Reviews

• The business of the press is disclosure

  In these acerbic comments, Francis Wheen paints a brutal and devastating picture of the British elite, its Prime Ministers, its politicians, its Foreign Secretaries, its press and its school system as well as work in general. Prime Ministers James Callaghan was surrounded by a `gruesome crew of friends' (Ponzi schemers and fraudsters). Ted Heath was a consultant of the perpetrators of the Tiananmen massacre. Margaret Thatcher was an opportunistic hypocrite. `She hated quangos, but created hundreds of new ones.' Anthony Blair was a warmonger (a pre-emptive nuclear striker), a `real cynic' (declaring war on elites only hours before a £ 350-a-head dinner for corporate donors) and `a harlot, prostituting himself to the right-wing tabloids.' Parliamentarians as hypocrites (war on poverty) and killjoys Since Labour's victory, the gap between rich and poor households has widened despite Blair's promise `I don't want any forgotten people in Britain'. He became a fierce tax cutter for the rich. Their slogan is `do as I say, not as I do' in morality, censure and sex matters. `Sex is like the false hare in front of us, forever out of reach. The horror of horrors is that we may enjoy it.' Foreign policies, Falklands Great-Britain seems not to be a very sovereign nation: the agenda of its Foreign Secretary is dictated by Washington. Concerning the Falklands, `two years before the war, one of Thatcher's favorite ministers had proposed transferring sovereignty over the islands to Argentina.' Press barons A big chunk of the British press is in the hands of `a Dirty Digger and a seller of excrement.' One of Francis Wheen's heroes, Conrad Black, was condemned for money embezzlement from its shareholders. School system Quoting H. Fielding, `public schools are the nurseries of all vice and immorality'. Pedophilia seems to be omnipresent as well as physical violence. Francis Wheen accuses Great-Britain being a nation of child-haters and punishment freaks. `Physical violence against young school children is seen as a bounden duty.' Nuclear war, Kissinger Francis Wheen states rightly that `the only absolute defense against nuclear weapons is to do away with them.' Kissinger is `a man who brought death and destruction to any country unfortunate enough to incur his attention. The full list takes up nearly one page.' Work (in general) A quote of P.G. Wodehouse in this formidable book expresses an elementary fact of life for the masses: `most work is a distasteful necessity which nobody in his right mind would ever dream of performing unless he needed the money desperately.' For a correct interpretation of the Kossovo affair, see F. William Engdahl `Full Spectrum Dominance'. For an in depth analysis of the J. F. Kennedy assassination, see L. Fletcher Prouty's `The Secret Team' and J.H. Fetzer's `Murder in Dealey Plaza'. This book constitutes journalism at its best. It will be a reference for all historians of Great-Britain. A must read.

• Truly excellent journalism and very funny.

  It’s hard to strike a tone which isn’t too gushing in commenting on this book because I think Francis Wheen is easily the best journalist working in Britain today. His avowed purpose is tell you what you couldn’t have found out or worked out for yourself, which ought not to be such a rarity, but is scarcely to be found among the downloaded-off-the-Internet trite nonsense that fills most newspapers these days. I knew that Wheen could be relied on for actual information and insight but what rather surprised me when reading this book is just how plain funny his writing is. I think a right-winger is not going to like his opinions but will enjoy the book anyway just for the brilliant and totally hilarious putdowns of New Labour amongst many, totally deserving, others. It is also nice to read somebody who uses cultural references, but not as a means of demonstrating his own superiority. What I mean by that is he does not fake an assumption that everybody has read the same books he has (the pompous ‘as we all know’ kind of attitude), and therefore actually tells you something about say, Machiavelli. Of course, what the ‘as we all know’ often hides is the ignorance of the person writing but Wheen puts so much thought and research into what he writes he does not need to bluff. I had the sensation of being ‘improved’ by this i.e. educated, but it’s such a great read it didn’t seem like effort: a win-win situation. Although the title mentions 1991 – 2001 most of the pieces here are from the later half of that period and have clearly been chosen for continued relevance. The point Wheen himself makes is that perspective is vital as in ‘Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to fulfil it’ and none of this writing loses resonance for being a few years old. All in all, blooming brilliant and compulsory reading for anybody with the slightest interest in politics, current affairs, journalism or good books in general.

• A most enjoyable read

  I recommend this book as a holiday read or to enjoy anytime. The short pieces are insightful and entertaining. It stands out as one of the best collections of journalism that I have ever read.

• Funny, instructive

  Wouldn't be without it. Funny, instructive, witty, required reading for those who ask questions and are interested in current affairs.

• Hoo-Hah

  Book arrived earlier than originally said, as described - a gift so I cannot comment on the actual book

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