Asterix in Britain – Book 8

Asterix in Britain (French: Astérix chez les Bretons, “Asterix in the land of the Britons”) is the eighth in the Asterix comic book series. It was published in serial form in Pilote magazine, issues 307–334, in 1965, and in album form in 1966. It tells the story of Asterix and Obelix’s journey to Roman-occupied Britain.

In the book, Julius Caesar has invaded Britain and succeeded in his conquest; but a single gaulish village in Kent remains independent. One member of the village, Anticlimax, is dispatched to Gaulish village to enlist the help of Getafix the druid in providing magic potion for the British rebels. It is decided that Asterix (Anticlimax’s first cousin once removed) and Obelix should accompany him, to help transport a barrel of the potion; but while beating up a Roman galley in the English Channel, Obelix mentions the mission, which is reported to the Roman high command in Britain.

In Britain, the barrel containing the potion is confiscated from a pub cellar owned by Dipsomaniax, along with all the barreled “warm beer” (bitter) and wine in Londinium, by the Romans, who set about tasting the barrels to find the right one. Soon the whole unit assigned to the testing is hopelessly drunk; whereupon Asterix and Obelix steal all the barrels labelled with Dipsomaniax’s name, but Obelix is himself drunk and starts a fight with some passing Roman soldiers. During the commotion a thief steals the cart with the barrels. Anticlimax and Asterix leave Obelix at Dipsomaniax’s pub to sleep off his hangover; but while Anticlimax and Asterix go in search of the thief, the Romans capture the sleeping Obelix and Dipsomaniax, and raze the pub.

Next Book in the Series : Asterix and the Normans