Mimi and Toutou Go Forth
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Product Description
Product Description
"It's the duty of the Royal Navy to engage the enemy wherever she is afloat" is the order of the day, but their lordships would never have imagined what they would be letting themselves into when they sent Lt. Spicer Simson and his ragtag expedition to sink three German Steamers on Lake Tanganyika in central Africa. Spicer Simon, when he wasn't AWOL, would perform ritual baths for his African bearers, who quickly christened him Lord Belly Cloth. Fitzcarraldo meets Heart of Darkness, this is rich, vivid and flashmanesque in its appeal - military history at its most absorbing and entertaining
About the Author
Giles Foden grew up in Africa and was an assistant editor at the Times Literary Supplement for three years before joining the Guardian. He won the 1998 Whitbread First Novel Award for The Last King of Scotland.
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First Sentence
There was plenty of game in the shooting grounds of German East Africa. Read the first page Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
There was plenty of game in the shooting grounds of German East Africa. Read the first page Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
23 of 23 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This book covers one of the most obscure yet vital actions of WW1, the battle for control of lake Tanganyika in central Africa. At the outbreak of the war the Germans controlled the lake by virtue of being the only power with an armed vessel on it. This book tells the story of the organisation of the naval expedition organised by the British to take control of the lake. The officer in command of the expedition was one Spicer-Simson and his highly eccentric character and actions are well brought out in the narrative. The book is written in an entertaining style with many annecdotes and much detail from eye witness accounts. The story of the expedition is traced from it's starting point in London, via an ocean voyage to South Africa and the overland to the lake. Once at the lake the actions with the German vessels are well described as are the subsequent events. There is also an interesting postscript of the author's travels in Africa whilst researching the book.
One fault with the book is that there are no photographs although there are some rather nice drawings at the start of each chapter. Photos (which do exist) would have been nice. The other thing that grates slightly is that the book reads a little like a novel in places but this is only a minor niggle. Overall an interesting an entertaining book on an overlooked subject.
One fault with the book is that there are no photographs although there are some rather nice drawings at the start of each chapter. Photos (which do exist) would have been nice. The other thing that grates slightly is that the book reads a little like a novel in places but this is only a minor niggle. Overall an interesting an entertaining book on an overlooked subject.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book charts the progress of a Naval expedition dispatched during WW1 to wrest control of Lake Tanganyika from the Germans. The Germans had the largest flotilla of gunboats on the lake which afforded them easy movement of troops and supplies whilst denying these benefits to the opposing British and Belgians. The expedition consisted of two motor launches sent from London commanded by a singular officer.
So much for the bald detail, the officer in question (Spicer-Simson) was a true eccentric but given the task ahead that was probably an advantage. The ML's were shipped to South Africa and then moved to the lake by rail, overland through jungle and over mountain and by river. Spicer-Simson and his men overcame all sorts of obstacles (some self inflicted) to reach their goal and amazingly fight and beat the Germans! The book captures the almost unreal nature of most of the journey, the obstacles faced and overcome, the bordering on madness obsessivness and eccentricities (often wore a skirt) of Spicer-Simson and the battles on the lake with a superb eye for detail and entertaining narrative style. It's sometimes hard to believe that the expedition was ever mounted and reading the book it's even harder to believe it was a success and in large part to Spicer-Simson's unfailing self-belief. How many officers in the RN have unwittingly started their own religion?!
At the end of the book there's a surprise postscript which neatly finishes of the story and connects it to the present day.
In short, buy this book, you won't regret it (you also might not belive it but it's all true!)
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is a fascinating study of one of the more obscure aspects of Britain's WW1 campaign. It is an entertaining read describing how a Biritsh expeditionary force led by a commander considered a liability by every other section of the military somehow led his men to complete their objectives, and ultimately to wrest control of Lake Tanganyiki from Germany. The main character, Spicer, is like a comic book Captain Mainwaring, constantly boasting of his hunting and military exploits despite evidence to the contrary, and is eventually recalled to Britain after falling out with Britain's Belgian allies. The actual story of Mimi and Toutou (Spicer's two boats) is well written and engrossing but the book flags badly at the end with an over lengthy chapter on the film "African Queen", which was partly based on the story of Mimi & Toutou, and a tour of the region by the author, both of which would have been better served by a separate book. Still, an easy read and very entertaining.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Mimi & Toutou Go Forth.
If someone told you this story in the pub, you'd think they were either drunk or daft, or both!
A true, but bizarre (and ingenious) little known story of action in East Africa... Read more
A true, but bizarre (and ingenious) little known story of action in East Africa... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Dragoon47
Still unsure as to my feelings
Firstly I must state that I did enjoy reading the book, and the tale is every bit as fantastical as I was led to believe. There are times, however, when the book verges on dull. Read more
Published 4 months ago by joevascotia
great presie!
bought this book for my boyfriend who read the last king of scotland and loved it. he hasnt started reading it yet but the way in which giles foder writes really got him transfixed... Read more
Published 4 months ago by salsa-star
Mimi and Toutou Go Forth: The Bizarre Battle of Lake Tanganyika
Mimi and Toutou Go Forth: The Bizarre Battle of Lake Tanganyika
Very poorly researched book about this rather unusual Royal Naval campaign during the First World War. Read more
Very poorly researched book about this rather unusual Royal Naval campaign during the First World War. Read more
Published 14 months ago by Hugh
Great account of actual WW1 events...
I thoroughly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in Africa, WW1 in East Africa or just a good sense of humour. Read more
Published 17 months ago by kiwitich
History in the vein of Michael Palin and Terry Jones
If, like me, you're a fan of 19th and early 20th century real-life ripping yarns, this will be right up your alley. Read more
Published 18 months ago by Molerat
Quirky amusing history
So World War One was all in Europe - well no actually. This is a record of an almost mad little wartime sideshow which took place in East Africa between the Germans and the... Read more
Published on 4 Mar 2010 by David Canning
Hilarious, but true
Foden's novels - The Last King of Scotland, Ladysmith, and Zanzibar - have always been backed by a lot of research and local knowledge of Africa. Read more
Published on 25 April 2007 by Ralph Blumenau
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