BooksPodcast

Is all really fair in both love and war? When it comes to the deities of the ancient world, love and war go together like a horse and carriage. Why is that? Well, one possible reason, according to Professor Hutton, … Continue reading →

Women, eh? Put them in charge! “Lost in history. Is there any better place?” This question is rhetorically asked by the spectral presence of Isabella D’Este observing yet another scholar pore over the huge treasure trove of her papers in … Continue reading →

Dem bones, dem bones, dem dry bones Are you familiar with the term ‘dark tourism’? No? Me neither. Although, if I had thought about it, I would have realised that some sort of colourful phrase would be needed for people … Continue reading →

There are skeletons in the armoire! Charles Dickens is an industry. His books have never been out of print, there are websites dedicated to him, and societies to appreciate his work, a museum occupying the house where he wrote Oliver … Continue reading →

Got’a love a good liar – might even love the lie! We are fascinated by deception. We love magic shows, where we collude with the conjuror. We may not know what is going to happen, but we are sure that … Continue reading →

He’s not a genius, he’s a very naughty boy! Kierkegaard said, “Geniuses are like thunderstorms. They go against the wind, terrify people, cleanse the air.” Schopenhauer had a different take: “Talent hits the target. Genius hits the target others can’t … Continue reading →

It’s NOT Magical Realism, OK?! Sir Ben Okri doesn’t really need a lot of introduction. He won the Booker Prize for The Famished Road, while Astonishing The Gods was named as one of the BBC’s 100 Novels That Shaped Our … Continue reading →

The oldest Angry Young Man in music They called him The Modfather. Not quite punk himself (or was he? Nah – he dressed too well…) but with the incendiary energy of punk and a sublime gift for songwriting, Paul Weller … Continue reading →

He’s no Diaghilev! The front page of the Daily Mirror on August 28th, 1967 had the story: “Epstein – the Beatle-making prince of pop – dies at 32.” His death has always had a question mark over it, and Philip … Continue reading →

The bookish Bombshell Marilyn Monroe would have been one hundred years old on 1st June this year. It is impossible to think of Marilyn old. She was just 36 when she died in LA in 1962. She is frozen in … Continue reading →

The one with the comedy dog The Surge is a trenchant analysis of the destructive power of water, a clarion call for recognising imminent dangers, and a panoramic narrative of human catastrophe and hubris. Some passages present as a cross … Continue reading →

Whither the Labour movement? One is struck by the heroic energy and fortitude of the working classes – working long and arduous hours, they found time and resources to educate themselves, to organise trades unions, to make brass bands and … Continue reading →

Yes, but does it matter? There is an old joke: Why is it hard to move a philosophy department into a different building? Answer: because philosophers are reluctant to abandon their premises. [This is Tim’s own joke [ED]] And then … Continue reading →

Is this what a “Pop icon” is? Kate Bush burst onto the scene in 1978 with Wuthering Heights, a wildly unlikely and ethereal single. The record industry and radio DJs were bemused, but the record-listening public were instantly smitten. I … Continue reading →

Don’t mention the war! Alwyn Turner is our finest cultural and social historian. His focus is typically on the lived experience of the people, rather than the Sunday papers’ idea of culture or the minutiae of the Westminster Village. He … Continue reading →

He was not arrogant enough! Tony Blair is one of the defining politicians of post-war Britain, but he failed to transform the country on the same scale as, say, Margaret Thatcher. For his enemies he was a warmonger and a … Continue reading →

Reality doesn’t exist … probably … “Quantum physics is, without doubt, the most disruptive technological transformation in history.” “Really?” you say, “And what has quantum physics done for us?” Electronics. Computers. GPS. Hi-definition television. Smartphones. Lasers. Transistors. Lists of what quantum … Continue reading →

“There are dozens of Beach Boys!” Jack Reiley (Beach Boys manager 1970 to 1973) said: “The Beatles were focussed, strategic, professionally and well-led during the years of their mounting ascendency. During that period, the Beach Boys were divided, unprofessional and … Continue reading →

War. Huh! (Dum dum dum!) What’s our brain good for? “Human brains were not built for comfortable lives”, writes Nicholas Wright. Which rather raises the question, what were they built for? Well, among other things, “Every human brain is built … Continue reading →

In the 70’s, he was a happy drunk … by the 80’s, he was just miserable! It is 1962. Ritchie Starkey – better known by his stage name of Ringo Starr – is widely acknowledged as the best drummer in … Continue reading →

Syd Barrett was probably not really an acid casualty! Peter Jenner (Floyd’s first manager): “Syd’s behaviour was avant-garde and I thought avant-garde was good. Of course in hindsight, we should have taken a break, but none of us knew what … Continue reading →

“A gentleman’s hands are [always] clean” Infectious diseases caused by bacteria have killed well over half of all humans who have ever lived on Earth. Historically, bacterial infections have started major pandemics such as the bubonic plague, which is estimated … Continue reading →

I mean, you’ve got’a laugh, aintcha! Nitrous Oxide made “a picaresque journey from laboratory to lecture hall, variety palace to dentist’s chair.” A substance that does not exist in nature, it fairly blew the minds of the radical scientific community … Continue reading →

They walk among us … possibly. When a book is turned into a film or, in this case, a comic into a television series, there are usually disagreements about which is better, ranging from polite opinions to open cultural warfare. … Continue reading →

Capitalism and government go hand in hand – one feeding the other Some people think of economic history as a trifle dry, but how can you resist a book that includes quotes like these: “The love of money (as a … Continue reading →