Product Description

A novel written by the author of "The Snow Goose", "Small Miracle", "Jennie", "Honourable Cat", "Thomasina" and "The Poseidon Adventure". There are hilarious results when the Prime Minister insists that the survival of the Apes on Gibraltar is vital to the survival of The Empire.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #483900 in Books
• Published on: 1977-01-27
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 288 pages

Customer Reviews

Scruffy by name, Scruffy by nature
Paul Gallico's 'Scruffy' is the hilarious fictional account of the infamous apes of Gibraltar during WW II. Based on the ancient legend that when the Rock Apes die out,the British will lose Gibraltar, the story follows the history of Gibraltar during WW II, via the medium of Officer in Charge of Apes Tim Bailey, and his loyal side-kick Lovejoy.
Appointed OIC Apes as the new boy in the Gibraltar chain of command, Bailey's CO is the notoriously short-tempered Brigadier General of Gibraltar, who has many other pressing problems on his plate. This august personage is less than pleased when the very new OIC Apes begins to actually take an interest in his charges, and press for moves to better their situation, when the Brigadier is trying to ready the Rock for the war that he is certain is coming.
For a little while, all goes smoothly, as the Brigadier, anxious for peace, simply approves every one of Bailey's demands and passes them on to the next basket, but in short order, two things bring about Bailey's downfall: Whitehall adds up the total Ape budget since his accession to the post, and SCRUFFY, the largest, oldest, and evilest of the ape pack, goes on the rampage downtown. The results of the two disasters both wind up on the Brigadier's desk at the same moment, leading to Bailey being immediately hauled on the carpet and demoted from his post as OIC apes and sent to Coventry at Europa point, just as war breaks out.
In the meantime, his tentative alliance with one of the most eligible daughters on the Rock is cooling, since she has volunteered for the WRNS and been sent to Britain for training, and Bailey hesitates to press his case by letter.
Under a new and most diffident OIC Apes, the ape pack decreases rapidly, leaving both Lovejoy and Bailey heartbroken and worried. Felicity, returning from the UK, is shattered by the state of the ape pack which she left thriving, and storms out to Europa Point to confront Bailey.
Just when it seems that life cannot get much worse for Bailey, Captain, ex-OIC Apes and persona very non grata, a telegram arrives from the Prime Minister himself, demanding a full report on the ape pack and expressing his personal concern over the decline in the numbers of apes.
Consumed with guilt, the Brigadier hesitates to recall Bailey to his former position, and has no idea how to comply with his orders. Just at the crucial moment, the oddball genius of M15, Major 'Slinker' Clyde, arrives in Gibraltar, newly given charge of the UK's security nightmare.
The story follows Bailey's marriage to Felicity, and Bailey and Clyde's hunt for new apes to bring the packs back up to strength, and their tearing funny efforts to sanitise the image of Scruffy, the only surviving member of the pack.
The story, based in one of Britain's last remaining overseas colonies, is touchingly and amazingly funny, with very believable and human characters, and constant comic relief from the inventive ape pack. Paul Gallico brings his own peculiar talent to bear on a largely unknown legend and makes it into a book which is hard to put down and extremely funny.