English humour for beginners (Penguin Books)

'If you want to succeed, indeed, to survive, among the British you must be able to handle this curious and dangerous phenomenon, the English Sense of Humour.' So proclaims George Mikes' timeless examination of our favourite trait. Whether it's understatement, self-deprecation or plain cruelty, being witty here is a way of life. Helpfully divided into 'Theory' and 'Practice', the book draws on years of reading and is the essential handbook for all natives and foreigners alike.