I agree that Tressel's (Noonan's) book isn't the best bit of literature ever written. However, he wasn't a writer, he was a painter and decorator, and that considered the book is an amazing acheivement.

As for 'I read it ages ago and found it simplistic to the point of naivety, dreadfully bigoted, full of cartoonesque stereotypes , you'll have to enlighten me.

Piers