“A few sharp victories, some conspicuous acts of personal bravery on the Patriot side and a colorful entry into the capital ... We shall expect the first victory about the middle of July.”
Those immortal words of advice were given to William Boot, the accidental foreign correspondent who is the hero of Evelyn Waugh's novel "Scoop." They came from the fictional newspaper proprietor, Lord Copper, who wasn't too worried about which side were really "patriots"; he just wanted a happy and rapid end. Waugh's novel satirized the British press of the 1930s, their empty sensationalism and their disdain for reality.