William Booth, an unassuming English bumpkin, writes a nature column for London鈥檚 鈥淭he Beast.鈥 When a mix-up sends Booth 鈥 instead of his more talented cousin 鈥 to Africa as a war correspondent, Waugh spins a yarn of underdog success. His critiques of journalism and English society evoke laughs and have been endearing William Booth to a wide audience ever since the book's original publication in 1938.