THE NATIVES ARE RESTLESS

Idries Shah

Octagon Press, London, 1988

In the tradition of its best-selling predecessor Darkest England, Shah continues his brilliantly funny look at the English and those who would try to understand them. The author's background gives him a uniquely Eastern and Western perspective from which he weaves a tapestry of characters, commentaries and anecdotes drawn from his many years as an observer of the English mentality.

Shah shares unusually personal stories from his life as a widely respected author, thinker and advisor. Joining with him are celebrities, treasure-hunters, expatriates, royals, pseudo-royals and an unforgettable parade of internationals. Together they share a look at the misunderstandings, scholarly absurdities and comic paradoxes of England and the rest of our ever-shrinking world.

I had said to a learned-looking man who was gazing at the Greek inscription beneath a statue,
'Excuse me, Sir: are you a Greek scholar?'
His answer ('No! I am an Englishman') had taught me not to ask direct questions.
--From The Natives are Restless © 1988 by The Estate of Idries Shah.