The Mid-Atlantic Companion or How To Misunderstand Americans as Much as They Misunderstand Us

Frost, David; Shea, Michael

ISBN 10: 0297787039 / ISBN 13: 9780297787037

Published by Weidenfeld and Nicolson, London, 1986

About this Item

The format is approximately 5.5 inches by 8.75 inches. ix, [1], 166 pages. Decorative cover. Illustrations. No dust jacket present. Some page discoloration noted. Sir David Paradine Frost OBE (7 April 1939 - 31 August 2013) was a British television host, journalist, comedian and writer. He rose to prominence during the satire boom in the United Kingdom when he was chosen to host the satirical program That Was the Week That Was in 1962. His success on this show led to work as a host on American television. He became known for his television interviews with senior political figures, among them the Nixon interviews with US president Richard Nixon in 1977 which were adapted into a stage play and film. Frost interviewed all eight British prime ministers serving from 1964 to 2016, from Alec Douglas-Home to David Cameron, and all eight American presidents in office from 1969 to 2008, from Lyndon B. Johnson to George W. Bush. Michael Sinclair MacAuslan Shea, CVO (10 May 1938 - 17 October 2009) was Press Secretary to Queen Elizabeth II from 1978 to 1987. Earlier he had been a career diplomat and was also an author of political thrillers and non-fiction. Shea was among the group that revived the Edinburgh Oyster Club. The joy of this book is it's not just the linguistic differences that they highlight but history, politics, food etc. are covered, if not comprehensively then at least enough to give a warning to the unwary. Back in 1887 Oscar Wilde said "We have really everything in common with America nowadays, except, of course, language." and it is still very true today. I remember back in the early 1980's Jane Fonda's first workout video came out which included the surprising, to British female watchers at least, instruction to sit on the floor and bounce around on your fannies. Americans who don't know what is wrong with that should know that a fanny moves from behind in America to the front and female only in the UK. That passage gives some idea of the differences and fortunately the book is not as relentless as that all the way through, the book is equally fair, or unfair if you prefer, in dealing out warnings both for Brits going to America or Americans going to the UK so Brits are warned about the huge size of portions and the sweetness that pervades a lot of American food whilst Americans are equally warned about a lot of British food and heartily recommended to have breakfast three times a day. There are also specific chapters on London and, usefully for my friend, New York which includes a comment on street crime that "they even had a bank robber who got mugged on the way to the getaway car". As for the cab drivers "Help wanted ads in NY papers claim you can get a cabby's license in three days. Most people are surprised they have been driving that long".

Seller Inventory # 87190

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Mid-Atlantic Companion or How To Misunderstand Americans as Much as They Misunderstand Us
• Publisher: Weidenfeld and Nicolson, London
• Publication Date: 1986
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0297787039
• ISBN 13: 9780297787037
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Bud Handelsman
• Edition: Presumed First Edition, First printing.
• Condition: Good
• Seller catalogs:
  • Politics & Govt.

About this title

Synopsis

The Mid-Atlantic Companion