Books and arts – 29 January 2015
The Spectator
Thursday
The Spectator at war: What is wrong with Germany?
From ‘What is Wrong With Germany?‘, The Spectator, 30 January 1915: If the inquiry is to be pushed to the ultimate point, what is wrong with the Germans is their dreadful, their slavish devotion to Logic— to the “Absolute” and to Abstractions. When Englishmen create an Abstraction they do not call upon all mankind to
From the archives | 29 January 2015
From ‘Reprisals’, The Spectator, 30 January 1915: There has been a tendency among some newspapers, and perhaps still more among private persons, to demand that the murder of non-combatants on the East Coast by German ships of war and Zeppelins should be visited with reprisals. ‘Murder is murder,’ they say in so many words, and
Wednesday
The Spectator at war: Crime and punishment
From ‘Reprisals’, The Spectator, 30 January 1915 THERE has been a tendency among some newspapers, and perhaps still more among private persons, to demand that the murder of non-combatants on the East Coast by German ships of war and Zeppelins should be visited with reprisals. “Murder is murder,” they say in so many words, and
Saturday
How the Spectator congratulated a 25-year-old journalist called Winston Churchill
In 1899, Churchill headed to South Africa as a journalist for the Morning Post to cover the Boer War. He was captured in an ambush of an armored train but escaped with £75 and four slabs of chocolate in his pocket in hopes of finding the Delagoa Bay Railway. This from our archives, 30 December 1899 (link here).
‘We live as free men, speak as free men, walk as free men because a man called Winston Churchill lived’
This is the Spectator’s leader from 22 January 1965. Two days later, on 24 January, Winston Churchill died: Since the first news was given of his grave illness, the attention of the world has been concentrated on a quiet house in Hyde Park Gate. Old men and children, friends and strangers, came to pay homage
Friday
The Spectator at war: Keeping the country sweet
From ‘Economic Quackery’, The Spectator, 23 January 1915: Ever since the war began there has been a tendency to rely upon the Government, instead of relying upon ourselves and upon the operation of economic laws. The political mischief resulting is the establishment of what is virtually an un-controlled Cabinet autocracy. The economic mischief, though it
Thursday
Beard
‘OK, gentlemen, enough beard envy.’
Trojan Horse
‘Isn’t that nice? It’s a gift from the Jehovah’s Witnesses to apologise for being so annoying and pushy earlier today.’
Miliband
Wolf Hall
‘I’ve heard of Hilary Mantel – but who is this Henry VIII?’
Flocking
‘No, this is flocking. Stampeding is on the 29th floor.’
Bamboo
‘So, that’s bamboo, bamboo, bamboo, bamboo, bamboo, bamboo. And for you, Sir?’
Bride
‘You may now sext the bride.’
Down
‘So can I put you down as holding us in slightly less contempt than the others, then?’
Pencil
‘Dad, what’s a pencil?’
Property 2
‘We thought about a conservatory but decided this would add more value to the property.’
Heaven 2
‘I know my expectations of heaven shouldn’t have been so high but this is ridiculous..’
Beans
‘Under present circumstances, a handful of beans for a dairy cow seems like a bargain, Jack.’
