United Kingdom Books

I've read this story about James Wolfe, truly he was a hero. Anyone who loves great history would be riveted by the details.

JL-M in top form. In this volume of his diaries the author seems to come out of a several-year funk and returns to a more positive perspective. He's as charming, crankily acerbic, and endearing as ever, still capable of simultaneous intensely personal and detached insights, with superb, elagiac description of the English landscape and life I miss so much. Michael Bloch's editing is unnoticeable (which is the best editing of all). Having known some of the people mentioned in his diaries it's fun to add my own footnotes to MB's often delicately reticent ones. For example, the term "close friend of" in the footnotes often really means "lover" or "mistress." MB no doubt has omitted many of JL-M's more indelicate entries, perhaps because the editor still wants to be able to sit at certain dinner tables without endangering his life. Oh, how I wish that more of the people in JL-M's diaries were unlikely to be offended by seeing in print what everybody already knows anyway, or least were unlikely to go to law, so that MB could give us the "Unexpurgated JL-M Diaries." Now, that would be truly fun to read!

Michael Oliver's "Benjamin Britten" is both informative and insightful. As one in a series of 20th Century Composers, I found this edition most interesting. I have read six other editions from the series, and Michael Oliver's is the best written thus far.

There are several well written biographies of Britten on the market. All that I have read thus far spend entirely too much time discussing the personal life of the composer, rather than focusing on his ground- breaking operas, or orchestral works. Oliver chooses to focus more on the music that is Britten, rather than getting wrapped up in his personal life. True, elements of Britten's childhood and adult struggles with the morality of the day may have caused him to compose the haunting tunes and melodies, but they are not the basis for understanding his music.

Oliver highlights the reason Britten is one of the 20th century's greatest composers- pure genious.

Benjamin Disraeli has long been a subject of fascination for many. Born to a family of Sephardic Jews, he rose from an unorthodox background to become prime minister of Great Britain and one of the dominant politicians of the Victorian age. His climb to the top of the "greasy pole" was a difficult one, though, and nowhere is this better illustrated than in the letters he wrote. Full of wit and color, they are an indispensable resource for people seeking to understand Disraeli's life and career.

While much of his correspondence has been printed before (particularly in Monypenny and Buckle's classic six-volume biography of Disraeli), this is the inaugural volume of an effort to publish every surviving letter Disraeli ever wrote. Starting with a brief note to his mother that Disraeli wrote when he was 11, the letters printed here capture a flamboyant young man eager to make his mark on the world yet uncertain as to how to make it. Articled as a solicitor, he soon found the work uncongenial and turned to his pen, writing pamphlets promoting questionable South American mining companies that soon collapsed. This loss of his investments in those companies, coupled with the collapse of a newspaper he started, soon left Disraeli in a state of indebtedness that would long plague his life and occupy much of his correspondence.

With creditors persistently hounding him, Disraeli began his career as a novelist in the hope that he could write his way out of his indebtedness. While his novels enjoyed modest success, they failed to bring in the income he needed to pay his mounting debts. The situation undoubtedly spurred his decision to enter Parliament (as MPs were immune from arrest), but his early attempts met with frustration. The collection ends with his last, failed attempt to run as an independent candidate and a growing association with the Conservative party, which would eventually provide the support he needed to win a seat in the House of Commons.

Disraeli's great strength as a writer was his descriptive powers, which are in full evidence in the correspondence collected here. Some of his best letters were written to friends and family during his tour of the Mediterranean in 1830-1, which contain evocative accounts of the places he visited. Adding to our understanding of the people and events described in these letters is the superb editorial work, which allows the reader to trace nearly every detail of his correspondence. The result is a first-rate source for one of the leading figures of 19th century Britain and an essential book for anybody seeking to better understand the man and his times.

What can I say... my last name is Benthall. If your name is Benthall you owe it to yourself to buy this book. It's invaluable to any genealogy buffs. Even if you have no connection to the Benthall name whatsoever you will still enjoy this book. (Okay, I'm lying!) So come on all you 100+ Benthalls in the USA (which the book points out have no claim on Benthall Hall) let's buy this book before they stop selling it!!!
Current sales rank: 2,437,621,012.

Simon Lee is Senior Lecturer in Politics at Hull University. In this brilliant book, he examines Gordon Brown's record and his growing embrace of Thatcherite policies and language.

Brown has dropped the Labour Party's rhetorical commitment to state-led modernisation of our manufacturing industries. He has embraced the City of London's liberalised financial markets and the domestic property market, increasing our vulnerability to global shocks.

As a result, Britain lost a million manufacturing jobs under his Chancellorship. Monthly deficits in trade in goods average £6.5 billion. From 1966 to 1994, we had more assets than liabilities; since 1995, vice versa. Outward investment was £5279 billion at the end of 2006, inward investment £5544 billion: a net loss of £265 billion, 20% of GDP.

Average houses are now unaffordable for first-time buyers in 93% of towns, as against 37% in 2001. The housing market now drives increasing inequality and in turn is driven up by increasing immigration: 2.54 million new NI numbers were issued to overseas nationals between 2002/3 and 2006/7.

Inequality has soared: in the 1980s the richest 1% owned 17-18% of the wealth; by 2007 they owned 20-24%. Directors' pay rose by 28% in 2005 alone. The average pay of a Tesco's worker fell from £12.7K to £11.6K while Tesco's CEO got £5.4 million, 466 times the average worker's.

Private and public debts are growing. Training, transport and communications still lack investment. His PFIs and PPPs mean that we taxpayers subsidise firms to run public services badly.

His Foreign Secretary Miliband vaunts `the hard power of economic and military incentives and interventions' - i.e. sanctions and wars. Brown is raising military spending from £34 billion in 2008/9 to £36.9 billion in 2010/11, including two aircraft carriers costing £3.9 billion with 36 Joint Strike Fighters on each, another £5 billion.

Brown said, "We should be proud ... of the empire." Thabo Mbeki reminded us what empire meant - `genocide, vast ethnic cleansing, slavery, rigorously enforced racial hierarchy and merciless exploitation'. Brown's `outward-looking internationalist patriotism' is sanctimonious code for identifying Britain with past, present and future aggressions.

Brown wants above all to enforce trade liberalisation - which has cost sub-Saharan Africa $272 billion in the last 20 years, far exceeding the aid Brown promised (but did not deliver). His proposed International Finance Facility would pay out $500 billion and cost $720 billion, due to interest payments to bondholders profiting from aid. Brown wants profits from climate change too. His key environmental goal is a global carbon market centred on the City.

He wants a Global Europe, an `outward-looking, globally-oriented EU', meaning, again, more wars. The Lisbon Agenda is Brown's agenda - making the EU even more Thatcherite, more like the USA, by making the Single Market more liberalised, deregulated and privatised. The European Commission says that in `Enterprise Europe', "Entrepreneurship is the key to the new economy."

His commitment to Britain is just rhetorical. He is actually breaking up Britain by devolution and regionalisation (unelected regional assemblies and ministers), under EU orders.

Lee indulges in some wishful thinking about the supposed benefits of devolution and about Brown's breaking with Blair's war policies and opposing the revived EU Constitution. But overall, this is a most useful and well-researched book, giving us the evidence to prove that Brown's policies are pro-capital and anti-Britain.

Reviewed by Dr. Michael Philliber for Reader Views (11/08)

Growing up in America, the great British statesman, Winston Churchill, marginally entered my historical frame of reference. Therefore I was delighted to pick up C. Brian Kelly's 420-page book, "Best Little Stories from the Life and Times of Winston Churchill." This large, but economically priced biography, charts the life of Winston Churchill in a very readable fashion that will be agreeable for everyone, whether young teenagers to more senior readers.

The feistiness of Churchill comes through on every page, from childhood to the end. Here was a man who overcame numerous obstacles - physical and familial - to become one of the greatest statesmen in the 20th century, and Kelly adroitly brings it all out. There abounds seriousness and humor, as well as thoughtfulness.

One of the advantageous aspects of "Best Little Stories from the Life and Times of Winston Churchill" is the way Kelly has formatted the book. Each historical episode is crafted in such a way as to stand alone, and yet every piece builds off of the previous one. Why this is so helpful is that the busy reader can effortlessly pick up the book, read a short section, garner the point, and then put the book down to rush off wherever they must go. Then the reader can come back later, pick up the book and read the next section without much frustration or work. But it will also become quickly obvious that the author has not sacrificed substance for shape.

Finally, there are some little extras which add to the value of "Best Little Stories from the Life and Times of Winston Churchill." The final chapter of the book is about Churchill's mother, Jeanette "Jennie" Jerome Churchill, written by Ingrid Smyer. Next there are some of Churchill's most famous statements. And lastly there is a thorough index for the more academic reader. Overall, this is a valuable, pleasurable, well-crafted work which I highly recommend.

For the student of politics and politcal philosophy this compilation is a wonderful 'must-read'. I was captured at times by the power of Burke's writing. Occasionally I was so taken with the majesty of his language and the power of his logic that I found myself reading aloud, savoring each word. For example, try rolling these phrases off your tongue: "Liberty...is a general principle, and the clear right of all subjects within the realm, or of none. Partial freedom seems to me a most invidious mode of slavery. But unfortunately, it is the kind of slavery most easily admitted....The true danger is when liberty is nibbled away, for expedients, and by parts." Burke's erudition and style are refreshing in a modern political landscape of mediocrity and mindless soundbites. Editor Peter Stanlis divides the book into eight roughly chronological sections from Burke's seminal writings in the mid-1700's through his celebrated expressions as a member of Parliament debating the American Revolution, Ireland and Catholic Emancipation, Economic Reforms, British misrule in India and the subsequent impeachment of Governor-General Hastings. The Book concludes with selections from Burke's exceptional observations on the French Revolution, thoughts which galvanized British opposition to the revolutionary regimes and gave the intellectual undergirding of the Napoleonic Wars. Stanlis also provides the reader with helpful prequels setting the stage for each of the selected writings or speeches, a chronological table of Burke's life, a handy selected bibliography and a concise indroduction to the whole work which is an excellent summary of what follows. This hardback edition is well bound on quality paper. It will survive the many re-readings and quick searches it deserves. The one flaw in this edition is the lack of a helpful appendix or index. Even though my copy is well underscored and highlighted with marginal notes to flag key thoughts or expressions, appendices would save time thumbing through nearly 700 pages to find a particular quote. The book is not a quick read, yet it is surprisingly relevant to today's headlines. Burke's brilliant insights into human nature and the practical workings of governments far outshine most modern pundits. This book is now a standard reference work in my personal library, sitting on a close-at-hand shelf for ready access.

The walks are well written and there are a number that I have repeated. Salters Road is a good starting point for the experienced walker. Try the Schill its a wonderful adventure and keep your lunch until the Hut. The Usway burn in winter really brings out the beauty of the Cheviots. The border ridge is not for the foolhardy. We started the walk at 0700 and finnished at 1700 and that was without a diversion to the Cheviot. We were well pleased with our effort and a meal in Kirk Yettom sealed the day but needless to say the recovery took a number of days.

I have read many Education texts but non-as compelling, gripping or insightful as this. Coulby uses a down to earth approachable format and style to convey complex ideas to the reader.
An absolute must for all those in this profession and a highly advisory text for those wanting to broaden their knowledge and views of education.
My tutor recommended this to me and I would recommend this to anyone highly!
Very international though perhaps not quite as positive about the States as one might hope!
A challenging but rewarding read with a unique and intelligent perception.