Politics – Whatsoever Things Are Lovely

Written in History: Letters that Changed the World by Simon Sebag Montefiore

April 22, 2019

History can often appear as a subject devoid of the spiritual and emotional sides of life, but Written in History is one of those books which allows them bubble up to the historical surface. Covering great themes like love, courage, war, goodbyes, and family, this collection of letters opens up often inaccessible individuals … More Written in History: Letters that Changed the World by Simon Sebag Montefiore

Kwasi Kwarteng – Ghosts of Empire

March 28, 2019

When we think of the British Empire, we often think of it as something belonging to bygone generations captured in colourful paintings and battered old black and white photographs. Ghosts of Empire, however, reminds us of its existence, expansion, and eventual contraction through the twentieth century and its remnants which have lasted, like ghosts, long … More Kwasi Kwarteng – Ghosts of Empire

Keith Thomas – In Pursuit of Civility

October 6, 2018

What is civilisation? How have societies defined what it means to be civilised? What does it mean to not be one of the civilised – to be a barbarian? These are the broad questions Keith Thomas seeks to answer in his latest book, In Pursuit of Civility, a unique investigation into social relationships and expectations … More Keith Thomas – In Pursuit of Civility

Frances Welch – The Imperial Tea Party

July 29, 2018

In order to kill time, I wondered through a Waterstones in London picking up this year’s batch of history books. On the back of a few serious reads, I put each text down realising I hadn’t the nerve to call on the old grey matter of an evening, particularly now that I’m working. However, upon … More Frances Welch – The Imperial Tea Party

Plutarch’s Essays

April 2, 2018

Though eventually named a Roman citizen, Plutarch, (46-120 AD), was born and raised in Greece where he also spent most of his adult life. His major works were the dozens of biographies of Greek and Latin men of significance as well as the various essays he wrote on morality, ethics and contemporary issues. The Penguin … More Plutarch’s Essays

Edmund Burke – Reflections on the Revolution in France

July 21, 2017

When reading Burke, it is hard to escape his imposing intellect, his world-weary wisdom which bears down softly but firmly. As both an Irishmen and proud Member of Parliament for the Empire he loved, for the England he cherished, Burke gave conservatism an unashamedly British colour. His Reflections on the Revolution in France takes the … More Edmund Burke – Reflections on the Revolution in France

Boris Johnson – The Churchill Factor

August 27, 2016

At school I was never taught to love my country for its history or its heroes. The subject of WWII was discussed matter-of-factly as a linear assortment of dates with particular focus on the evils of national fascism. It was never impressed upon me by teachers or textbooks what a colossal influence Winston Churchill … More Boris Johnson – The Churchill Factor

George Orwell – “The lion and the unicorn: socialism and the English genius”

July 21, 2016

A household name and perhaps the most respected writer the Left produced in the twentieth century, Orwell is known to most people through his novels 1984 and Animal Farm. But his real talent resides in the essays which formed the political bedrock of his novels and intellectual development. “The lion and the unicorn: socialism … More George Orwell – “The lion and the unicorn: socialism and the English genius”