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Continue reading →: Book Review: The Assault on Truth – Boris Johnson, Donald Trump and the Emergence of a New Moral Barbarism by Peter Oborne
My rating: 3 of 5 stars I’ve not heard of Peter Oborne before this book and, having listened to the audio version with the author himself narrating, I’ll be quite happy if I never hear of (or from) him again. Oborne is immediately odious, cranky, defensive and belligerent. He’s the…
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Continue reading →: Book Review: Failures of State – The Inside Story of Britain’s Battle with Coronavirus by Jonathan Calvert and George Arbuthnott
My rating: 5 of 5 stars In general, in the news world at least, there is – at least in pretence – an abhorrence of bias. Reporters and journalists are supposed to be neutral, impartial observers. Of course, in reality, true objectivity is impossible; every writer has a direction from…
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Continue reading →: Book Review: Moby-Dick or, the Whale by Herman Melville
What an utter waste of time ‘Moby Dick’ proved to be. There are times when you wonder just the state of publishing was in the 1850s when Melville’s ‘classic’ was written. I get it that you have an iconic image – crazed sea captain seeking revenge of the monstrous beast…
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Continue reading →: Book Review: The Foundation Series by Isaac Asimov
My rating: 3 of 5 stars My Foundation books have sat on my shelves since I was young, read long ago, but awaiting a re-read along with many other classics. A discussion with my daughter’s boyfriend a couple of years ago who was a big sci-fi fan (and Asimov in…
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Continue reading →: Book Review: In search of black history with Bonnie Greer by Bonnie Greer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars This series of eight podcasts with multi-talented Bonnie Greer, who – among many, many accomplishments – was also the first Black American woman to become not just a trustee of the British Museum but also serve as Deputy Chair, is the first of a…
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Continue reading →: Book Review: A Short History of England by Simon Jenkins
My rating: 3 of 5 stars A short history of a country is never going to be an all-encompassing in-depth review of historical events. As such, a book of this sort is always going to be open to criticism and Simon Jenkins’ book has certainly received plenty of that. Some,…
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Continue reading →: Book Review: The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene
This book by Robert Greene is, without a doubt, one of the very worst books I’ve ever read. It is ghastly on multiple levels. I do try to read an eclectic range of books and push myself to read recommended books I wouldn’t normally bother with. I can’t recall is…
