The Old Limey

by H.W. Crocker III

A retired, ultraconservative British general journeys to Los Angeles in search of his missing goddaughter and comes face to face with a chaotic, colorful, and boisterous world of California beach babes, Jamaican drug gangs, and other zany characters. By the author of Robert E. Lee on Leadership.

Genres: Fiction, Humor, Literary Fiction

339 pages, Hardcover

First published December 1, 2000

About the author

H.W. Crocker III is the bestselling author of the prize-winning comic novel The Old Limey and several books of military history, including Triumph, Robert E. Lee on Leadership, The Politically Incorrect Guide® to the Civil War, The Politically Incorrect Guide® to the British Empire, Yanks, and Don’t Tread on Me.

His journalism has appeared in National Review, the American Spectator, the Washington Times, and many other outlets. Educated in England and California, Crocker lives on the site of a former Confederate encampment in Virginia.

Reviews

[Miss_otis]

I'm happy this book only cost me a dollar at a library sale. Apparently it's meant to be satire, but a satire of what is unclear. Self-satisfied privileged old white guys? Retired British military men who miss the good old days when a 60-year-old man skeeving on 20-year-old girls was acceptable and expected? English tourists in LA? Smug writers who consider themselves sophisticated and intellectual?

I don't particularly care to find out; there was nothing in this book that didn't annoy the hell out of me. And I only got 125 pages in before abandoning it.

[John Nelson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a relatively entertaining comic romp through 1990s Los Angeles. The "Old Limey" of the title is a retired Brigadier General in Her Majesty's Army who travels to Los Angeles to search for his goddaughter, who has gone missing. The hero combines the traits of Colonel Blimp, Bertie Wooster, Walter Mitty, and your average (mostly) functioning alcoholic in a single package. Despite his many blunders, our hero manages to avoid being killed and successfully retrieves his goddaughter, with a few twists near the end. While not great literature, the book does make amusing bedtime reading.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I saw the movie with Terrence Stamp a number of years ago not realizing it was based--loosely--on this book. I enjoyed both: "The Limey," the movie, for its gritty gangster bent on revenge, and The Old Limey, the book, for its old general on a rescue mission.

The book is an enjoyable read with The General often daydreaming about the young girls he meets or his command presence once he takes control of California for the crown.

Great job by Crocker.

[Frances Bell · Rating 1 out of 5]

Life is too short to read a bad book. The first chapter promised well but after that it was just more of the same improbabilities and quite frankly, it set my teeth on edge. I should know by now that whenever the blurb on the back of book says "hysterically funny", it's a desperate attempt to sell a third-rate book to an unsuspecting public.

[jojo Lazar]

sometimes you need a palate cleanser-type novel of lost british general-types ambling through LA being equal parts class, lecherous & hilarious when you're getting a bit too sucked into Anna Karenina, elsewise...

[Mervyn Whyte · Rating 2 out of 5]

Two biggest problems I had with this was 1. it didn't make me laugh - I think it was supposed to be a comedy. 2. I didn't warm to the main character. But maybe someone like me wasn't supposed to. The writing was good; the plot less so.

[Gary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Harry is one of my colleagues at Regnery, a highly skilled writer and editor. This whimsical book was a joy to read and will resonate with folks like me who love P.G. Wodehouse. Need a fun, entertaining read, here you go.

[Douglas Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay.

[Monica Copeland · Rating 2 out of 5]

A fun, silly detective story starring an old British general with delusions of aptitude. His interactions with LA stereotypes is priceless.

[Liza · Rating 1 out of 5]

Eh.

[Ed Chatterton · Rating 4 out of 5]

An under-rated comedy. Really nicely done. If you like Wodehouse and Waugh then you should like this.

[Rob · Rating 3 out of 5]

Has its funny moments but is hit and miss.

[Dan]

Awesome. It was a little like the Flashman series and quite funny.

[Laurie Johnston · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointing. Appeared on the same list of "books to make you laugh out loud" as Chabon's excellent Wonder Boys.

On to another list!

November 21, 2018