Why not infiltrate the little Gaulish village by building a modern housing estate That’s the plan thought up by trendy Roman architect Squaronthehypotenus to help Caesar crush the indomitable Gauls. Will the villagers be tempted by the chance of making money when the first Roman tenants move in And what about the Gauls’ secret weapon. Roll up to see the Roman remains!A cartoon drawn with such supreme artistry, and a text layered with such glorious wordplay, satire and historical and political allusion that no reader should ever feel like they’ve outgrown it.–TIME OUT
The Asterix books represent the very summit of our achievement as a literary race. In Asterix one finds all of human life. The fact that the books were written originally in French is no matter. I have read them all in many languages and, like all great literature, they are best in English. Anthea Bell and Derek Hockridge, Asterix’s translators since the very beginning, have made great books into eternal flames.–THE TIMES #0521/040324