Category Archives: UK
Money in Politics
In his autobiography My Early Life: A Roving Commission, Winston Churchill recounts his first attempt to run for a seat in the House of Commons, the democratic half of the British Parliament. Early in November [1898] I paid a visit … Continue reading
The young Winston Churchill on War
In his autobiography My Early Life, the young Winston Churchill writes about his feelings towards war and conflict. He seems to regard it all as one great adventure. About his time at the Military College in Sandhurst: Here the study was of … Continue reading
Boris Johnson’s take on Diplomacy
The new UK Foreign Secretary:
Great Success for Monster Raving Loony Party
Despite promises of everything to anyone without any basis in reality and without any concept for achieving it (much like the Brexit campaigners) the Official Monster Raving Loony Party has so far only had moderate electoral success even in an … Continue reading
How Britons react to Brexit
When I came back home from a trip to the Bolivian jungle yesterday, I had already received dozens of e-mails from Britons along the lines of “my grandfather was from Germany, can I get a German passport?” As an expert in … Continue reading
Brexit, illustrated with food
(Thanks to Subb-an for the photo.)
Britain, it’s time for a revolution!
What kind of a country is that which celebrates having had the same un-elected head of state for 63 years?
250,000 cigars
In his book The Churchill Factor, Boris Johnson makes the apodictic claim that Winston Churchill smoked 250,000 cigars over his lifetime. This number looks too much like it has been pulled out of Mr Churchill’s famous hat. Let’s apply some … Continue reading
Book Review: “Young Philby” by Robert Littell
I don’t know why I go for historical fiction or alternative history again and again, when I should know by now that I’ll be annoyed or disappointed. In Young Philby, Robert Littell tries to flesh out the early life of … Continue reading
When terrorism was a women’s issue
Remember when your grandmother told you about her time with the Suffragettes, the women campaigning for voting rights in early 20th-century Britain? But they did not only pass out pamphlets, give speeches and sit around knitting and drinking tea. No, some of … Continue reading
The Happy Hermit 