Scoop is a 1938 novel by English writer Evelyn Waugh about the rush of war reporters to a thinly disguised Abyssinia (now Ethiopia). In this satire of sensational journalism, a young man, the author of a regular column on placid country life for a London newspaper aptly named the Daily Beast, is sent by mistake to Ishmaelia (Abyssinia) where a civil war threatens to break out. There, despite his total ineptitude, he accidentally manages to get the 'scoop' of the title. 1938 (MCMXXXVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... Wikimedia Commons has media related to: England Inter. ... Evelyn Waugh, as photographed in 1940 by Carl Van Vechten Evelyn Arthur St. ... This article needs cleanup. ... Satire is a literary technique of writing or art which exposes the follies of its subject (for example, individuals, organizations, or states) to ridicule, often as an intended means of provoking or preventing change. ... Journalism is a discipline of collecting, verifying, analyzing and presenting information gathered regarding current events, including trends, issues and people. ... Part of the London skyline viewed from the South Bank London is the most populous city in the European Union, with an estimated population on 1 January 2005 of 7,421,328 and a metropolitan area population of between 12 and 14 million. ... A civil war is a war in which the competing parties are segments of the same country or empire. ...

The novel is partly based on Waugh's own experience working for the Daily Mail, when he was sent to cover Mussolini's invasion of Abyssinia. When he got his own scoop on the invasion he telegraphed the story back in Latin for secrecy, but they discarded it. Lord Copper, the newspaper magnate, is based on Lord Northcliffe. No character is prepared to say 'No' to Lord Copper, so they say 'Definitely, Lord Copper' for yes, and 'Up to a point, Lord Copper' for no. Waugh based his hapless protagonist, William Boot, on Bill Deedes, a junior reporter who arrived in Addis Ababa aged 22 with two tons of luggage. The Daily Mail is a British newspaper, first published in 1896. ... Benito Mussolini created a fascist state through the use of propaganda, total control of the media and disassembly of the working democratic government. ... This article needs cleanup. ... Latin is an Indo-European language originally spoken in the region around Rome called Latium. ... Alfred Charles William Harmsworth, 1st Viscount Northcliffe (July 15, 1865, Dublin - August 14, 1922, London) was an influential and successful newspaper owner. ... William Francis Deedes, Baron Deedes of Aldington, KBE, MC, DL, PC (Bill Deedes, born Kent, England, 1 June 1913), is a veteran British journalist and a former politician. ... Addis Ababa as seen from space. ...

The novel is full of (all but identical) opposites: Lord Copper of the Daily Beast, Lord Zinc of the Daily Brute; the CumReds and the White Shirts, parodies of Communists and Black Shirts etc. Communism - Wikipedia /**/ @import /w/skins-1. ... The Blackshirts (Italian: camicie nere) were Fascist paramilitary groups in Italy during the period immediately following World War I and until the end of World War II. Inspired by Garibaldis Redshirts, the Blackshirts were organized by Benito Mussolini due to his disgust with the corruption and apathy of the...

Feather-footed through the plashy fen passes the questing vole, a line from one of Boot's countryside columns, has become a famous comic example of overblown prose style.

Scoop was made into a 1987 British TV movie starring Michael Maloney and Denholm Elliott. 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Denholm Elliott in The Signalman Denholm Mitchell Elliott (May 31, 1922 – October 6, 1992) was a distinguished British actor, well known for his appearances on stage, film and television. ...

External links

Guardian analysis