Osbert Lancaster was a British satirist and cartoonist whose work offered witty and civilized commentary on British society. His art, characterized by subtle humor and a profound understanding of human nature, focused on social and architectural satire. Through his popular cartoons, including the innovative 'Pocket Cartoon' format, Lancaster sympathetically and with gentle amusement depicted British society, particularly its upper classes. His work provided comic relief and perspective during challenging times, establishing him as a cultured critic of human foibles.
An Enquiry Into the Identifiable Characteristics of the English Aristocracy
Nancy Mitford's "The English Aristocracy" in 1955 sparked off the great debate about U and non-U usage. The articles collected here include contributions from Alan Ross, Evelyn Waugh, "Strix", Christopher Sykes, and John Betjeman.
Parkinson's Law states that 'work expands to fill the time available'. While strenuously denied by management consultants, bureaucrats and efficiency experts, the law is borne out by disinterested observation of any organization. The book goes far beyond its famous theorem, though. The author goes on to explain how to meet the most important people at a social gathering and why, as a matter of mathematical certainty, the time spent debating an issue is inversely proportional to its objective importance. Justly famous for more than forty years, Parkinson's Law is at once a bracingly cynical primer on the reality of human organization, and an innoculation against the wilful optimism to which we as a species are prone.