Customer Reviews

The Chap Manifesto: Revolutionary Etiquette for the Modern Gentleman

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I must say, Mssrs. Temple and Darkwood have the right idea, they do. The level of poppycock and unsavory balderdashery I am forced to endure in these most unpleasant times is simply intolerable, and these two right chaps are doing something about it.

Here they have produced something first-class, an assault on the doggerel fed to erstwhile gentlemen by television, so-called restaurants with foul yellow letters for signs, bad manners of all kinds, and worst of all the foul institution of forced labor. You know, the kind that my servants pay rent with?

As for myself, I prefer to work in more subtle ways-- my albino manservant fetches my Persian slippers, lights my best pipe, and as I don my Fez he manicures my toes whilst I plot the downfall of those hideous, beeping contraptions everyone is glued to these days... and let Gustav and Vic do all the hard work for me. I'm throughly entertained.

Translation: Buy this book, get into a hot bath, and laugh your head off as you learn the ways of Counter-Vulgarity.

As the AnarchoDandyism followers attempt to spread their brand of urbane, civilised living throughout the world, they strive to enlighten those who are yet to appreciate absinthe, moustaches, houseboys and all manner of good manners. With sections on what being a chap is, how to spread civilised living throughout the world, and how to live as a chap, this is a handbook for all those who aspire to more than label-wearing, lager swilling and boorishness.

This is a clever, witty, acerbic little book. The humour is *very* English, which may leave some readers behind. However, this is an asset in my view, and they keep it consistent from start to finish. You may not actually learn much from this book, but that is not the point - it is a satirical look at the world, so just go along for the ride, and if you decide that moustache wearing and absinthe drinking is for you, go for it.

Following the `Manifesto' idea of the title, the layout is in circa 1950s Soviet style red and black with socialist style typeface for the chapter front pieces, which is a little incongruous compared with the suave, slightly bohemian style of Chappism. Some sections of the book are a little too dense with blocks of text, but in most places there are appropriately hilarious illustrations.

For anyone who wants an antidote to today's rudeness, this is the arch guide to gentlemanly living, as regaled with a funny, languid eye.

A lot of this is very inventive and amusing work, and certainly worth your time. Very funny indeed.

Sherlock Holmes and the Flying Zombie Death Monkeys