Description

In the latest entertaining and hilarious Professor Dr Dr Moritz-Maria Von Igelfeld novel, our hopelessly out-of-touch hero is forced to confront uppity librarians, the rector of the university and a possible hostile takeover, all while trying to remain studiously above it all.

Professor Dr Dr Moritz-Maria von Igelfeld and his colleagues at the University of Regensburg’s Institute of Romance Philology pride themselves on their unwavering commitment to intellectual excellence. They know it is their job to protect a certain civilized approach to the scholarly arts. So when a new deputy librarian, Dr. Hilda Schreiber-Ziegler, threatens to drag them all down a path of progressive inclusivity, they are determined to stop her in the name of scholarship – even if that requires von Igelfeld to make the noble sacrifice of running for director of the Institute. Alas, politics is never easy, and in order to put his best foot forward, von Igelfeld will be required to take up a visiting fellowship at Oxford and cultivate the attentions of a rather effusive young American scholar. Still, von Igelfeld has always heeded the clarion call of duty, especially when it comes with a larger office.

Publisher Review

Professor Moritz-Maria von Igelfield is a hilarious creation. His bufoonish adventures - whether he's amputating legs of dachshunds or assuming dictatorship of South American states- are packed full of wit - Daily Express In the halls of academe, a setting fraught with ego-driven battles for power and prestige [McCall Smith] has rendered yet another one-of-a-kind character: the bumbling but brilliant Dr. Mortiz-Maria von Igelfeld - Chicago Sun-Times Delightfully silly - Washington Post (on Unusual Uses for Olive Oil) Very amusing - Mail on Sunday (on 2 1/2 Pillars of Wisdom) Alexander McCall Smith's wildest, whackiest and funniest yet - Scotsman (on Unusual Uses for Olive Oil)