Star Trek Nation: An Englishman’s View of America

Star Trek Nation: An Englishman's view of America All you ever wanted to know about how Britain views America (but were afraid to ask) Professor Lyndon N. Smith's first book Why You Can't Catch a Rocket to Mars was a light-hearted foray into the future, which went to #1 bestseller in all the Amazon categories it was listed under and received almost exclusively 5-star reviews. Now, having given us a whirlwind tour of science and technology, in this new book he focuses his attention squarely on the New World. Star Trek Nation: An Englishman's view of America is a desultory and humorous telling-off of Americans that will be engrossing for you if you experienced, or have interest in, the TV, music, and/or atmosphere of the 1960s and 70s. The model the Professor uses for understanding Yanks is Star Trek and the lens through which he views them is Sherlock Holmes' magnifying glass. So, if you have any interest in these legends of Anglo-American popular culture, you must read this book to fully appreciate how the reserved folks in the Old Country view the loud dudes one finds stateside, and vice versa. To cut a long story short, the Prof's conclusion is that we in Olde England love you and we need you! (As I'm sure Ozzy Osbourne once said.) Even so, like most Brits, the Professor is not shy of tackling such important questions as: why do Yanks drive on the right (i.e. wrong) side of the road, what have they got against (hot) tea, and when are they going to get smart (as Trump would say), and adopt The Queen as their head of state? To get the answers, read on... 5-star review from Goodreads: "What an exciting time to be a book reviewer! I've been waiting for a long time for such a book to be written. I'm a continental European looking at both the English and the American culture with an objective and curious eye (more or less). This is a hilarious collection of beliefs of Anglo-American popular culture which managed to surpass my high expectations. Lyndon Smith is a gifted writer from England, with fluid discourse and insightful observations. His personal journeys across the pond are not only for geographical and scientific discovery, but also for filtering out analogy and difference between the two sister cultures. It is a pleasure to accompany him in these journeys - it's like being 'with a wheel in my hand and four on the road' on one of the US interstate roads (if the wheel is on the right or on the left is uncertain). Star Trek, Sherlock Holmes, The Fulbright Commission, McDonald's, Las Vegas, Vasquez Rock, Walmart and Ozzy Osbourne are all there in a fervent pot of personal interactions and unceremonious but sharp analysis. Popular culture facts (some known and some less known) are delivered in a realistic way (rigorously detailed) wrapped in the author's obvious affection for America. Wit, tongue in cheek, self-deprecation are all intertwined in a successful humorous mix. No matter what your nationality is, I believe that this powerful, nuanced portrayal of the Anglo-American relationship will thoroughly entertain you. Strongly recommended!" - Dr Luiza Dihoru