In The Naked Swiss: A Nation Behind 10 Myths, Clare O’Dea promises to change the way the world thinks about modern Switzerland – and give Swiss readers much to think about too. In ten chapters O’Dea dismantles the most positive myths of modern Switzerland (The Swiss are Rich/Brilliant/Have the Perfect Democracy) with the same sharp journalistic eye as she assesses the negative ones (The Swiss are Crooked Bankers/Xenophobic/Helped the Nazis).
The Naked Swiss introduces readers to a cast of real Swiss, painting a lively country through many anecdotes. It is a Switzerland of the twenty-first century – a Switzerland of working mothers, disgraced banks and multicultural football teams. It is a book that isn’t afraid to address past shame, current crises and national failings. O’Dea speaks five languages, has visited all 26 cantons, and is the mother of three Swiss children, and her deep knowledge of the country is on display page after page.