Category: Books & Music

Understanding Poverty: The Poor Talk about what it means to be Poor, Anvil Publishing.

Tweet “Mao’s Last Revolution” (Roderick MacFarquhar, Michael Schoenhals) Technorati Tags: history

Recently read: “The Politics of Pleasure: A Portrait of Benjamin Disraeli” (William Kuhn).

Tweet “Empires of the Word: A Language History of the World” (Nicholas Ostler)

The Communist Party of the Philippines 1968-1993: A story of its theory and practice, by Kathleen Weekley.

George Jacques Danton gave a simple explanation why his generation of young professionals embarked on the French Revolution. Quoted in “The Terror: The Shadow of the Guillotine: France 1792–1794” (Graeme Fife):The old regime made a crucial error…. The old regime drove us to it by giving us a good education without opening opportunities for our talents.

Tweet “The Argumentative Indian: Writings on Indian History, Culture and Identity” (Amartya Sen)

According to The Economist.

Reviewed my October 20, 2005 column, and Garry Wills’ views on leadership in his book, “Certain Trumpets: The Nature of Leadership” (Garry Wills).  In view of recent events, the book continues to make profitable reading.

The most ludicrous debate seems to me that between various contemporary readers of Tootle, the train that was taught to stay on the tracks (not the same as The Little Engine that Could -and why on earth did they have to dispense with the original art?). But actually I only read about Tootle and the Little Engine that Could in school. At home, it seems my early reading was strictly 19th and early 20th centuries.

The Prime Minister, always fascinated by birds, beasts and fishes, now suggested that we should dine at San Remo and examine this unusual creature.Lord Beaverbook’s chef was given a night off and Sargeant Murray informed the French police of our intention. In pitch darkness and pouring rain we entered the two-door Fiat, Meg and I cramped uncomfortably behind and Churchill sitting in front beside Sergeant Murray, who acted as chauffeur as well as artistic adviser and detective. When our shabby little car emerged from the drive we found two shiny black limousines and a posse of police motorcyclists waiting to escort us. We set off at speed, but had not gone far before the window next to Churchill came adrift.