Incredibly funny, although it gets a little preachy 3/4 of the way through. Best satire since my last Vonnegut novel. ( )

The tiny country of Grand Fenwick declares war on the USA. It lurches quite quickly from almost Pratchettesque comedy, to dark cold war satire.
Surprisingly straight forward story though, was expecting a bit more but still good. ( )

This humorous novel is set in the tiny fictional Grand Duchy of Fenwick, an Alpine state which declares war against the United States after a Californian company produces a knock off version of the wine which is the tiny state's sole source of revenue. The war has an unexpected conclusion that gives the Duchy a unique opportunity to make an impact on the world stage and influence the nuclear arms race of the great powers (the book was written and set in the 1950s). While very funny and almost absurd in its plotting, the book has through satire some serious points to make about the mutually assured destruction doctrine of the Cold War and of the relations between big states and small states. It was made into a film starring Peter Sellers playing the three leading roles in the book (two male and one female). There are three sequels and one prequel, which I will probably also read. ( )

The movie starring Peter Sellers is also a fun romp if you like zany, improbable stories...When a tiny country attacks the USA hoping to fail (so they can clean up on the aid dollars provided to losers), the fun starts... ( )

Still classic story of the small Grand Duchy of Fenwick invading the United States in order to quickly lose the war and gain a lot of financial aid. Things don't go quite as planned.... This was made into an excellent film with Peter Sellers, in which he plays multiple parts, including the Grand Duchess (but not as a beautiful young girl as in the book; even Sellers couldn't pull that one off.)

Highly highly recommended. A true must read. ( )