Cyril Northcote Parkinson

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Cyril Northcote Parkinson, 1961

Cyril Northcote Parkinson (born July 30, 1909 in Barnard Castle , County Durham , † March 9, 1993 in Canterbury ) was a British historian , sociologist and publicist .

Parkinson lived in Singapore for more than ten years and taught history at Malaya University . He later was President of the Parkinson Institute NV Amsterdam and lived on the Isle of Man . His hobbies were painting, sailing, fencing and architecture. He is the discoverer of the Parkinson's laws named after him , for example through the observation that work is expanded precisely to the extent that time is available to do it ( bureaucracy growth ). Against such a background, he was able to use specific examples to demonstrate that administrations are recording a steady annual increase in staff that is independent of the scope of the administrative tasks.

He became known worldwide through over 60 books. A plaque commemorates him today on the house where he was born on Galgate in Barnard Castle.

Parkinson's theorems (selection)

  • Parkinson's First Law: "Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion."
  • Parkinson's proportional rule: "In budget debates, the time spent discussing an item of expenditure is inversely proportional to its amount."

Works (selection)

Non-fiction

as an author
  • Edward Pellew, Viscount Exmouth . Admiral of the Red . Methuen, London 1934.
  • Trade in the Eastern Seas . Cass Books, London 1966.
  • East and West , German: Asia and Europe in the tides of history . Econ Verlag, Düsseldorf 1963.
  • Britannia Rules. The classical age of naval history 1793-1815 . Sutton Books, Gloucester 1987, ISBN 0-86299-468-3 .
  • Gunpowder, Treason and Plot . Weidenfeld & Nicolson, London 1978, ISBN 0-297-77224-4 .
  • Portsmouth Point. The Navy in Fiction, 1793-1815 . University Press, Liverpool 2005, ISBN 0-85323-139-7 (reprint of the Liverpool 1948 edition).
  • A short history of Malaya . Moore Press, Singapore 1956.
  • Parkinson's Law , German: Parkinson's Law and other studies on administration . Ullstein Taschenbuchverlag, Munich 2001, ISBN 3-548-75072-9 .
  • The Evolution of Political Thought . 4th ed. Viking Press, New York 1966.
  • The Law and the Profits , German: ... all of our money. A study of taxes . Rowohlt, Reinbek 1972, ISBN 3-499-16729-8 .
  • In-Laws and Outlaws , German: favorites and outsiders. A study of success in business and society . Rowohlt, Reinbek 1971, ISBN 3-499-16710-7 .
  • Parkinsanities , German: Parkinsons look into the economy . Rowohlt, Reinbek 1971, ISBN 3-499-16701-8 .
  • Left Luggage from Marx to Wilson , German: Good-bye, Karl Marx . Rowohlt, Reinbek 1973, ISBN 3-499-16808-1 .
  • Mrs. Parkinson's Law , German: Mrs. Parkinson's Law and other studies in the field of home science . Droemer Knaur, Munich 1974, ISBN 3-426-00250-7 .
  • Big business. , 1974, German: Big Business. How the big ones in the economy got their money and what they do with it Econ Verlag, Düsseldorf / Vienna 1975 ISBN 3-430-17358-2 .
  • The Law of Delay , German: Das Mañana-Gesetz. The art of putting decisions on the back burner . Rowohlt, Reinbek 1978, ISBN 3-499-16824-3 .
  • The fur-lined mousetrap , German: Die merzgefütterte Mausefalle . Droemer Knaur, Munich 1975, ISBN 3-426-00380-5 .
  • The law , German: Parkinson's new law . Rowohlt, Reinbek 1994, ISBN 3-499-17848-6 .
  • Management for everyone , German: Perfect Management . Verlag der Wirtschaft, Berlin 1993, ISBN 3-349-00944-1 .
  • The management jungle , German: Entrepreneur jungle. Your guide through everyday business life . Rentrop, Bonn 1990, ISBN 3-8125-0132-5 (together with Minoo K. Rustomji).
as editor
  • The Trade Winds. A study of British overseas trade during the French wars 1793–1795 . Allen & Unwin, London 1948.
  • Samuel Waters : Samuel Waters, lieutenant RN; his memoirs . University Press, Liverpool 2005, ISBN 0-85323-149-4 (reprint of the Liverpool 1949 edition).

Fiction

Richard Delancey series
Other
  • Ponies Plot , German: The cunning ponies of Ditchbury. A contemporary fairy tale for adults . Fischer, Frankfurt / M. 1976, ISBN 3-436-02370-1 (reprint of the Düsseldorf edition 1966).
  • The Life and Times of Horatio Hornblower , German: Horatio Hornblower . His life and his time; a fictional biography . Ullstein, Frankfurt / M. 1970, ISBN 3-548-22207-2 .
  • Manhunt. A novel . Manx Publ., Douglas 1990, ISBN 1-873120-00-1 .

Audio books

  • Discusses Political Science with Julian H. Franklin . 1959 (10 LPs).

literature

Web links

Wikiquote: Cyril Northcote Parkinson  - Quotes
personal data
SURNAME Parkinson, Cyril Northcote
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Parkinson, C. Northcote
BRIEF DESCRIPTION British historian, sociologist and publicist
DATE OF BIRTH July 30, 1909
PLACE OF BIRTH Barnard Castle , County Durham
DATE OF DEATH March 9, 1993
Place of death Canterbury