A. P. Herbert (1890–1971)
Author of Uncommon Law
About the Author
Sir Alan Herbert was the author of a host of articles, essays, sketches, novels, criticisms, musicals, plays and poems. A long-standing contributor of Punch, he used his column to campaign for a number of reforms -- notably a change in the divorce laws -- but always with his characteristic wry show more humour and a great sense of fun. By the time of his death in 1971, he had established a large following that included such literary greats as H G Wells, Rudyard Kipling, John Galsworthy and Hilaire Belloc show less
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Works by A. P. Herbert
The Voluble Topsy. A Young Lady's Chatter About Love, Politics and War, 1928-1947: A young lady's chatter about love,… (2023) 8 copies
Plain Jane 5 copies
Still more misleading cases 4 copies
Laughing Ann, and other poems 4 copies
Codd's Last Case 3 copies
'Less nonsense!' 3 copies
The Singing swan. A yachtsman's yarn 3 copies
The Voluble Topsy. A Young Lady's Chatter About Love, Politics and War, 1928-1947: A young lady's chatter… (2023) 3 copies
Watch This Space (Six Years Of It) - An Anthology Of Space Fact 4 October 1957-4 October 1963. (1964) 2 copies
Uncommon Law - Being 66 Misleading Cases and More Uncommon Law: Being More Misleading Cases Combining BARDOT M. P.? and… (2009) 2 copies
Ballads for Broadbows and Others: 4 Books Containing She-Shanties, Plain Jane, Ballads for Broadbows, and Laughing Ann (1931) 2 copies
Leave my old morale alone 1 copy
The Ayes Have It 1 copy
The Water Gypsies 1 copy
A book of ballads 1 copy
What A Word! 1 copy
Pools pilot or, Why not you? 1 copy
Light the lights 1 copy
On the Law Prohibiting Business on the Lord's Day/On the Reasonable Man/The Gramophone Libel Case 1 copy
Let there be liberty 1 copy
TINKER TAILOR 1 copy
Half Hours at Helles 1 copy
The Bomber Gipsy 1 copy
Helen: a comic opera in three acts based upon "La Belle Hélène" by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic… 1 copy
A Cross Action 1 copy
The right to marry 1 copy
Mr. Pewter: being the text of the broadcast series of talks entitled 'Mr. Pewter works it out.' 1 copy
Topsy, M.P 1 copy
'No boats on the river' 1 copy
Associated Works
The world of law; a treasury of great writing about and in the law, short stories, plays, essays, accounts, letters,… (1960) — Contributor — 54 copies
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Legal name
- Herbert, Sir Alan Patrick
- Birthdate
- 1890-09-24
- Date of death
- 1971-11-11
- Gender
- male
- Nationality
- UK
- Birthplace
- Elstead, Surrey, England, UK
- Place of death
- London, England
- Places of residence
- Hammersmith, London, England, UK
- Education
- Winchester College
Oxford University (New College) - Occupations
- politician
poet
novelist
playwright - Organizations
- Royal Navy (WWI)
- Awards and honors
- Knight Bachelor (1945)
Order of the Companions of Honour
Members
Reviews
Lists
You May Also Like
Associated Authors
Statistics
- Works
- 98
- Also by
- 14
- Members
- 735
- Popularity
- #34,566
- Rating
- 3.7
- Reviews
- 14
- ISBNs
- 86
- Languages
- 3
- Favorited
- 1
He was a regular contributor to Punch Magazine and that publications sense of humour is evident in Herbert's novel Number Nine published in 1951.
Reading books published in 1951 has unearthed publications from many authors that are new to me and even if the books are not particularly outstanding they can still carry a feeling for the era in which they were published, which can be provoking, interesting, amusing, perhaps dull or even odious. The most difficult books to appreciate are those that are meant to be humorous, because our sense of what is funny has changed over the last 70 years. Number Nine is a case in point. It is a humorous tale of a weekend selection programme for entry into the civil service. The 45 hopefuls referred to as the intake must undertake a series of tests where they are judged by professional assessors and a small team of Psychiatrists referred to always as trick-cyclists. There are complications: one of the intake, number 9 has infiltrated the programme to not only repay a grudge against one of the trick-cyclists, but to discredit the whole event in order to reclaim the ancestral home in which it is customarily held.
There are the usual jokes about word association tests, particularly from the answers provided by two of the women hopefuls. Romance is in the air, as is revenge and the women are targets or associates in both of these events. An elaborate hoax is undertaken and a retired admiral is there to add some misguided authority. The writing is competent enough, occasionally amusing, but a bit wordy, looking back to a a golden age of humour rather than looking forward to more trenchant satire. Sexism and racism are par for the course for the contributors to Punch magazine at this time. Jolly japes all round and 2.5 stars.… (more)