Just in

World Affairs

The Splendid and the Vile/ Erik Larson

This an engaging and well-researched account by an American author and journalist of the Blitz. My initial reaction on reading the reviews was “Do I need this?” Over the last year I had read Andrew Roberts’ biography of Churchill, Appeasing Hitler, Nicholas Shakespeare’s Six Minutes [...]

March 17, 2020 // 0 Comments

The small gap between certainty and the opposite

It’s a funny old world we live in. Yesterday I travelled by train into central London to lunch with some old mates who on the face of it have nothing more in common than a past in the sense that we all went to the same school at roughly the same time. At least that’s one way of looking at it. [...]

March 14, 2020 // 0 Comments

On the other hand – and indeed side of the Pond …

I’m bound to say that if we in the UK have had some weird political times since the 2016 EU Referendum, they’re nothing compared to what the United States of America has been going through since Donald Trump was elected President. “As any fule no” – to quote the legendary Nigel [...]

February 6, 2020 // 0 Comments

The tribulations of switching careers

Though his success in both his careers – footballer and TV host/presenter – is undeniable, I have never personally warmed to Gary Linker. Well, save for the time he made those gestures – caught vividly on the TV cameras – to England manager Bobby Robson on the bench during the 4th July [...]

January 28, 2020 // 0 Comments

“Fake News” musings

One of the joys of being ‘being a certain age’ is the sense you has seen it all before even if, on a personal level, that isn’t quite necessarily true. The art of staying personally relevant in the 21st Century is tied to the notion that, whatever is going on, the essential nature of the [...]

January 27, 2020 // 0 Comments

The BBC – it was not ever thus

I am reading an excellent book – Last Hope Island by Lynne Olson. It is an account of how many Europeans notably heads of government, or self-styled ones like Charles de Gaulle, came to the UK in 1940 as it was the only substantial western European democracy not under the Nazi jack boot. The [...]

January 24, 2020 // 0 Comments

How the world goes around

As I begin today’s post I need to declare an interest – I do not believe in God. That registered, I would also like to add that I do not consider myself to be anti-religion per se, say in the style of Professor Richard Hawkins who delights in crusading (to use a word) against those who [...]

January 24, 2020 // 0 Comments

The growing pains of a major world sport

Rugby union’s capacity to exhibit the complexities and difficulties of a modern sport trying to advance in all directions – without yet generating the sort of income, turnover and profit that make any business model being applied actually work – continues to startle. The lack of any [...]

January 17, 2020 // 0 Comments

Those Angry Days /Lynne Olson

The subtitle of this book is Roosevelt,Lindbergh and America’s Fight over World War Two. Thus it is an account of the years and events leading up to America’s entrance into World War Two. It’s seen through the prism of two of the most significant personalities of the era, Franklin Delano [...]

January 12, 2020 // 0 Comments

Not everyone can be telling the truth

Some readers will have noticed, or possibly even followed, the disturbing case in Cyprus of a 19 year old British girl who was allegedly raped by up to twelve Israeli youths and yet (as things currently stand) has ended up with a conviction for making a false allegation. I need provide background [...]

January 5, 2020 // 0 Comments

1 … 106 107 108 109 110 … 150

Copyright © 2026 The National Rust | Design by Premonition