Colin Brown (6) (1953–)

bookshelves: nonfiction, history, britain-england, published-2013, winter-20132014, travel, paper-read, politics
Read from December 13 to 18, 2013


stansted airport purchase

Dedication: To my sister Lilian (1931-2009)
who made all things possible

Colin Brown is the author here: political correspondent for The Guardian between 1979 and 1986, then held the same position at The Independent from 1986-2000. He then took up the role of Political Editor at the Independent on Sunday from 2002-4 before being made Political Editor at The Sunday Telegraph, and then Deputy Political Editor at The Independent between 2004 and 2008. He now freelances for The Independent and The Week, and lives in London.(wiki profile)

The ten events under discussion are:

1215: Magna Carta ✓
1415: Azincourt ✓
1588: Armada ✓
1688: Glorious Revolution ✓
1815: Waterloo ✓
1833: Abolition✓
1928: Suffrage✓
1940: The Bunker✓
1948: The Birth of the NHS✓
1982: Falklands✓

This is a book that discusses the bits that were left out or covered over with daisychain stitched cloths, because they didn't add much to building a national psyche. Not exactly revisionist because Mr Brown does point out even if what we were taught in school was pretty selective when it comes to prioritising, the inherent spin has helped enormously down the ages.

Front-loaded in personal interest there are subtle satiric prods at Starky and Schama, and I for one always welcome our soft satiric overlords.

ROLL UP!! ROLL UP!! GET YOUR PERTINENT EXTRAS HERE.

Britain Against Napoleon by Roger Knight.
Giving Wellington credit is all well and good, but the British state had to transform itself to beat the French.

Rear Admiral Charles John Austen CB (23 June 1779 – 7 October 1852) was an officer in the Royal Navy, and Jane Austen's brother.

René François Ghislain Magritte (21 November 1898 – 15 August 1967) was a Belgian surrealist artist. He became well known for a number of witty and thought-provoking images that fall under the umbrella of surrealism. His work challenges observers' preconditioned perceptions of reality.

Epsom Cottage Hospital is not operational anymore but it was where I had a verruca dug out as a kid. Emily Davison died after 4 days, she did not regain consciousness.

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