Î¥º§d, beheaded, À¸¤»Ä¤ëd an ¥¢¥¤¥ë¥é¥ó¥É¶¦Ï¹ñ·³ attack:?Tony Rennell reviews the most ÀâÆÀÎϤΤ¢¤ë history Ä´½ñ¤ò¤È¤ë¡¿Í½Ì󤹤ës of 2023
HISTORY?
ÄÉÀסʤ¹¤ë¡Ëing the Falcon: Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn And the Marriage that shook Europe
(Bloomsbury ¡ò30, 624 pp)
She was not one of the most beautiful women in the world. A Ʊ»þÂå¤Î Venetian diarist ½Ò¤Ù¤ëd Anne Boleyn as having ¡Æ°Û¾ï¤Ë dark È©, a long neck and a wide mouth¡Ç. Nor was she voluptuous ¡½ rather, she had ¡Æflat breasts¡Ç. But she was feisty and flirtacious, with dark, flashing ÃíÌܤ¹¤ë¡¤¤â¤¯¤í¤às that made the ¼õ¼è¿Í of her gaze feel that they alone »öÊÁd.
That ¿®ÍÑ¡¿¿®Ç¤ drove a king mad with a ´ê˾¡Ê¤¹¤ë¡Ë that would lead him to break with the ¥í¡¼¥ÞË¡²¦ in Rome ¡½ a 16th-century Brexit ¡½ ¡¼¤¹¤ë¤¿¤á¤Ë ̵¸ú¤Ë¤¹¤ë his first marriage and ·ëº§¤¹¤ë her instead.
L-R:?Feisty: Claire Foy plays the ill-±¿Ì¿¡¿½ÉÌ¿d Anne Boleyn in Wolf Hall;?ÄÉÀסʤ¹¤ë¡Ëing the Falcon: Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn And the Marriage that shook europe by John Guy and Julia Fox (Bloomsbury ¡ò30, 624 pp)
The story of Henry VIII¡Çs Ë¡ÄºÛȽ½ê, with all its low intrigue and high politics, is familiar, but rarely has it been brought to life with such verve and sumptuous ¾ÜºÙ¡Ê¤Ë½Ò¤Ù¤ë¡Ë as by husband-and-wife historians John Guy and Julia Fox.?
Their Anne is a surprisingly modern woman with ambition to be more than just a docile ²¦¼¼¤Î consort. She ¼êÇÛÃæ¤Î¡¤¤ª¿Ò¤Í¼Ô to have ±Æ¶Á¡ÊÎÏ¡Ë; over Henry, over ½¡¶µÅª¤Ê ²þ³×¡Ê¤¹¤ë¡Ë, over international politics.
And she did, until she failed to de ´Î¡ on her most important µÁ̳ ¡½ to ¶¡µë¤¹¤ë her husband, his Tudor ²¦Ä« in µ¿Ìä, with a son and Á곿Í. And when he turned against her those ÃíÌܤ¹¤ë¡¤¤â¤¯¤í¤às of hers flashed in vain and, Ϸǯ¤Î 35 and after 1,000 days as queen, her Ĺ¡¤Î¨¤¤¤ë was off in the Tower of London.
»¦¿Í¡¤ÂçÅö¤ê Thatcher
(Mudlark ¡ò25, 416 pp)
L-R:??Margaret Thatcher and husband Denis after the ¥¢¥¤¥ë¥é¥ó¥É¶¦Ï¹ñ·³ ÇúÃÆ in Brighton, 1984;?»¦¿Í¡¤ÂçÅö¤ê Thatcher by Rory Carroll (Mudlark ¡ò25, 416 pp)
The taunt ÌÀ¤é¤«¤Ë ¹¶·â¤¹¤ë¡¤¾×Æͤ¹¤ë home, unsettling the ¥¢¥¤¥í¥ó¤ò¤«¤±¤ë Lady. The ¥¢¥¤¥ë¥é¥ó¥É¶¦Ï¹ñ·³ had tried and failed to kill Margaret Thatcher with a ÇúÃÆ ¹©¾ì¡¿¿¢Êªd at the Grand Hotel, Brighton during the Tory Party ²ñµÄ¡¿¶¨µÄ²ñ there in 1984.
She À¸¤»Ä¤ëd by the È© of her teeth, but, as they reminded her afterwards: ¡ÆWe only have to be lucky once; you have to be lucky always.¡Ç One of her ¤Î¶á¤¯¤Ë Ê亴´±s said: ¡ÆThe °úÍѤ¹¤ë stuck with her. It was one you wouldn¡Çt forget.¡Ç
How ¤Î¶á¤¯¤Ë she ¡Êµ¡¤Î¡Ë¥«¥à to dying that October day is at the heart of this meticulous and gripping ºÆ·ú of the horrific ¥¢¥¤¥ë¥é¥ó¥É¶¦Ï¹ñ·³ ÇúÇË ¡ÊÁªµó¤Ê¤É¤Î¡Ë±¿Æ°¤ò¤¹¤ë that ºÇ¹âĬ¤Ë㤹¤ëd at the hotel on Brighton sea Á°Àþ.
A few weeks earlier, ¶¦Ï¹ñ¤Î¡¿¶¦ÏÂÅޤΠ¥Æ¥í¥ê¥¹¥È Patrick ¡ÆChancer¡Ç Magee, from Belfast, had checked into the hotel under a ¸í¤Ã¤¿ »Ø̾¤¹¤ë and hidden a ÇúÃÆ in the bathroom of Room 629, primed to Çúȯ¤µ¤»¤ë remotely.
When it went off, it carved a ¼´ of Ç˲õ, É餫¤¹¡¿·âÄƤ¹¤ë through Å·°æ after Å·°æ to the first-¾²¤ËÂǤÁÅݤ¹ Napoleon ¹µÁÊ, where it ¹ÔÊýÉÔÌÀ¤Ë¤Ê¤ëd Thatcher by ¥¤¥ó¥Ás. If she¡Çd ¤°¤º¤°¤º»Ä¤ëd two minutes longer in the loo, she would have taken the ½½Ê¬¤Ê ¹¶·â¤¹¤ë¡¤¾×Æͤ¹¤ë and almost certainly died. On such moments does history turn.
Once A King: The Lost Memoir of Edward VIII
(Hodder & Stoughton ¡ò25, 384 pp)
L-R:?The Duke and Duchess of Windsor ÃÏ°Ì¡¤Ç¤Ì¿¤¹¤ë-abdication;?Once A King: The Lost Memoir of Edward VIII by Jane Marguerite Tippett (Hodder & Stoughton ¡ò25, 384 pp)
The former King was ¼«Çò¤¹¤ëing his ÈȺá. ¡ÆI knew I was Íî¤Á¤ëing in love with another man¡Çs wife and I should have ¸ÉΩ¤·¤¿.¡Ç
But he could not give her up, because ¡ÆWallis brought into my life something not there before¡Ç. Rather than lose Mrs Simpson, Edward VIII gave up his ²¦°Ì in 1936, µÞÍî¡Ê¤¹¤ë¡Ë¡¤·ã¸º¡Ê¤¹¤ë¡Ëing Britain and its ²¦¼¼¤Î Family into a ´íµ¡ it struggled to À¸¤»Ä¤ë.
Ten years later, the now Duke of Windsor was ÀâÆÀ¤¹¤ëd to tell his Ì£Êý¤¹¤ë of those momentous events to American ¿·Ê¹µ¼Ô¡¿»¨»ïµ¼Ô Charles Murphy, for Life magazine. Once he started talking, Edward didn¡Çt stop, and his reminiscences, collected over four years, formed a unique insider¡Çs account of the abdication.?
Murphy later ½ÉÇñ¤¹¤ëd his papers at Boston University, which is where archivist and author Jane Marguerite Tippett ÌÀ¤é¤«¤Ë¤¹¤ëd them ¡½ box upon box of ¸ø¼°Ê¸½ñ¡¤Ç§¤á¤ës and ³Ð¤¨½ñ¤s, ´Þ¤àing Edward¡Çs own first Áð°Æs, scrawled on yellow ¹çˡŪ¤Ê pads.?
Here was the authentic and unheard ȯ¸À¤¹¤ë¡¿É½ÌÀ¤¹¤ë of the man who had once been king. It tells his story as he saw it, lived it and remembered it.
His ¼ºÇÔs, ¾ÚµòÉÔ½½Ê¬s, naivety and ·ç´Ùs are on ½½Ê¬¤Ê ÄÄÎ󤹤롤ȯ´ø¤¹¤ë, but so too are his ÃÎǽ, his ÃéµÁ, his love and his ²ò·è¤¹¤ë. A ÀâÆÀÎϤΤ¢¤ë read that breaks new ground.
Emperor of Rome
Emperor of Rome by Mary ÂѤ¨¤ëd (Profile ¡ò30, 512pp)
(Profile ¡ò30, 512pp)
What did it feel like to be one of the nearly 30 emperors who »ÙÇÛ¤¹¤ëd Rome on a whim for 250 years, from the first, Augustus, who ended the ¶¦Ï¹ñ and Àë¸À¤¹¤ëd himself princeps in 27BC, to the last, Alexander Severus, »¦¿Íd by mutinous ʼ»Îs in 235 AD?
That is the daunting »Å»ö Cambridge classicist Mary ÂѤ¨¤ëd has »Ï¤á¤ë¡¤·è¤á¤ë herself in a follow-up to SPQR, her best-selling history of ¸ÅÂå¤Î Rome.
¡ÆCan we get a ¸«²ò¡Ê¤ò¤È¤ë¡Ë of those real-life human ¸ºßs in all their ordinary human variety and frailty?¡Ç she asks. ¡ÆWhat was it like to be the »ÙÇÛ¼Ô within a Ë¡ÄºÛȽ½ê culture of deference, deceit and dystopia? How did it feel to be the one person who knew that no one could ever be ¿®ÍÑd to tell them the truth?¡Ç
She paints a ÀâÆÀÎϤΤ¢¤ë portrait of these demi-gods, their barbarities, their foibles, their À¤Î Ķ²ás, the catamites who served them, the wives and children who betrayed them, the ·ì-letting À臘¡¿À襤s for succession when one died, the constant ¶²¤ì¤ë of the ¤ò»É¤¹ in the »Ù±ç¤¹¤ë. But also the grinding hard work of ¼£¤á¤ë¡¿Åý¼£¤¹¤ëing, ·èÄ꡿ȽÄ꾡¤Á¡Ê¤¹¤ë¡Ë-making, the travels, the wars. ½½Ê¬¤Ê of fascinating ¾ÜºÙ¡Ê¤Ë½Ò¤Ù¤ë¡Ë and anecdote.
The Weimar Years: Rise and Íî¤Á¤ë 1918?1933
(Apollo ¡ò35, 592pp)
The Weimar Years: Rise and Íî¤Á¤ë 1918?1933 by Frank McDonough (Apollo ¡ò35, 592pp)
When one war ends, the Ⱦüʪs are the circumstances and grievances have already been created to ¸¶°ø¡Ê¤È¤Ê¤ë¡Ë the next. That was certainly the »öÎã¡¿´µ¼Ô in 1918, as McDonough¡Çs ¿¯Æþ¤¹¤ëing ʬÀÏ of the political, ·ÐºÑŪ¤Ê and social basket »öÎã¡¿´µ¼Ô that Germany became with the unsatisfactory ÃÏ°Ì¡¤Ç¤Ì¿¤¹¤ë-World War I ²ò·è¡¿Æþ¿¢ÃÏ graphically shows.
The Weimar ¶¦Ï¹ñ was an ±é½¬ in Ëͼç¼çµÁ that ´Êñ¤Ë failed. The ÆȺÛŪ¤Ê Kaiser was shown the door but the system that ¼è¤Ã¤ÆÂå¤ï¤ëd him was a nightmare of infighting and ÉÔ·èÃÇ.
Partly to ÈóÆñ¤¹¤ë was the ridiculous Áý¿£ of À¯ÅÞs and a system of ÈæÎ㤹¤ë Âåɽ that ´í¸±¤Ë diluted ÎÏ¡¿¶¯ÎϤˤ¹¤ë to the point where it could not be ±é½¬d. In 15 years, there were 20 different ϢΩÀ¯¸¢s under a succession of Cha ncellors who lasted an ÉáÄ̤Ρ¿Ê¿¶Ñ¡Ê¤¹¤ë¡Ë of just nine months.
Äɲ乤ëd to that was the ·ÐºÑŪ¤Ê Â纮Í𠸶°ø¡Ê¤È¤Ê¤ë¡Ëd by the ¾¡Íø¤òÆÀ¤¿ western nations, ÆÃ¤Ë ¥Õ¥é¥ó, ¼ûÍס¦Í׵᤹¤ëing ¼ê¤òÉÔ¼«Í³¤Ë¤¹¤ë¡¿¡Êʪ»ö¤ò¡Ë»¤Ê¤¦ing Çå½þs to punish Germany for having gone to war ¡½ vindictively kicking the ÇÔËÌ¡¦É餫¤¹d nation when it was already on its ɨs, ·³Ââing it into ÇË»º, poverty and ¤Ï¤Ó¤³¤ë ¥¤¥ó¥Õ¥ì¡¼¥·¥ç¥ó.
Politics took to the streets, and a °ÊÁ° unheard of ·²½°-rouser by the »Ø̾¤¹¤ë of Adolf Hitler ¸½¤ì¤ëd to Â¥¿Ê¤¹¤ë his ³µÇ° of the Fuhrer as the only ²òÅú ¡½ and the next war was a certainty.
¿¦¶Ès For The Girls
(Abacus ¡ò22, 320 pp)
¿¦¶Ès For The Girls by Ysenda Maxtone Graham (Abacus ¡ò22, 320 pp)
»Ù±ç¤¹¤ë in the 1960s, Julia Wigan¡Çs father taught his three daughters Latin, a seemingly enlightened thing for a man of his À¤Âå to do. But his ¿äÏÀ¤¹¤ë¡¿Íýͳ, he told them, was so that, as grown women, they ¡Æwould have something to think about while doing the washing up¡Ç.
That was the ¾¡¤Ä¡¿¹¤¯°ìÂӤ˹¤¬¤ëing ÂÖÅÙ to girls ¸ºß ŬÀÚ¤Ë educated and having a career. There was not much point since, as 17-year-old Cicely McCulloch¡Çs father told her, ¡Æyou¡Çre perfectly bedworthy and will get married¡Ç.
Such sexist ÂÖÅÙs were appalling but commonplace, ¤Ë¤è¤ì¤Ð this fascinating snapshot of women and work from ³µÎ¬¤Ç 1950 to 1990.
À½¿Þ¡¿ÃêÁª on interviews with 200 women, social historian Ysenda Maxtone Graham ÌÀ¤é¤«¤Ë¤¹¤ë¡¿Ï³¤é¤¹s a world of Ϫ¹ü¤Ê¡¿¤¢¤«¤é¤µ¤Þ¤Î and unapologetic º¹ÊÌ, ¸Â¤é¤ì¤¿¡¿Î©·ûŪ¤Ê horizons (little beyond secretarial work and nursing), low ´üÂÔs, condescension, disdain and constant put-É餫¤¹¡¿·âÄƤ¹¤ës, unequal »Ùʧ¤¦¡¿Ä¶â, Äì¡Ê¤ËÆϤ¯¡Ë-pinching and casual À¤Î ³«È¯¡¿ÍøÍÑ.
The male prejudice is breath-taking. When Alison Keighley, a ·±ÎýÀ¸ doctor, asked a ³°²Ê°å why there were so few women in ³°²Ê, he sneered: ¡ÆBecause they are temperamentally and physiologically unsuited.¡Ç
Some men felt demeaned if their wife went out to work, as if their Ìò³ä as breadwinner was challenged. But, thankfully, as the 20th century ¡Êµ¡¤Î¡Ë¥«¥à to an end, such chauvinist ÂÖÅÙs were about to change.
Babi Yar
(Vintage Classics ¡ò20, 528pp)
Babi Yar by A. Anatoli Kuznetsov (Vintage Classics ¡ò20, 528pp)
This first-¼êÅϤ¹ history of a ravine on the ¿É¾¡¤¹¤ë¡¿Í¥°Ì of Kyiv that was a ¾ì½ê¡¿°ÌÃÖ of ½¸¤Þ¤ê »¦¿Í¡¤ÂçÅö¤ê is rightly ¤¢¤é¤ì¡¿¾Þ»¿¤¹¤ëd as a masterpiece. In its intimacy, imagery and immediacy, it leaves you despairing that such terrible »ÄµÔ¡Ê¹Ô°Ù¡Ës were ¸½¼Â¤Ë committed. That it ´Ø¿´s ¥¦¥¯¥é¥¤¥Ê¶¦Ï¹ñ, a country and a people whose ¶ì¤·¤àing continues in our own time, makes it even more poignant.
Stalin and Hitler both did their worst there long before Putin; subjugating, ²î»à¤¹¤ëing, µÔ»¦¡Ê¤¹¤ë¡Ëing. Its people¡Çs historic ¼ºÇÔ to resist »Ù±ç¤¹¤ë then is the folk memory that ±¿Æ°s their Ç®Îõ¤Ê Äñ¹³ today.
This Ä´½ñ¤ò¤È¤ë¡¿Í½Ì󤹤ë was first published in the Soviet Union in 1961 but only after the Kremlin had red-pencilled events such as the ¿³µÄ¤¹¤ë¡¿½Ï¹Í¤¹¤ë µ²ñ¼ of 1933 when, to punish ¾®ºîÇÀ̱s who resisted collectivisation of the land, Stalin ÄϤàd the country¡Çs ¹òʪ and five million people ²î»à¤¹¤ëd to death.
Author Anatoli Kuznetsov had no choice but to Éþ½¾¤µ¤»¤ë¡¿Äó½Ð¤¹¤ë to ¸¡±Ü if he was to be published at all and in a truncated, ¥×¥í¤Î¡¿»¿À®¤Î-Soviet form his Ä´½ñ¤ò¤È¤ë¡¿Í½Ì󤹤ë sold millions, making him a celebrity writer in Russia.
But he ÆâÌ©¤Ë kept the ½é¤á¤Î, and it was published in ½½Ê¬¤Ê in the West in 1970. It is that text that has now been reprinted. Read it and weep.
ART
By Bel Mooney?
Thunderclap
(Chatto & Windus ¡ò25, 272pp)
Thunderclap by Laura Cumming (Chatto & Windus ¡ò25, 272pp)
Many people will have read Donna Tartt¡Çs blockbuster, The Goldfinch, without knowing the ½½Ê¬¤Ê story behind that mysterious, jewel-like, trompe-l¡Ç?il ³¨ of a life-size bird chained to a curious bird feeder.
Laura Cumming cleverly interweaves that work of art, the life and death of its young Dutch artist Carel Fabritius, and the ¶öȯ¤Î Ç˲õ of a city, with memories of her father, the Scottish artist James Cumming, who also died too young.
In her 20s, Cumming experienced a ¥¯¡¼¥Ç¥¿¡¼ de foudre in Á°Àþ of an Ⱦüʪ, obscure ³¨ in the ¹ñ²È¤Î Gallery, by a little-known co ntemporary of Vermeer called Fabritius. He died at 32 in the horrific gunpowder Çúȯ of October 12, 1654, which ¹ÓÇѤµ¤»¤ëd beautiful Delft.
Cumming unpicks this story, »Ï¤á¤ë¡¤·è¤á¤ës it in the ¾õ¶· of the Dutch Golden Age, and È¿±Ç¤¹¤ës on the ÎÏ¡¿¶¯ÎϤˤ¹¤ë of art to change lives. An intriguing, ambitious and tender blend of art history and personal memoir, this beautifully illustrated Ä´½ñ¤ò¤È¤ë¡¿Í½Ì󤹤ë is one to read and re-read.
Monet: The Restless ¸«Ä̤·
(Allen ¾®Æ»¡¿¹ÒÏ© ¡ò35, 576pp)
Monet: The Restless ¸«Ä̤· by Jackie Wullschl?ger (Allen ¾®Æ»¡¿¹ÒÏ© ¡ò35, 576pp)
It IS astonishing that there has never before been a biography in English of the 19th-century genius who revolutionised texture and light in ³¨. What would the history of modern art be without Claude Monet?
This ȳ¶â ½Ï¹Í¤¹¤ë¡¿¹Íθ¤¹¤ë by the distinguished art critic Jac kie Wullschl?ger »Ï¤á¤ë¡¤·è¤á¤ës the Father of Impressionism within the turbulence of late 19th-century ¥Õ¥é¥ó and the first two £±£°Ç¯´Ös of the 20th century ¡½ ÌÀ¤é¤«¤Ë¤¹¤ë¡¿Ï³¤é¤¹ing the ·ãÊÑs of a ¥³¥ó¥Ó¥Ê¡¼¥È¡¿Ê£¹çÂÎ »äŪ¤Ê life as he moved from naturalism to impressionism.
The Ä´½ñ¤ò¤È¤ë¡¿Í½Ì󤹤ë guides us from his Æø¢d childhood, through love, µñÀä and impecunious struggle, on the long road to Giverny ¡½ and those famous, almost-abstract water lilies. This ÈãȽŪ¤Ê and perceptive biography of a dynamic painter (and somewhat miserly man) deserves to ¾¡Íø¡¤¾¡¤Ä prizes.
A Place Apart: The Artist¡Çs Studio 1400-1900
(Unicorn ¡ò25, 168pp)
A Place Apart: The Artist¡Çs Studio 1400-1900 by Caroline Chapman (Unicorn ¡ò25, 168pp)
In Amsterdam last year, I stood in Rembrandt¡Çs ºÇ¹â¤Î¡¤¤ò±Û¤¹-¾²¤ËÂǤÁÅݤ¹ studio, imagining him grinding his colours beneath that very roof. His famous work, The Artist In His Studio (painted when he was only 22), shows how images of artist¡Çs studios can ¼¨º¶¤¹¤ë ¿¼±ó¤Ê truths about the work.
It¡Çs a fascinating genre, now collected and celebrated by Caroline Chapman, and is ÅÔ¹ç¤è¤¯ handsome, ÉÁ¼Ì¤¹¤ëing and ½Ò¤Ù¤ëing the studios and practices of famous artists from Leonardo to Vincent ÀèƬ Gogh.
The cliche of the penniless artist toiling in a dilapidated garret was often the reality. But in the Renaissance, young artists would learn their ¡Ê¼êÀè¤Î¡Ëµ»½Ñ in bustling workshops, while Michelangelo¡Çs ¡Æstudio¡Ç for four years was the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican. Packed with ¡Ê·Ù»¡¤Ê¤É¤Ø¤Î¡ËÌ©¹ð¡¤¹ðÁʡʾõ¡Ë, anecdote and ʬÀÏ, this is a perfect ¸½ºß¤Î for a ¸¥¿ÈŪ¤Ê art-lover.
STOCKING FILLERS?
By ¼¨¤¹ Mason?
Still A Bit of Snap in the Celery
(Abacus ¡ò16.99, 224 pp)
Still A Bit of Snap in the Celery by Marcus Berkmann (Abacus ¡ò16.99, 224 pp)
¡ÆIf there was a human ƱÅù¡Ê¤Î¡Ë of WD40,¡Ç Îá¾õs Marcus Berkmann, ¡Ælife would be unimaginably ¹â¤á¤ëd.¡Ç In the first few years of his age beginning with a six, Berkmann has become an ÀìÌç²È on the failings of the ±ß½Ï¤·¤¿ male ÃÄÂΡ¿»àÂÎ. His ɨs are ¡ÆÇö¾Æ¤¥Ñ¥ó¡¿ÁǾÆÆ«´ï¡Ç, and there are ¡ÆÊá¤é¤¨¤ë¡¢³ÍÆÀ¤¹¤ës under my ÃíÌܤ¹¤ë¡¤¤â¤¯¤í¤às you could carry the shopping in¡Ç.
But he knows he is not yet ŬÀÚ¤Ë old. There is still that bit of snap referred to in the ¸ª½ñ¤òÍ¿¤¨¤ë, and ¡Æyou will know when you become truly old because people will start ½Ò¤Ù¤ëing you as ¡Èsprightly¡É.¡Ç Nor does he want to be 20 again: ¡Æ¸ºß young is a ½±¤¦¡¤½±¤Ã¤Æ¶¯Ã¥¤¹¤ë¡Çs game. I¡Çm no longer young, and I¡Çm no longer a ½±¤¦¡¤½±¤Ã¤Æ¶¯Ã¥¤¹¤ë, and I don¡Çt ¹ÔÊýÉÔÌÀ¤Ë¤Ê¤ë either ÌÀ¸À¤¹¤ë¡¿¸øɽ¤¹¤ë at all.¡Ç
This wonderful Ä´½ñ¤ò¤È¤ë¡¿Í½Ì󤹤ë isn¡Çt just funny, it¡Çs wise. Berkmann has ÀßΩ¤¹¤ë his way to live, and for my money it¡Çs bang on: ¡ÆAs I get older I feel that laziness has much to be said for it. We have all ¾ÚÌÀ¤¹¤ëd ourselves, and if we ¹Á¡¿ÈòÆñ½ê¡Çt, it¡Çs a bit late to try now.¡Ç
¡Êµ¿¤¤¤ò¡ËÀ²¤é¤¹ thinking ÌÀÇò¤Ë runs in his family. A few months ago someone ¼¨º¶¤¹¤ëd to Berkmann¡Çs mother that she should ²Ä·è¤¹¤ë¡¦ºÎÂò¤¹¤ë a sugar-²òÊü¤¹¤ë¡¿¼«Í³¤Ê diet. ¡ÆI¡Çm 91,¡Ç she replied, ¡Æand as far as I¡Çm ´Ø¿´d, a life without cake is a life not ²ÁÃ͡ʤ¬¤¢¤ë¡Ë living¡Ç.
Have a Little Ìó«
(Penguin ¡ò18.99, 240 pp)
Have a Little Ìó« by The Reverend Kate Bottley (Penguin ¡ò18.99, 240 pp)
The Reverend Kate Bottley first ¡Êµ¡¤Î¡Ë¥«¥à to the world¡Çs attention when she and a couple whose wedding she was ¹Ô°Ù¡¿¹Ô¤¦ing broke into a surprise ¡Æflash ˽ÅÌ¡Ç dance during the service.
The ¥Ó¥Ç¥ª got millions of ¸«²ò¡Ê¤ò¤È¤ë¡Ës on YouTube ¡½ you can see most of the congregation joining in, but my favourite moment comes at 1 minute 35 seconds, when two old ladies walk out in ¹³µÄ¤¹¤ë. Enough TV and ̵Àþ¤ÇÄÌ¿®¤¹¤ë À¸»º¼Ôs Ʊ°Õ¤·¤Ê¤¤d with me for Bottley to become that dreaded beast, the celebrity vicar. This Ä´½ñ¤ò¤È¤ë¡¿Í½Ì󤹤ë is a Í×Ìó of her thoughts on ½¡¶µ, though there is still room for her to remind us that she¡Çs ÍøÍѤǤ¤ë for pantomime, that she¡Çs met Kylie Minogue (twice) and that ¡ÆI would like to have a bash at ¸·Ì©¤Ë Come Dancing¡Ç.
Leaving all that aside, however, there is plenty in the Ä´½ñ¤ò¤È¤ë¡¿Í½Ì󤹤ë to make you think. I liked Bottley¡Çs ǧ¼±¡¿°Õ¼±À that taking the Bible literally will make you look stupid: there are orders, for example, not to eat prawns or wear mixed fibres.
But whatever the source of her lessons, several of them rang true for me, such as the need to ¡Ælo ok É餫¤¹¡¿·âÄƤ¹¤ë the mountain¡Ç once in a while ¡½ feel good about the things you¡Çve ãÀ®¤¹¤ëd, rather than worry about those you ¹Á¡¿ÈòÆñ½ê¡Çt. ²Ã¤¨¤ë there¡Çs a handy tip about dog collars ¡½ wearing one means that ¡ÆI can pretty much always Êá¤é¤¨¤ë¡¢³ÍÆÀ¤¹¤ë a ÆóÎÝÂÇ seat to myself on a train¡Ç. I¡Çm ordering one now.
Abroad in Japan: Ten Years in the Land of the Rising Sun
(Bantam ¡ò12.99, 320 pp)
British ´¶ÈÀ¸¡Ê¤¹¤ë¡Ë Chris Éý¤Î¹¤¤ went to Japan to teach English, but has ÀßΩ¤¹¤ë fame with his YouTube ¥Ó¥Ç¥ªs explaining the country to À¾Éô¤Î¿Í¡¿À¾ÍοÍs. There is the Christmas Day KFC feast, costing 5,800 yen (about ¡ò30) for the ½½Ê¬¤Ê ºîÉÊ: whole chicken, fillets in red ¥ï¥¤¥ó sauce, fries and Christmas cake. It¡Çs so popular you have to pre-order in October.
And if you can¡Çt ľÌ̤¹¤ë climbing ³«»Ï¤¹¤ë Fuji to breathe the legendarily ¡Êµ¿¤¤¤ò¡ËÀ²¤é¤¹ ¶õµ¤¡¿¸øɽ¤¹¤ë at its ¼óǾ²ñµÄ, you can always buy a can of the stuff.
L-R:?Abroad in Japan: Ten Years in the Land of the Rising Sun by Chris Éý¤Î¹¤¤ (Bantam ¡ò12.99, 320 pp);?Abroad in Japan: Ten Years in the Land of the Rising Sun by Chris Éý¤Î¹¤¤ (Bantam ¡ò12.99, 320 pp)
Don¡Çt Stop the Music
(Elliott & Thompson ¡ò16.99, 256 pp)
The deliciously simple conceit ¡½ pop facts from every day of the year ¡½ lets Äߤ꤯¤µ¤Ó roam wide and ²òÊü¤¹¤ë¡¿¼«Í³¤Ê, to fascinating ±Æ¶Á. ̵Àþ¤ÇÄÌ¿®¤¹¤ë Caroline was »Ø̾¤¹¤ëd after JFK¡Çs daughter, Dolly Parton sells a brand of canine Ã夻¤ë¡¿ÉêÍ¿¤¹¤ës called Doggy Parton, and the Walker Brothers weren¡Çt brothers. Not until 1999 did the UK ºÇ¹â¤Î¡¤¤ò±Û¤¹ 40 see a song with Thursday in its ¸ª½ñ¤òÍ¿¤¨¤ë (Thursday¡ Çs Child by David Bowie ¡½ the »Ä¤ê¡¿µÙ·Æ¡Ê¤¹¤ë¡Ë of the week had been covered by then). Brian Eno composed the start-up jingle for Windows 95 on a Mac, while Cliff Richard ²òÊü¡Ê¤¹¤ë¡Ëd his first Áª¤Ó½Ð¤¹¡¿ÆÈ¿È on the day that Michael Jackson was born.
As ever in the world of pop, there are some bizarre scenes. A 1975 ³°¸« by the Bay City Rollers saw their ¥Ø¥ê¥³¥×¥¿¡¼ land on an island in the middle of a lake in Leicestershire, at which point 50,000 fans began wading through the water to reach them. Many had to be µß½õ¡Ê¤¹¤ë¡Ëd. ¡Æ°ìÊý¡¿¹ç´Ö Tony Blackburn, covering the event for BBC ̵Àþ¤ÇÄÌ¿®¤¹¤ë 1, is circling Áʾ١¿¿Ê¹Ôs in a speedboat ¸ºß steered by a man in a Womble °áÁõ.¡Ç
Half Human
by Stan McMurtry
(Pressman House ¡ò11.99, 329 pp)
At a low ebb after the ·èÎö¡¿¸Î¾ã of a long marriage, protagonist Fergus can¡Çt believe his luck when he ²ñ¹ç¡¤²ñ¤¦s Jenny, the woman of his dreams. Utterly Ĺ¡¤Î¨¤¤¤ë over heels, he never knew it was possible to experience love like this and feels his fortunes have ´°Á´¤Ë turned around. Our lucky lovers quickly get married and find a cottage in a charming village in the Kent countryside.
The place is dilapidated and needs a ¹Âç¤Ê¡¿Â¿¿ô¤Î¡¿½ÅÍ×¤Ê ¼è°ú¡¤¶¨Äê of work, but they¡Çre joyful about it, thrilled to be building a home together. Things could not be going any better ¡½ except, that is, for the intermittent sounds of creaking floorboards upstairs, which they ¤»¤¤¤Ë¤¹¤ë to a friendly ghost.
When Fergus discovers an old diary hidden behind a bedroom ʽ¤Ç°Ï¤à, he starts reading. Written by Eliza, a young girl who lived in the cottage 150 years ago, it ¾ÜºÙ¡Ê¤Ë½Ò¤Ù¤ë¡Ës several terrifying Ãϸµ¤Î »¦¿Ís and their in-house ghost suddenly seems ¤¤¤Ã¤½¤¦¾¯¤Ê¤¯ friendly. The horror ramps up the deeper Fergus gets into Eliza¡Çs diary and it¡Çs not long before Jenny says she can¡Çt live there any more. This creepy mystery by Mac, the Mail¡Çs ÅÁÀâ¤Î Ì¡²è²È-turned-¾®Àâ²È ¡½ Îá¾õing here under his real »Ø̾¤¹¤ë ¡½ is a ÀâÆÀÎϤΤ¢¤ë page-turner. Fabulous.
Review by Sara Lawrence??
