re-read it to see if a more mature and politically informed perspective would diminish its appeal. I'm happy to say that I think I enjoyed it more this time around. A tiny European nation, the Duchy of Grand Fenwick, measuring three miles by five miles, finds itself in dire financial trouble when a U.S. winery starts selling an inferior copy of Pinot Grand Fenwick, the nation's only export. When its complaints go unheeded, the Duchy hatches a plan to solve its financial woes - it will go to war against the U.S., lose, and then receive payments from the U.S. for reconstruction. After all, isn't that what usually happens when the U.S. fights a war? The plan goes awry when the expeditionary force, numbering twenty four and armed with broadswords and longbows, invades New York, and is met with no opposition as the whole East Coast is in lock down in a drill to prepare for nuclear attack. They capture America's leading nuclear scientist, along with his newly developed bomb, and escape back to Grand Fenwick before the U.S. even realizes it has been attacked, thus becoming the world's new superpower. The rest of the story deals with the various nations of the world scrambling to adjust to this shift in world power, and Grand Fenwick adjusting to its new position of responsibility. It is a hilarious tale, and a surprisingly relevant one, given that the cold war has been over for some time. I think it would be a useful tool for high school classes learning about the cold war. Most of the time, re-reading a book from my youth is somewhat disappointing, but I am so glad I re-read this one. Now I'm going to have to find the movie.
—Gail Amendt
I saw the 1959 movie with Dad and liked it so much that I picked up the paperback and read it during a typically boring day of my parents visiting Lajla and Christian, his mother and her husband. This was a normal circumstance. Until fifth grade the family had lived in unincorporated Kane County, wellover an hour's drive to the city in those days before expressways. Then the grandparents decided to move from one to another house in Park Ridge, immediately NW of Chicago. They made their old house available to Dad in some private deal. Thenceforth we lived within walking distance of them and visits were at least weekly affairs.Grandmother Lajla was quite the social being, there often being many guests in addition to ourselves. Most were older than my parents with grown children. In those days pretty much all grownups seemed to drink and smoke. They gave all indications of having fun, but I'd be ignored and bored, usually retreating to a bedroom to read. Fortunately, Lajla had a substantial library and they subscribed to both Life and Time magazines.
—Erik Graff
