Just Finished Reading: The Beats – A Very Short Introduction by David Sterritt (FP: 2013) [108pp] 

I've encountered 'The Beats' on many occasions over the years – in movies, cultural histories and novels - and have even read a few things by them most notably On The Road by Jack Kerouac and, more recently, a booklet of poetry by Allen Ginsberg but have never really read anything about them until now. 

My initial thought that they were essential a precursor to the 'Hippies' on the late 1960's and into the 70's wasn't too far off the mark. The Beats were certainly rebels of their post-WW2 era and talked about and practiced 'free love' and drug use (although this was pre-LSD so the drugs of choice tended to be marijuana, cocaine and heroin) as well as breaking the taboo around homosexuality. The difference in their radical outlook from the Hippies that followed in their wake was that Beatniks tended to be more inward looking and less 'revolutionary' whilst Hippies tended to be much more political and looked to change society in general. 

Naturally this slim volume concentrated its focus on the big three Beats – Kerouac, Ginsberg and William S Burroughs. I was at least familiar with the existence of these three figures and was at least somewhat acquainted with their work – in that I knew of it! The other figures mentioned in this volume were universally new to me – Neal Cassady, Gergory Corso, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Diane di Prima and Gary Snyder. Potted biographies of everyone listed certainly helped me know more about them and appreciate their impact on the Movement. 

Much like the Hippies, the Beats tended to be into everything – novels, poetry, music (especially Jazz), art and film. Despite there being only an estimated 150 published authors/poets amongst them the Beats managed to punch well above their cultural weight in part due to the backlash against their countercultural drive. The horror stories (often either made up or exaggerated – although sometimes not!) helped to cement their cool image with youths looking for something to rebel against. A fairly interesting look at an often-forgotten countercultural movement. Reasonable.  

Just Finished Reading: Riots and Rebels – Popular Protest in Britain from The Peasants’ Revolt to Extinction Rebellion by Nick Rennison (FP: 2025) [197pp] 

I’m still not 100% sure why exactly but I have long been interested in rebels and revolutionaries. It might well stem from growing up in the 1970’s when some (at least) of my History teachers were young radicals themselves. It's certainly where I first learned of Hereward the Wake, (possibly) Boudica and other famous English rebels and, of course, we had our fictional heroes such as Robin Hood. So, when I saw this slim volume laid out on a table in my Indie bookshop (next visit in August!) I snapped it up. I was not disappointed. 

Clearly, we Brits are a feisty and rebellious lot! Putting aside the usual regular dynastic conflicts that punctuate Britain’s bloody history the author concentrates on rebellions and uprisings from the ‘lower orders’ of society kicking off with the Peasants Revolt (1381) led by Wat Tyler [another rebel learnt about in school] and Jack Cade’s rebellion (1450) [ditto] before moving onto the rather tumultuous Tudor period. 

Even a cursory knowledge of the Tudors will point you towards THE cause of the numerous rebellions/uprisings of that fascinating period of British history – religion. As the country moved from Catholicism to Protestantism, back again and then back AGAIN its hardly surprising the number of people who suffered from ecclesiastical whiplash (to say nothing about stake burning!). Some of the uprisings I was familiar with [school AGAIN] such as the Pilgrimage of Grace (1536) and Kett’s Rebellion (1549) but a few of them, covered by the author, had obviously passed me by (there only SO much rebellion you can cover in a few school years of history). 

Naturally, one of my favourite periods for such activities is the Civil Wars of the 17th century. I’m a BIG fan of both the Levellers and the Diggers and will be reading more about both later. I’m somewhat familiar with the political debates within the New Model Army (some of which were very modern and very radical for the time) but I was unaware of groups such as the Fifth Monarchy Men nor of the Bowdy House Riots of 1668 which sound interesting to say the least! 

Upheaval in the 18th and 19th centuries revolved around increasing mechanisation (Go Luddites!) and the results of rapid social and economic change. The focus though of the 19th century was on the struggle for increased Rights and especially the Right to Vote. The Chartists definitely need some of my attention going forward. Generally, my knowledge gets increasingly sketchy before the mid-19th century which is something I need to address! 

Of course, the 20th century was hardly a time of calm – even putting to one side both World Wars! We had the Suffragettes (definitely a terrorist organisation), the unrest following demobilisation after the Great War, the General Strike of 1926, the Battle of George Square in Glasgow (tanks on the streets!), the Invergordon Mutiny (1931), the infamous Battle of Cable Street (1936), the Jarrow hunger march (also 1936), various race riots in the 1950’s, anti-Vietnam protests in the 60’s, anti-Nazi protests/riots in the 70’s, Greenham Common and anti-nuclear protests in the 1980’s (I was there for some of those demonstrations) and, of course, the Poll Tax riots during the Thatcher premiership (I saw the aftermath of some of that when I worked in central London in the late 1980’s. 

Phew...! Yup, LOTS of upheaval over MANY years. Never a dull moment as they say! I was impressed by how much the author covered and by how many new incidents I discovered to find out more about – I forgot to mention the Peterloo Massacre and the Tolpuddle martyrs!! (more of which later). This was a fun and fast read and was especially interesting considering the present protests and rioting both here are elsewhere. It's always good to put things into historical perspective. Definitely recommended for anyone interested in our turbulent past – and probable future! 

Happy Birthday: Emma Goldman (June 27, 1869 – May 14, 1940) was a Russian-born anarchist revolutionary, political activist, and writer. She played a pivotal role in the development of anarchist political philosophy in North America and Europe in the first half of the 20th century.

Born in Kaunas, Lithuania (then within the Russian Empire), to a Lithuanian Jewish family, Goldman immigrated to the United States in 1885. Attracted to anarchism after the Haymarket affair in Chicago, Goldman became a writer and a renowned lecturer on anarchist philosophy, women's rights, and social issues, attracting crowds of thousands. She and anarchist writer Alexander Berkman, her lover and lifelong friend, planned to assassinate industrialist and financier Henry Clay Frick as an act of propaganda of the deed. Frick survived the attempt on his life in 1892, and Berkman was sentenced to 22 years in prison. Goldman was imprisoned several times in the years that followed, for "inciting to riot" and illegally distributing information about birth control. In 1906, Goldman founded the anarchist journal Mother Earth.

In 1917, Goldman and Berkman were sentenced to two years in jail for conspiring to "induce persons not to register" for the newly instated draft. After their release from prison, they were arrested—along with 248 others—in the so-called Palmer Raids during the First Red Scare and deported to Russia in December 1919. Initially supportive of that country's October Revolution that brought the Bolsheviks to power, Goldman changed her opinion in the wake of the Kronstadt rebellion; she denounced the Soviet Union for its violent repression of independent voices. She left the Soviet Union and in 1923 published a book about her experiences, My Disillusionment in Russia. While living in England, Canada, and France, she wrote an autobiography called Living My Life. It was published in two volumes, in 1931 and 1935. After the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War, Goldman traveled to Spain to support the anarchist revolution there. She died in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, in 1940, aged 70.

During her life, Goldman was lionized as a freethinking "rebel woman" by admirers, and denounced by detractors as an advocate of politically motivated murder and violent revolution. Her writing and lectures spanned a wide variety of issues, including prisons, atheism, freedom of speech, militarism, capitalism, marriage, free love, and homosexuality. Although she distanced herself from first-wave feminism and its efforts toward women's suffrage, she developed new ways of incorporating gender politics into anarchism. After decades of obscurity, Goldman gained iconic status in the 1970s by a revival of interest in her life, when feminist and anarchist scholars rekindled popular interest.

Just Finished Reading: Spartacus by Lewis Grassic Gibbon (FP: 1933) [237pp] 

Italy, 73BC. As soon as Kleon heard the news he knew exactly what to do. Taking a knife, he went into his master’s bedroom and calmly slit his throat. Leaving the house and the city he made his way south meeting up with other runaway slaves who were all searching for one man – Spartacus. Even if it was a dream, it was a dream worth having. They were free. For how long no one knew. It would only be a matter of time before the masters came to reclaim their property or, more likely, to kill them all and to destroy for ever the very idea that mere slaves could revolt without paying the ultimate price. Spartacus the man was almost a myth already – the gladiator who had stood against Rome itself. But he was far from alone. The slaves who gathered around him were far from the rabble portrayed across Italy. Many had fought in the arena and many more were both prepared and able to train to fight. It wasn’t long before the slave army had become the Free Legions and had won their first battle against a hastily put together Roman force. Now with more confidence, more weapons and more recruits they needed to decide what to do next. Would it be crossing the border into freedom or an attack on Rome itself? Only Spartacus could decide. 

As a fan of Spartacus himself (mostly because of the badly aged Kirk Douglas film to be honest) and having read a few history books about the fabled slave revolt I jumped at this fictionalisation of the events back in the Roman Republic. Finding out its age and classic status (completely unknown to me) made me want to read it all the more. I was not disappointed. Despite being slightly slow at times and, at least at times, feeling slightly oddly written – I did wonder if the author was going for a mix of ‘modern’ and classical style – this was both a fun and fascinating read.  

Told from several perspectives (mostly from the Free Legions sub-commanders as well as Spartacus himself and the Roman generals who opposed him) this gave a rounded – if fictional – interpretation of events. Interesting for such an old novel there was a ‘meta’ moment were some of the characters wondered how the revolt would be seen in the future and how much of reality would survive the inevitable mythologisation that was already happening! I found that musing, between battles, quite fascinating and mused on it quite a bit. Although there were a handful of battles described – very well I thought – there was much more going on. We saw various nationalities discussing their gods and other beliefs, and we saw friendships form and relationships develop. All of the main characters were well drawn and believable which certainly helped with immersion into the story. Being the time and event in question there are more than a few moments of violent death which might disturb some readers. Whilst not particularly graphic the narrative doesn’t pull every punch so be prepared for more than a little blood and people being nailed to trees. Recommended for any fans of the classical world or of the slave revolt itself. 

Just Finished Reading: 1916 – The Mornings After: From the Courts Martial to the Tribunals by Tim Pat Coogan (FP: 2015) [311pp] 

This is not the book I was looking for. I had assumed (wrongly it turned out) that this was about the immediate aftermath of the 1916 Easter Rising in Dublin. It actually turned out to be MUCH broader than that. Essentially the book was in three parts. 

The first (roughly) third did indeed look at the Rising itself although it only got a handful of pages dedicated directly to it. Even so, I picked up a few more details I was previously unaware of. The rest of that section looked at the trials, executions and reception of the survivors. Quite quickly afterwards there was some discussion of the demands for Independence (post Great War) and Britains reluctance to grant such followed by the ‘compromise’ of essentially Dominion status within the Empire – the Irish Free State. Micael Collins (as well as others) saw this as ‘the freedom to work towards freedom’ but other hardliners saw it otherwise – as capitulation or defeat. Tensions between the pro and anti-treaty groups deepened and, no long after, they started fighting leading to the Irish Civil War and (finally) Independence and partition of the north (Ulster). Overall, it was a quick but reasonably detailed look at the period. 

The second section jumped forward to the 1960’s and the Troubles looking at things from both the perspective of the North and South. As the author (a journalist at the time) reported on and often knew the people involved this had both an interesting personal view of the period as well as a level of knowledgeable detail often missing from more professionally historical accounts. Again, I’m reasonably aware of the events covered – partially by reading about them in other works and partially from watching the events on the nightly news – but the authors insights and access gave them an extra valuable impact. 

The final section I found least interesting. Here the author turned much more polemical as he looked at the failures of Irish governance, the scandals inside the Catholic church and the financial failures that led to the Irish banking crisis post-2008. Again, as a journalist, the author both reported on and often interviewed the people involved so had a very good grasp of the events. I did, however, think that for a general (non-Irish) readership he went far too much into the weeds of things and more that once I found myself lost in the detail. A few times I honestly skim read bits just to get the gist of things. 

So, although this was somewhat disappointing for all of the reasons above I still picked up a few extra nuggets of knowledge and will be back to look at 1916 again – hopefully this time with the book and the focus I do want. Reasonable. 

Happy Birthday: Oberst Claus Philipp Maria Justinian Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg (15 November 1907 – 21 July 1944) was a German army officer who is best known for his failed attempt on 20 July 1944 to assassinate Adolf Hitler at the Wolf's Lair, part of Operation Valkyrie, a plan that would have seen the arrest of the Nazi leadership in the wake of Hitler's death and an earlier end to World War II.

Graf von Stauffenberg took part in the Invasion of Poland, the 1941–42 invasion of the Soviet Union in Operation Barbarossa and the Tunisian campaign during the Second World War. Alongside Major Generals Henning von Tresckow and Hans Oster, he became a key figure in the German resistance to Nazism within the Wehrmacht.

On 20 July 1944, Stauffenberg's assassination attempt failed, the explosive he had placed only dealing Hitler minor injuries. The conspirators were arrested, and many of them executed, including Stauffenberg on the day after the attempt. His wife Nina was also arrested, giving birth to their fifth child Konstanze while imprisoned. Their children also included Berthold, who followed in his father's footsteps as a military man, and politician Franz-Ludwig.

In 1980, the West German government established a memorial for the failed anti-Nazi resistance movement in a part of the Bendlerblock, the remainder of which currently houses the Berlin offices of the German Ministry of Defense (whose main offices remain in Bonn). The Bendlerstrasse was renamed the Stauffenbergstrasse, and the Bendlerblock now houses the Memorial to the German Resistance, a permanent exhibition with more than 5,000 photographs and documents showing the various resistance organisations at work during the Hitler era. The courtyard where the officers were shot on 21 July 1944 is now a memorial site, with a plaque commemorating the events and a bronze figure of a young man with his hands symbolically bound which resembles Graf von Stauffenberg.

Just Finished Reading: The Hundred Years’ War on Palestine – A History of Settler Colonial Conquest and Resistance by Rashid Khalidi (FP: 2020) [255pp] 

I’ve been meaning to read something about the region for a while now (that and Ukraine!) and the opportunity to ‘couple’ this with my previous 100 Years War book seemed a good time to do it. From news reports over the years (actually decades!) and some general reading around the topic I think I have a moderately OK knowledge of what's going on in Palestine/Israel zone, but it was nice to have some gaps filled in around the history of the Balfour Declaration and the deals struck by the British with various groups in the Middle East. Essentially, we, the Brits, played off various factions against each other and promised everyone the Earth if they helped us fight the Ottomans during WW1. Naturally when the actual dust had settled, we couldn’t live up to our promises and most everyone was (at the very least) annoyed with us. 

It's a truism that whenever you see straight lines on a map you know it's a region full of conflict. Such is the Middle East, drawn up by the French and the British as they/we carved up the region between them. The British got the Palestine Mandate and they facilitated/encouraged European Jewish immigration into the region fully aware of the Zionist philosophy of many of the settlers. The increase, from a very low number (7% I think), of the Jewish population was managed by the British so as not to destabilise things and, for a while at least, they managed to do this. Things ramped up in the 1930’s for obvious reasons and increased again after WW2 ended. The British left in 1946, essentially finding it too difficult to manage, handing it back to the newly formed United Nations to sort out. Then in 1948 Israel declared independence and took control of large parts of Palestine displacing thousands of Palestinians from their homes - known as the Nakba or Catastrophe. The ongoing crisis in that region dates from these events. 

I think the first thing that impressed me about this often-eye-opening volume was that the author (or members of his immediate family) where ‘in the room’ for at least some of the events outlined. Indeed, the author himself was part of several advisory teams and had direct access to some of the major players including Arafat. The second thing that impressed me was how even handed the author managed to remain even though he and his family had been displaced from his home by Israeli forces as a child. The personal element definitely added a human perspective to the narrative of an unfolding tragedy. Another thing that impressed me was the apportioning of blame. There’s certainly enough blame (on all sides) to go around and, I thought, the author distributed it wisely. The foundational blame was laid at the door of the British – which is more than fair. The major blame is given to the Jewish/Zionist settlers – again more than fair – with a heavy side blame laid at the feet of the Americans. Lessor blame, but still significant, is laid in front of Jordan, Syria and Egypt – and the rest with organisations such as the PLO (Palestinian Liberation Organisation) and Hamas [remember this was published before the October 7th attack and Israel’s response]. 

Despite the author’s knowledge and narrative skill this was a difficult read – especially with the ongoing ethnic cleansing and genocide of the Palestinian people. Rather ironically in the concluding chapter the author muses on possible futures for the zone – from the perspective of 2020 – and states that one possible ‘solution’ for Israel would be just that, except he said that such events were very unlikely due to the cost in lives and the amount of adverse world opinion. How wrong he was on both counts. If you see the images of starving children and a devastated urban area and wonder how this possibly came to be, then this book is a very good place to start. Highly recommended although it might end up depressing you more than a little. More to come on the history of this troubled region. 

[My next scheduled read was the first book of a triple deep dive into Geopolitics. But after reading this I decided I needed something fun and fluffy - so that's coming soon. Then onto Geopolitics!]

Just Finished Reading: The Shortest History of The Soviet Union by Sheila Fitzpatrick (FP: 2022) [230pp] 

I remember, back in the very early 80’s, sitting in an A Level Law class when the teacher asked us all a question. She was a typical Middle Class ex-hippy, and I liked her a lot. She asked us if we were worried in any way by the fact that the Soviets were pointing nukes at us and that we could all be dead with a few minutes notice. After a few others had expressed their opinions, I said that sure we KNEW that we all could be dead by the push of a button somewhere in Moscow, but it wasn’t anything to lose a night's sleep over. Such is the callowness of youth I guess... But there was something else too. I had been born into the Cold War, grew up in it and ‘matured’ in it. When the Soviet Union dissolved completely in December 1991, I had spent a little over 30 years with the possibility of nuclear annihilation always present. After a while you just get used to it. 

Spending almost half of my life with the Soviet Union as an ever-present force in the world has made me moderately obsessed about the Cold War world in particular, but with an almost equal fascination with the 1917 Revolution that started it all off. I’ve mentioned before here that we had a student teacher who covered the Revolution in GREAT depth for about 6 weeks one term, and it was DEEPLY ingrained into my brain for decades afterwards. It's a very interesting story and has helped to shape the world ever since. Obviously, as you might imagine, that’s exactly where this excellent fast paced history started its journey.  

With a successful Revolution under his belt, Lenin and his fellow Bolsheviks consolidated the hold on Mother Russia – after a brutal Civil War and much upheaval – with Plans and a rather unhealthy dollop of misplaced Marxist ideology. Needless to say, this was rather less successful than hoped and Lenin’s successor – Stalin – decided that only drastic measures would do. What followed was, by any measure, brutal resulting in millions of dead – peasants, workers, soldiers and intellectuals. It’s hardly surprising that the initial attack of the Wehrmacht in 1941 (Operation Barbarossa) was SO successful as there were so few talented people left to oppose it. 

The death of Stalin in March 1953 changed everything and the sigh of relief across the USSR must have been quite something to experience. When Nikita Khrushchev finally took the position of premier in 1958 things had already begun to relax and the Soviet economy entered its era of extended growth. It was, albeit briefly, a good time to be a Communist. I was too young to remember the Khrushchev era (or the Cuban Missile Crisis he gave to the world), but I do remember Leonid Brezhnev who was Premier until November 1982. I remember that, at times, the Cold War got VERY cold indeed and the RAF was intercepting Russian bombers probing our air-defence system on a regular basis. Things were, to say the least, tense.  

But by then the writing was already on the wall – both figuratively and no doubt in reality. The Soviet economy was in terminal decline and frequent changes of leaders from Yuri Andropov to Konstantin Chernenko (who only last a year in post!), to Mikhail Gorbachev (who EVERYONE remembers as the guy who ended it all almost by accident) didn’t really help. It was certainly an exciting time watching the collapse of the ‘Evil Empire’ in real-time on the nightly news. I remember a friend of mine suggesting that we book a flight to Berlin to *be there* as the Wall came down. Practicalities prevented that from happening, but we did think about it for a while whilst watching the BBC News. 

As a leading authority on the topic, it comes as no surprise that the author has produced a gripping and informative book the Soviet Union. I enjoyed it immensely and it’ll definitely be on my ‘Best Books of the Year List’ early in 2026. If you’re too young to remember what it was like to live in a world of two deeply opposed ideological nuclear powers with their fingers hovering over RED buttons this is definitely for you. Those who did experience living with the frisson of global destruction at any moment will find it equally interesting to see behind the Iron Curtain and begin to understand what was really happening beyond the headlines and propaganda (from both sides). Highly recommended and much more to come both from this EXCELLENT series of books and on the Cold War in all its variety.    

Happy Birthday: Ernesto "Che" Guevara (14 June 1928 – 9 October 1967) was an Argentine Marxist revolutionary, physician, author, guerrilla leader, diplomat, and military theorist. A major figure of the Cuban Revolution, his stylized visage has become a ubiquitous countercultural symbol of rebellion and global insignia in popular culture.

As a young medical student, Guevara travelled throughout South America and was appalled by the poverty, hunger, and disease he witnessed. His burgeoning desire to help overturn what he saw as the capitalist exploitation of Latin America by the United States prompted his involvement in Guatemala's social reforms under President Jacobo Árbenz, whose eventual CIA-assisted overthrow at the behest of the United Fruit Company solidified Guevara's political ideology. Later in Mexico City, Guevara met Raúl and Fidel Castro, joined their 26th of July Movement, and sailed to Cuba aboard the yacht Granma with the intention of overthrowing US-backed dictator Fulgencio Batista. Guevara soon rose to prominence among the insurgents, was promoted to second-in-command, and played a pivotal role in the two-year guerrilla campaign which deposed the Batista regime.

After the Cuban Revolution, Guevara played key roles in the new government. These included reviewing the appeals and death sentences for those convicted as war criminals during the revolutionary tribunals, instituting agrarian land reform as minister of industries, helping spearhead a successful nationwide literacy campaign, serving as both president of the National Bank and instructional director for Cuba's armed forces, and traversing the globe as a diplomat on behalf of Cuban socialism. Such positions also allowed him to play a central role in training the militia forces who repelled the Bay of Pigs Invasion, and bringing Soviet nuclear-armed ballistic missiles to Cuba, which preceded, and eventually precipitated, the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. Additionally, Guevara was a prolific writer and diarist, composing a seminal guerrilla warfare manual, along with a best-selling memoir about his youthful continental motorcycle journey. His experiences and studying of Marxism–Leninism led him to posit that the Third World's underdevelopment and dependence was an intrinsic result of imperialism, neo-colonialism, and monopoly capitalism, with the only remedies being proletarian internationalism and world revolution. Guevara left Cuba in 1965 to foment continental revolutions across both Africa and South America, first unsuccessfully in Congo-Kinshasa and later in Bolivia, where he was captured by CIA-assisted Bolivian forces and summarily executed.

Guevara remains both a revered and reviled historical figure, polarized in the collective imagination in a multitude of biographies, memoirs, essays, documentaries, songs, and films. As a result of his perceived martyrdom, poetic invocations for class struggle, and desire to create the consciousness of a "new man" driven by moral rather than material incentives, Guevara has evolved into a quintessential icon of various leftist movements. In contrast, his critics on the political right accuse him of promoting authoritarianism and endorsing violence against his political opponents. Despite disagreements on his legacy, Time named him one of the 100 most influential people of the 20th century, while an Alberto Korda photograph of him, titled Guerrillero Heroico, was cited by the Maryland Institute College of Art as "the most famous photograph in the world".

Just Finished Reading: How Civil Wars Start and How to Stop Them by Barbara F Walter (FP: 2022) [226pp] 

War is Hell, but Civil War takes it to a whole other level. Civil War is NASTY. Part of that is the belief – often by both sides – that the conflict is absolutely existential. Either they win or they are destroyed rather than ‘merely’ defeated. If they lose – they're DONE. But why do they happen in the first place? Some places have had multiple civil wars over the generations, whilst others have had few, only one or missed out completely. Why? This is the authors area of expertise. 

Interestingly civil wars have patterns. If you study them long enough and use enough examples from different cultures and across the century's patterns begin to emerge. With each stage passed or with each item checked off a list the odds of a country falling into civil war increases. It’s one way, or one metric, to assess foreign nations – to look at their stability, their reliability as allies or trading partners, their vulnerability to destabilisation by enemies and their future prospects. What the author found, much to her surprise, is that the same process, the same metrics, the same checklist, can be applied to her own country – the US - too.  

About 2/3rds of this often fascinating read looks at civil wars throughout the world, from Spain to Ireland, from post-revolutionary Russia to the breakup of Czechoslovakia after the collapse of the Soviet Union pointing out patterns, showing how the process moves from stage to stage until civil conflict breaks out. Although unique elements naturally exist there is a clear evolution being followed here – which, of course, gives those who want to prevent the descent into war an opportunity to break the chain of events and disrupt the process. This is what the author outlines in the final chapters of the book. 

There has, as we know, been much talk, indeed much heated rhetoric, about the possibility of a 2nd civil war in the US (so much so they made a film about it which is actually rather good). Even though I think that the odds of such a thing – at least in the sense of actual battles between competing armies – is rather low (although not zero) there remains the somewhat higher probability of increased low-intensity conflict between the increasingly polarised sides in the present ‘culture war’. Several significant lines have already been crossed, and it is not inconceivable that the remaining lines between the present political posturing and an exchange of more than words could happen in the months/years ahead. If one side or the other losses hope than change – or mere survival – is not possible without violence to defend their position, well, all bets are off at that point. We’re not there yet – and we’re probably still a long way from that point, but as far as I can tell from this side of the pond the momentum is continuing in that direction. If I was a betting person, which I’m not, I’d put the potential tipping point (all other things being equal) in 2026 with the mid-terms or, more likely I think, with the 2028 election. Either way the next 3-5 years are going to be turbulent to say the least! 

I think the most important aspect of this interesting read was the way it highlighted the dangers – no ‘It can’t Happen Here’ head in the sand between these pages – without either salivating at the prospect or losing hope that such a thing is either inevitable or unavoidable because it isn’t. The progress towards or retreat from civil war can be both observed and opposed to ensure it doesn’t happen here. This book will help you to understand why civil wars happen and also give you some tools and some idea of what to do to avoid them. Definitely recommended in these ‘interesting’ times. 

Just Finished Reading: Letter from Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King Jr (FP: 1963) [51pp] 

Although I know something of the US Civil Rights movement (more later!) and MLK Jr himself (ditto) it was good to read the actual words of this significant American thinker and activist. ‘Letter...’ was in its essence a defence of the Rights movements use of non-violent but disruptive tactics in the US South against those who wanted MLK Jr and his followers to cool things down and ‘wait’ for deliverance in due time as well as against those in the larger Black community who advocated for a more robust and violent defence of their cause and very existence. Still, after all this time, it's a very powerful argument for everything he believed in and the power of a community united in its opposition to oppression and the denial of basic Human Rights. 

In addition to ‘Letter...’ this brief booklet also contains ‘The Three Dimensions of a Complete Life’ which was a sermon, given by MLK Jr, on the fundamental pillars of a Good Life. These he listed as Love of Self, Love of your Neighbour and Love of God. A person was incomplete without any of these three pillars or dimensions. Again, his arguments are good and, as far as I could tell, grounded both in Greek philosophy and, naturally, Christianity. 

This was the first book(let) in the Penguin Modern Classics boxset I picked up for my recent birthday. Containing 50 volumes taken from a very wide range of authors I’m looking forward to encountering new authors and new perspectives from across the globe. The ‘plan’ is to read the first 10 items from both boxsets (the other being the Penguin Little Black Classics series) this year and with, maybe, another 20 from each next year. At around 50-60 pages each they’re excellent for expanding my range (I might even start feeling a bit more ‘well read’ by the end of it) and adding much needed depth to my all too thin Review pile! More to come. Recommended.  

Just Finished Reading: Priests De La Resistance! - The Loose Cannons Who Fought Fascism in the 20th Century by Fergus Butler-Gallie (FP: 2019) [260pp] 

To be honest it was difficult to resist a book with a pun both in the title AND the sub-title. No doubt it helped that the book also covered an odd aspect of WW2 and I’m always looking for the odd nooks and crannies of that particular conflict. I’ve long been interested in resistance movements across the globe and across time with a particular focus on the French resistance in particular. My reading, up to this point, has looked at the political aspects of this resistance especially focusing on the Communists and local Nationalist groups in various European countries. This was something quite different looking instead at the religious (exclusively Christian here) side of things. 

Looking at around 15 examples (all but 2 from occupied Europe during WW2) this was a fascinating, uplifting, harrowing and sometimes honestly funny look at some of the priests, nuns and other religious characters who put everything on the line to fight Fascism. Sadly (showing my lack of knowledge in this area) the vast majority of the people mentioned where completely unknown to me. The only one I recognised was Dietrich Bonhoeffer – not a name easily forgotten once discovered. Naturally one of the things I love about books like this is that they introduce me too a whole new side of things and to fascinating people of which I was previously ignorant. Being an ‘odd-ball’ myself (although generally I don’t think of *myself* that way) I was delighted to see just how ‘odd’ this cast of characters was. I think almost without exception they were outliers in their own faith organisations and all too often barely tolerated by their ecclesiastical hierarchy. Honestly, I liked them instantly! But it didn’t surprise me that someone who was a constant thorn in the side of their bishops or others above them was equally a thorn in the side (and often much more) to the Fascist authorities who tried to control them. Above all else it was their faith that not only sustained them through the years of Occupation but it was their faith that drove their opposition to Fascist ideology and the practical effects of it – from deportation of Jewish populations to the general oppression of the local population. 

Reading these potted biographies its difficult not to be uplifted by their efforts (often valuable, life-saving, inspirational) to fight a very real evil in their midst. I also found it difficult not only to admire these men and women who put their lives a distant second to doing the right thing but to love them for what they did. They were probably ‘difficult’ people in a whole host of ways but I do think they would have been fun – lovely provocative fun – to have in your community and most especially to know them or, if you were very lucky, to be friends with them. Told with a wonderful style I really enjoyed reading about a whole host of people that shouldn’t really be allowed to fade into historic obscurity. Definitely recommended and I’ll be looking out for the authors previous work on the English clergy. 

Just Finished Reading: The American Revolution – A Very Short Introduction by Robert J Allison (FP: 2015) [112pp] 

I think, if memory serves (which sometimes it doesn’t), we very briefly covered the American War of Independence in school. Not that we went into any great detail, but we did (I think) mention it in passing. Since then, I’ve picked up the odd bit of information about it from various other books and the occasional YouTube video. So, I thought it was about time I delved a little deeper. Of course, this being a very short introduction I wasn’t expecting to go too deep or too detailed. Indeed, it did feel from time to time rather breezy... 

I knew that the rumblings of revolutionary feelings had been bubbling under for some time, what with taxes and various appointed officials of the British crown throwing their weight around. It wasn’t long before tea and bullets started to fly. What was clear from the start is that the whole thing was very chaotic with neither side really knowing what to do and what they wanted. History writing tends to impose a much cleaner narrative on events than the reality of things. In the mix we had patriots (aka revolutionaries) and loyalists amongst the American population – plus no doubt a majority who just wanted to keep their heads down – along with the British who were trying to maintain or impose order. We also had slaves who were being offered their freedom if they joined the British cause as well as native Americans who fought on both sides. Then we had German ‘mercenaries’ and French ‘volunteers’ fighting with the British and American forces respectively, oh and the Spanish in the south got mixed in there somewhere. It was quite a complex mess. 

I think my biggest surprise reading this pretty good summary was that the whole process took so long. The bubbling of tension took some years before the shooting started, but once it did and after the actual Declaration of Independence happened I though the war itself only dragged on for a year, 18 months tops... Nope. It was MUCH longer. I was aware that the logistics of fighting a protracted war on the other side of the Atlantic at that time was not exactly easy and that Britain just didn’t have the forces required to fight there and protect the growing Empire from its many enemies, but I failed to understand just how difficult it was to play whack-a-mole with George Washingtons army and the rest of the ‘upstart rebels’.  

Being the kind of person that I am, what I found most interesting was the number of times and number of incidents that, if they had happened a little different, might have changed everything. There are the very close-run things during various battles and military encounters. There was talk of General Washington being replaced by someone more ‘forceful’ which could have at least changed the ultimate name of the US capital. Mistakes were made (on both sides), messages lost or received too late, leaders doing their own thing sometimes against orders or ‘freely interpreting’ them in such a way that amounted to the same thing. In a hundred ways either the details or the outcome of the conflict might have been different – which is why I like reading History so much. 

The last part of the book, post conflict, certainly piqued my interest when the author discussed the messy birth of the US Constitution and all of the compromises and horse-trading (as well as VERY heated arguments) around its provisions. I think that’s a subject I need to delve into a bit further. The whole process seems to be very human, very flawed, very imperfect – no wonder so many amendments were needed in an attempt to tidy things up a bit! Although not earth-shattering in its analysis this was still an interesting overview of an important conflict and its aftermath. Reasonable.

Remember, remember!

The fifth of November,

The Gunpowder treason and plot;

I know of no reason

Why the Gunpowder treason

Should ever be forgot!

Guy Fawkes and his companions

Did the scheme contrive,

To blow the King and Parliament

All up alive.

Threescore barrels, laid below,

To prove old England's overthrow.

But, by God's providence, him they catch,

With a dark lantern, lighting a match!

A stick and a stake

For King James's sake!

If you won't give me one,

I'll take two,

The better for me,

And the worse for you.

A rope, a rope, to hang the Pope,

A penn'orth of cheese to choke him,

A pint of beer to wash it down,

And a jolly good fire to burn him.

Holloa, boys! holloa, boys! make the bells ring!

Holloa, boys! holloa boys! God save the King!

Hip, hip, hooor-r-r-ray!

Yeah! We MADE it to November.... This Month here @ SaLT is dedicated to REBELS everywhere in honour of Guy Fawkes who is still celebrated (for his act or failure depending on your PoV) almost 420 years later! Not bad....   

Just Finished Reading: Echolands – A Journey in Search of Boudica by Duncan Mackay (FP: 2023) [306pp] 

It all started with the Welsh, and an overzealous Roman commander. It ended with death, destruction and a revolt that might have ended to occupation of Britannia. The commander of the province at the ends of the world, Suetonius Paulinus, was campaigning (AKA exterminating) in Wales subduing the local population that had been causing so much trouble in the past. To do so with the maximum of effort he wanted his rear to be secure and to assure this he directed his subordinate to disarm the local tribes. One of these tribes, the Iceni, had been willing clients to Rome for some time and they expected to be treated as such. To demand their weapons, as if they couldn’t be trusted, was an insult too far. Swords were drawn, words were said and, as night follows day, blood flowed. What was worse is that the queen, Boudica (which means Victory) was whipped and her daughters raped – or at least according to later accounts. Whatever actually happened, it was enough for the Iceni and their allies to hold an urgent meeting to decide how to respond. The decision was to fight – to kill every Roman, man, woman and child they found and to burn everything Roman to the ground. The Iceni were warriors of their word and they fell upon the Roman occupiers like ravening wolves. Cities burnt, including London, thousands died and the IX Legion was destroyed to a man – with only its commander and a handful of cavalry able to save the eagle from capture. Only weeks later, when Paulinus return from his campaigning did a final battle take place where, this time, the Iceni fell in their thousands and the revolt was brutally ended. But it was a close-run thing and even the Emperor, Nero, apparently considered giving up Britannia as a lost cause. 

I’ve long had a ‘thing’ for the Boudica story (or Boadicea as I wrongly knew her growing up). I think I might have heard the full story early in school during a history lesson. I do wonder if the teacher, in the 1970’s, was the same one who turned me on to the story of Hereward. It’s entirely possible. They were a radical bunch back then! It is a great story though – despite the fact that we only really know about it from the Roman viewpoint and a good chunk of that evidence is questionable to a degree. There’s plenty of physical evidence – including the Boudican layer of destruction visible in digs across England’s southern plain. What we don’t know are where some of the notable battles took place – including the ambush and destruction of the IX Legion and the final battle itself.  

That’s one of the things the author went looking for in this highly engaging and highly entertaining narrative. I was honestly hooked! I really liked the way he tried to get inside the heads of the main players but was also more than happy to point out what we don’t know and probably will never know about the events surrounding the revolt itself. I also really liked the authors sense of humour most obvious from his chapter headings. I particularly liked the one covering the initial Roman invasion of Britain called ‘The Egle Has Landed’. Brilliant! If you’ve ever wondered exactly who Boudica was and why she was held in such high regard for so long – although apparently there are some who are trying to label her as a war criminal or worse – this is definitely the book for you. One last thing, below is an image of the statue of Boudica and her two daughters in London. Whenever I’m there I always try to visit the area and admire the artwork and the woman herself. She’s still one of my all-time historical heroes and I can’t help but wonder what things would’ve been like if she had succeeded in throwing the Romans back into the sea.... 

Just Finished Reading: The Romans Who Shaped Britain by Sam Moorhead and David Stuttard (FP: 2012) [251pp] 

It may have been true, but it was certainly a piece of significant propaganda as well as a shot at personal aggrandisement. When Julius Ceaser was fighting in Gaul he pointed at Britain as a haven for trouble makers, a haven that needed to be tamed, to be brought to heel. The only way to do that was to invade – which he did with a relatively small force in 55BC achieving little more than a ‘photo-op’. He returned with a much larger force the following year achieving his limited war aims and essentially put the locals on notice that the Roman Empire was watching and would be back. Then... Nothing. 

Only after around 100 years in AD43 under Emperor Claudius did a full invasion and occupation get underway. Resistance was, at first, significant – at least amongst some of the Britannic tribes but Rome, being Rome, dealt with any signs of opposition in their usual brutally methodical manner. In this case at least resistance was, generally, useless. With each passing year the Empire pressed north and west towards what is now Scotland and Wales. Both future countries proved far more difficult to subdue than first thought although Wales eventually fell after many years of warfare. Scotland proved a somewhat tougher nut to crack – or simply too expensive for minimal gain – and a series of walls were built to contain any possible threat. But not all was well (or peaceful) in Britannia.  

In AD60 the Roman’s pushed too far. With a heavy hand they turned a compliant ally into an implacable enemy. The Iceni queen Boudica rose in revolt to avenge her husband, her daughters and herself against an oppressive regime. This was no idle threat. Tens of thousands reached for their swords and shouted ‘Death to Rome’. The city of Colchester went down in blood and flame followed by London. The 9th Legion was ambushed on the way to intercept Boudica’s army and destroyed. Rearmed and reinvigorated who could stand against them? Returning from the Druid heartland of Anglesey the Roman governor, Gaius Suetonius Paulinus, did just that with appalling consequences and the revolt bled out in an English field. The death toll was truly staggering with the Romans and their allies losing around 80,000 and the Celtic tribes considerably more. Although Emperor Nero considered abandoning Britain the defeat of Boudica led to Roman consolidation in the south and a confirmed presence in the rest of the country for centuries to come. 

When the Romans finally left early in the 5th century, they left a partially Romanised province largely unable to stand on its own feet. For centuries it had been a place of some value but always at a cost. It was one of the most heavily garrisoned provinces in the Empire and seemed to be a regular producer of troublesome Emperor ‘wannabies’ safely far from the centre of things. 

This was a very good overview/introduction to Roman Britain. I was aware of the rough outline of things (back in my day they taught this sort of thing in History class) so it was nice to fill in some detail. There is much, at least on the surface, to admire about the Romans but it was gratifying to see then get their assess handed to them on more than one occasion by the Brits (even though the ‘British’ didn’t actually exist at that time), the Welsh and the Scots (ditto and ditto). Naturally I was drawn particularly to Boudica (or Boadicea as I knew her growing up – yes, I’m THAT old) so there’s more to follow on that amazing woman and hero of mine for many years. Definitely worth a read and recommended to anyone wanting a firm foundation to this most interesting slice of Britain's early history. 

Just Finished Reading: The Trigger – The Hunt for Gavrilo Princip: The Assassin who Brought the World to War by Tim Butcher (FP: 2014) [297pp] 

When the young Serbian assassin, Gavrilo Princip, stepped out of the crowd in Sarajevo in 1914, fired twice and killed the heir to the Austrian crown and his wife, what exactly was he trying to achieve? What did he expect to happen next? One thing he didn’t think would happen was that he’d live to see the end of that day – a cyanide capsule attested to that fact. What he had hoped was that he would live up to his heroes and strike back against the oppressors of his country and his people – the Serbs. He may well have expected Austria to go to war with Serbia over the attack, but Princip expected that this war would be short and that it would bring together the Balkan states to throw off Imperial domination. Did he think it might result in a larger war? Possibly. In the recent past, Russia had voiced both official and private support for its southern neighbour. But Russia was also an Empire and also a Monarchy. Could they really support the act of someone who struck at the heart of both? It was not an academic question. The lives of millions might rest on how that question was answered. 

But who exactly was Princip, where did he come from, and why did he think Franz Ferdinands death was worth his young life? These questions are what the author sought to find out – but not in a way I expected. The book's subtitle pointed me in the wrong direction. I had assumed, wrongly it turned out, that this book was about the Austrian, or indeed local police, hunt for the assassin. However, Princip was apprehended at the scene of the shooting and arrested immediately. The ‘hunt’ in question was for the history, the personality and the radicalisation of the assassin himself. But the book turned out to be much more than that. The author was a journalist during the Balkan/Yugoslav Wars in the 1990’s so knew the region and the people’s reasonably well. He had made life-long friends there and seen things that haunted him to the present. Part of the book was the author relating his experiences as he, and friend, visited Princip’s home village, talked to surviving family and then travelled in his footsteps (often literally) from his home to Sarajevo and that fateful meeting.  

Part history of the events and the conspiracy leading up to the assassination, part discussion of the 90’s conflict, part high-level history of the region, and part travelogue this was an intriguing mix and story threads that worked really well. It showed where Princip came from – both geographically and culturally – how he arrived at his destination – both physically and politically and how it impacted on the region both at the time and how echoes of that event still reverberate today. It was, in many ways, a very interesting (and sometimes haunting) narrative. Definitely recommended for a new look at one of the defining moments of modern times.  

Just Finished Reading: The Assassination of the Archduke – Sarajevo 1914 and the Murder That Changed the World by Greg King and Sue Woolmans (FP: 2013) [292pp] 

I think it is more than arguable that THE pivotal moment (or most definitely A pivotal moment) in the 20th century occurred on 28th June 1914 when a young Serbian man shot and killed Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie on the streets of Sarajevo. A little over 4 weeks later Europe and the world was at war – a conflict that accounted for around 20 million deaths. Like most people, in the West at least, I certainly knew OF the event and some of the details behind it. What I didn’t realise, until reading this excellent book, was just how many details I was unaware of. 

The book was essential formatted into two halves – covering the life and (apparently very happy) marriage of the archduke in the first section and the more immediate run-up to the assassination in the second half. Naturally I enjoyed the second half more – being the person that I am – but the first half was FAR from boring. It was interesting that Franz never even entertained the idea of eventually becoming Emperor of Austria-Hungary. He was 4th in line and only an unusual set of circumstances led him to the cusp of that role. I also had no idea just how controversial his marriage was. Apparently by marrying a mere countess – who he was apparently deeply in love with – he ‘shamed the Imperial crown’ and was made to suffer repeated public humiliation because of it. Indeed, he had to sign an agreement that his children would not be allowed to inherit any rights, privileges or position once he became Emperor. [Side note: This is known as a morganatic marriage: relating to or denoting a marriage in which neither the spouse of lower rank, nor any children, have any claim to the possessions or title of the spouse of higher rank. This was obvious a favourite word of the authors who, throughout the book used it repeatedly. Although I wasn’t exactly counting, they must have used it 30 times at a minimum and I wouldn’t be in the least surprised if the use count exceeded 50 times. Although it did start to get irritating after a while I did eventually find it funny.] After YEARS of public abuse for marrying for love I, personally, would have used very undiplomatic language to tell the Empire what it could do, and where it could stick, the crown. Franz (and especially Sophie) were made of sterner stuff. 

The assassination itself was, well, weird. Even at the time there was much speculation that it was the result of a conspiracy. In effect, of course, it was – just (maybe) not the conspiracy some people were thinking of. There was definitely a conspiracy involving the assassins themselves. On top of that there was another conspiracy by members of the Serbian military to train, arm and assist the assassins in their attempt. What is not so clear, despite some very strange goings-on, was if there was any AUSTRIAN complicity in the killing. Franz didn’t want to go to Sarajevo but was essentially ordered to do so by the emperor, the visit and the route was advertised months in advance, the archduke's personal security detail was left at the local rail station because of lack of transport for them, the local governor (despite protestations) failed to arrange additional security for the event or even take normal standard precautions and on... All VERY strange. Was it a set-up? I think there’s a distinct possibility. Austria was certainly looking for an excuse to ‘deal’ with Serbia once and for all and an attempted assassination would provide that very excuse. If the archduke was actually killed....? Well, there was always someone around to take his place on the throne. 

Apart from the mildly irritating ‘morganatic’ on repeat this was a very interesting read. I learnt a lot about the run-up to the event itself as well as the immediate aftermath. Together with a few more upcoming reads I’m now much more aware of why and how Europe and the world ended up fighting one of the most destructive wars in our long and bloody history and why the world remains in such a mess today. All because a car paused at the side of a street in exactly the wrong place at the wrong time. SO many ‘what-ifs’ spring from that day. So many possibilities... Definitely recommended to anyone interested in how the Great War started. More to come – soon. 

Just Finished Reading: Red Summer – The Summer of 1919 and the Awakening of Black America by Cameron McWhirter (FP: 2011) [271pp] 

After their sacrifices on the battlefields of France they thought things would change on their return. With the words of President Wilson still ringing in their ears with talk of Democracy and Self Determination as the cornerstones of a new world order, with talk of peace, prosperity and progress for all they thought things would be different, that they’d be treated with more respect and that many would, at long last, be able to cast their votes without fear of the consequences. In 1919 they realised they were wrong. Nothing had really changed. Despite filling many of the jobs lost to soldiers fighting abroad and despite fighting and dying on European battlefields – when they were actually allowed to fight – they were treated exactly the same and were expected to take up their subservient roles again as if nothing had happened. Not surprisingly, many decided that things had indeed changed – maybe not in American society but within themselves. The feeling, most especially amongst returning veterans, was that they deserved better and that they would demand batter. So began the slow, painful and often bloody awakening of Black consciousness across America – from resistance to lynching, to fighting back in the cities (both North and South) when attacked, to the founding and growth of organisations designed to help black American’s gain access to legal remedies previously denied them as well as procuring professional legal representation in court cases where life and death hung in the balance.   

I’d come across various examples of this aspect of the American experience scattered through my reading of US history, but I lost count of the number of times I was honestly shocked at what went on and people's reaction to it. A few times I had to put the book down and go do something else for a while for my brain to function again. There’s only so much casual racism and targeted brutality I can cope with before my mind loses all comprehension. From 1919 into the early 1920’s I’m stunned at what black Americans had to put up with and I’m not surprised in the least that at least some of them decided that enough was enough. Some white commentators actually complained that the problem was caused by the French who had the audacity to treat black American soldiers like human beings which inevitably gave them ideas ‘above their station’. While American officers treated black soldiers who wanted to fight as simple labourers the French officers were more than willing to lead them into battle – and did so to great effect. The French could care less about their skin colour (having black soldiers themselves) but only cared if they were willing to kill the Boche.  

This detailed and very well written history was a real eye-opener for me. I kind of ‘knew’ how bad it could be being black in early 20th century America, but I had no real idea – until now. If you have a reasonably strong stomach and you can keep your anger and disgust in check this is a worthwhile if sobering read which helps to put a lot of black activism into a solid context. Black Lives Matter and its predecessors did not pop into existence out of thin air. It had LONG antecedents – even long before the focus of this book. I think that I am at least beginning to understand where some of the animosity and suspicion of American blacks comes from. This book was a real education. Highly recommended to anyone wanting to understand a still vital aspect of America. More to come from this author.