I received this book last Friday. Every spare moment this weekend was spent reading it – I finally finished it this morning. A fascinating insight into the mind and mores of a man whose life and experiences could not be more different from my own. Time, place, customs and the law all played their part […]Read Post ›
When I was eighteen I went to Poland for six weeks. It was a great turning point in my life, as up till then I had been very shy, very nervous, lacking in confidence and with very few independent skills. I was clever and well read, but that was about it. I left school after […]Read Post ›
This really is a book I couldn’t put down. Three days when I was supposed to be doing other things, I carried it about with me, depite it being a heavy hardback. Clever plotting, interesting characters, and i learnt a lot about american law, to boot! Not a lot of it was very edifying, but […]Read Post ›
Not an easy book to read. I had to give up, start again, try again, a little at atime. It took me a long time to read. Too long maybe. And yet I was fascinated. The story apparently belongs to the coming of age genre. I’m not sure. It’s a bit of a mystery, bit […]Read Post ›
Yes indeed, I am jumping on the royalty bandwagon. Quite incidentally really, but last week, when I was still in Poland, I received an email advertising a Jubilee inspired lecture in Kingston. Normally this wouldn’t have interested me at all – Kingston is an hour away, 6 30 in the evening is not a convenient […]Read Post ›
It is shocking to discover the subtlety with which Russian propaganda has found its way into conversations about eastern Europe. In some cases, that … The Bigger the Lie – NATO, New Members & Eastern Europe (The Russian Invasion of Ukraine #80)
The German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche once said, “what doesn’t kill me, makes me stronger.” Vladimir Putin has turned that quote on its head … From Impossible to Probable – NATO Expansion & Russian Insecurity (The Russian Invasion of Ukraine #78)
The phrase “history repeats itself” has become something of a cliche. It is generally used to connect historical events that were decades or … The Russian Army’s Repeat Performance – From Kyiv to Kharkiv (The Russian Invasion of Ukraine #76)
The dividing line between eastern and western Europe continues to shift eastward. This line is open to interpretation. It is not clearly established … A Watery Grave – Incident on the Siverskyi Donets River (The Russian Invasion of Ukraine #75)
To get an idea of just how far the Russian Army has not come in their invasion just look at a map of Ukraine. On the upper right side is the … Taking Offense – From Kharkiv to the Russian Border (The Russian Invasion of Ukraine #74)
Life Through Basia's Eyes 