Category Archives: Uncategorized

When I began following West Ham fifty years ago nearly all the team was made up of local lads, including the World Cup-winning trio of Moore, Hurst and Peters; plus Harry Redknapp – a bit of a joke on the … Continue reading →

The Assange affair rumbles on. Assange is still holed up in the Ecuadorian Embassy, at a cost of God knows how much to the taxpayers of Ecuador, and more to those of the UK, to pay for the police stationed … Continue reading →

I understand that I have some new subscribers, even though I haven’t contributed to this blogsite for a year. So I’ll add some posts shortly – mainly things I’ve written for other blogs or newspapers.

As a principled anti-nationalist, I hope Scotland doesn’t vote for independence, and stays with us English. If I were a Scot, however, I might feel otherwise. The Scottish political discourse really is very different from the Southern English – more … Continue reading →

In the Guardian today there’s a long piece by Michael Booth on Scandinavia, based on his new book, about which I blogged here when I received it for review in December. Here is my finished review, coming out in the … Continue reading →

I’m still trying to work out why the British seem so much less worked up about the Snowden revelations than other peoples. In the old East Germany last summer, for example, I witnessed public demonstrations in support of him. Angela … Continue reading →

Another re-post, from an LRB blog (2 July 2012). Forget all the books – I think this is one of the best things I’ve written. It may be because I’m a professional historian, and so proprietorial towards my subject, but … Continue reading →

I’ve just been sent a popular book about Scandinavia to review. It’s by an Englishman. As a long-time English resident in Sweden (on and off), I always feel nervous and rather defensive when I come across books like this. This … Continue reading →

The UK does averagely in the ‘Pisa’ tables, comparing student performances around the world. Michael Gove (our minister) blames the lack of progress on the previous Labour government. Sweden does disastrously, plummeting in all subjects. People there blame it on … Continue reading →

I have a love for the game of cricket bordering on the religious, and on the incomprehensible for non-Anglo Saxon friends of mine. And Australia has long been my favourite country, certainly of those I have lived in. So I … Continue reading →