The Swoop! & The Military Invasion of America (Everyman's Library P G WODEHOUSE)

This book contains one short novel, and a shorter novel. The first is a tongue-in-cheek account of how nine nations invaded an England, which was pre-occupied with sports and entertainment. The country was eventually rid of the invaders by the impossible initiatives of a Boy Scout.The second story is a much condensed version of the first one. The characters, plot and the outcome is the same, except that the location changes to USA. If you've read the first novella, the second is hardly worth reading - with entire dialogues lifted from the invasion of England.Enjoyable, though a bit of a disappointment.

Bottom Line:This is not good Wodehouse. The mood is light, mostly satirical, with all the edge of satire, but it is not that funny. The book being well appointed and illustrated is a strong draw in favor of this selection. Otherwise this is strictly a completer piece for the avid Woodhouse fan. Like me.Shortly after the turn of the 20th Century a type of adventure book became trendy. Europe was feeling the first of the sabre rattling that would later become World War I. Emerging technologies filled imaginations with notions of new machines making new kinds of sneaky things possible.The new kind story in England was the invasion story. How might the Germans or someone go about invading England. The most famous of these was . Considered the first modern spy novel,The Riddle of the Sands it is credited with changes made in the British Navy. A major base was established in case Childer’s plot was prophetic.It was into this moment that PG Wodehouse wrote The Swoop! and a later adaptation for the American reader called : the Military Invasion of America . Both of these texts are included in this volume.This is a handsomely printed small book, the first part is lavishly illustrated, the American version slightly less so. The original was a satirical story for inclusion in a magazine and the two texts together are right at 144 pages, much of this due to large print and the aforesaid illustrations.In brief England (America) is successfully invaded by 9 Armies from as many directions and none expecting to find the other involved in an attack on The British Isles. The choices rage from the obvious, England, France and Germany and Russia to what was then the more whimsical: Moroccan brigands under Raisuli ( a historic figure and the center of the movie: The Wind and the Lion), the Young Turks, the Mad Mullah (looking a little too much like the much latter Ayatollah from Iran) commanding the forces of Somalialand, the Chinese under Prince Ping Pong Pang, and the Bollygollans in war canoes.The story includes some swipes at major politicians of the time, but mostly the invasions work because the invaded either do not care or are more interested in the entertainment marching armies and competing generals may provide. Ultimately it is up to the British Boy Scouts- in both versions, employing complex animal calls to bring about the end of occupation.

I'm working my way around to getting every Wodehouse in the series, replacing tatty old paperbacks with hardbacks (and filling in the blanks in my collection).The books are a fantastic read, and this edition will please every Wodehouse fan.

i am an avid PGW fan. i wish to read all his books. and to read a beautifully bound , classic print is always a pleasure.

Thankfully Wodehouse abandoned this style of writing and never again attempted to satirise the gullible. Best left to sharper tongues.

The Swoop is a very funny story by the comic master P. G. Wodehouse. It is a slim story but filled with a great deal of wit. A charming piece of writing is The Swoop. I own nearly all of the Wodehouse stories, and you should most definitely get The Swoop to add to your library.