Twentieth Century Britain: A Political History - William D. Rubinstein

William D. Rubinstein – Twentieth Century Britain: A Political History (2003)
History – 350 pages – my copy (paperback; 2003) borrowed from Plymouth University library during December 2011
- 3 nods out of 5 -



Ah, British History: what bookshelf would be complete without a volume on the past of these small islands of ours? Of course, much of history writing has been targeted towards the good and the glorious; for instance, the ‘Glorious Revolution’ of 1689 and the ‘Good War’ of 1939-1945. Amidst all this congratulatory back-slapping there is also the British history book that dares venture further, away from the celebration and glitz to turn to the side our past does not wish to reveal: the squalor, the inequality, the pain and the suffering.

Twentieth century political history has had its fair share of the good, the bad and the ugly. Britain won two world wars and one world cup; but it also denied women the vote for its first two decades. Britain was a superpower with the largest world empire; yet it trampled upon the beliefs of others to do so. Contradictory responses are to be found in abundance, and any new book to add to the cannon that seriously studies this period is always welcome.

And so we turn to Rubinstein’s effort to condense one hundred years into a few hundred pages. The author narrates large, stretching themes in this political history: the decline of the Liberal party, the rise of Labour, the defeat of extremism, and the overall outstanding consistency of the Conservatives. More than this, Rubinstein dotes upon the key figures in this century: Balfour, Asquith, Lloyd-George, Bonar Law, MacDonald, Baldwin, Chamberlain (all 3 of them!), Churchill, Attlee, Macmillan, Thatcher, and enough space for a brief cameo from our good friend Tony Blair (or perhaps not such a close friend anymore). There are the forgotten Prime Ministers (anyone remember Campbell-Bannerman? Thought not); as well as the desperate (Oswald Mosley of the British Union of Fascists included).

Rubinstein’s history is a throughout good book, as the reader would expect from an esteemed academic. However, it never moves beyond this to consume the reader, to bring the past to life, to throw the reader into its story and consume them. Furthermore, the Worm found a growing irritation in the author’s devotion to the first fifty years of the century (pages 1 to 230), whilst the final fifty years are given little more than one hundred pages to survive on. The Worm holds his hands up to admit that the first half of the century is home to two world wars; but in contrast, Mr Andrew Marr solved such a problem by the publishing of two books (The History of Modern Britain and The Making of Modern Britain).

If not a recommended read for the new reader, Rubinstein’s effort is one to be enjoyed by fans of British politics. No doubt it will unearth some unknown, hidden gem of trivia or knowledge; after all, this is the era of the likes of dynamic politicians such as Winston Churchill and David Lloyd George. Looking around him at the current state of politics, the Worm has little to no confidence that a volume could be printed on the exploits on the likes of Cameron, Clegg and Miliband.


NB: The Worm apologises for ending this review on the pitiful names of the above “politicians”; please accept his full hearted request for forgiveness.


Buy it here:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Twentieth-century-Britain-Political-William-Rubinstein/dp/0333772245/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1327677578&sr=8-1

Games People Play - Eric Berne

Eric Berne – Games People Play (1964)
Psychology – 180 pages – my copy (hardback; 1968) borrowed from Plymouth University library during December 2011
- 4 nods out of 5 -



There was once a time when it was believed a good theory of psychology could solve the problems of the mind and the world. From Freud onwards, the twentieth century was awash with bespectacled, chin stroking thinkers who stated they had the brain all worked out; all that people need do was buy the book and apply the theory in practice.

Eric Berne’s Transactional Analysis is one such theory, and it can be found in this book, Games People Play. Now more than fifty years old, TA has retained followers into the new millennium; more than can be said for the voluminous books of the sixties that have promptly followed the conveyor belt to a shredder. Berne notes three basic ego states, slightly akin to Freud’s Ego, Super-Ego, and – the always fascinating – Id): the Parent (prejudices and values), the Child (impulsive and creative), and the Adult (rational and logical). The Adult is the goal for all conversationalists to reach: it is impartial and in search of the truth. But this is not to say the others are to be dismissed, but rather celebrated each in turn for their uniqueness. As Berne notes: ‘Thus all three aspects of the personality have a high survival and living value, and it is only when one or the other of them disturbs the healthy balance that analysis and reorganization are indicated. Otherwise each of them…is entitled to equal respect and has its legitimate place in a full and productive life.’

Games People Play is an analysis of the different states we each become when dealing with our family, our partners, our friends, and extended people around us. Berne contends that we all play games, with surface interactions, as well as deeper, hidden intentions. Written in what is now vastly dated language (especially when referring to male and female models), the book runs through a variety of “games” that have been discovered when treating patients in TA therapy. The book is worth it for just the names alone: ‘Frigid Woman’, ‘Yeah But…’, ‘If It Weren’t For You,’ and the Worm’s personal favourite: ‘Now I’ve Got You, You Bastard.’ As the reader immediately notices, there is no cloud of psycho-babble to confuse the patient: TA gives advice straight up and with no catches.

Here is Berne in action describing ‘A Typical Game’ between spouses:

‘His prohibitions and her complaints frequently led to quarrels, so that their sex life was seriously impaired. And because of his feelings of guilt, he frequently brought her gifts which might not otherwise have been forthcoming; certainly when he gave her more freedom, his gifts diminished in lavishness and frequency…At any rate her married life had proved one thing to her that she had always maintained: that all men were mean and tyrannical. As it turned out, this attitude was related to some daydreams of being sexually abused which had plagued her in earlier years.’

Or how about Mr and Mrs White’s implicit contract:

Mr White: “You must always be here when I get home. I’m terrified of desertion.”
Mrs White: “I will be if you help me avoid phobic situations.”

Much is written on the relationship between husband and wife. If the 1950s/1960s were years of phobia and neurosis, it is safe to assume that Berne would be in his element in the modern world. Though it does descend into the absurd:

‘There is a bit of Jerk in everyone, but the object of game analysis is to keep it at a minimum. A Jerk is someone who is overly sensitive to Parental influences…In extreme cases the Jerk merges with the Toady, the Show-off, and the Cling.’

One has the impression Berne is simply making up terms and words on the spot to get to the end of the book. But that is to do Berne and his study a disservice. Games People Play is undoubtedly an interesting book with great topics of interest; some perfect coffee-table fodder over those hot drinks in the cold months ahead.

Buy it here:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Games-People-Play-Psychology-Relationships/dp/0141040270/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1327336400&sr=8-1

Batman: Year One - Frank Miller & David Mazzucchelli

Frank Miller & David Mazzucchelli - Batman: Year One (1988)
Graphic Novel – 104 pages – my copy (paperback; 2001) borrowed from University of Plymouth library during December 2011
- 3 nods out of 5 -



‘It rose into space
Its wings spread wide
Then fell, its wings
Now a fluttering cape
Wrapped tight about
The body of a man’

Batman has been made topical and attractive once again. Christopher Nolan’s recent rendering of the Dark Knight has captured our imaginations on the big screen; expect Batman-Fever to heat up in the coming months as the final instalment of Nolan’s trilogy is released. But to paraphrase the often used quote in the majority of every superhero film: Every end has a beginning. And Nolan’s version of Batman has a beginning that can be clearly stretched to the 1980s.

Celebrated comic book writer, Frank Miller, brought a new, realistic version of Batman to readers in the late 1980s in the ‘Year One’ story (originally printed in Batman issues 404-407). The nitty gritty decaying streets of Gotham are detailed, with the words brought to life by artist David Mazzucchelli, with colouring from the hands of Richmond Lewis. This collaboration shows just how far Batman has walked since the less hate-filled, more innocent days of Bob Kane’s original creation.

‘Year One’, as you might expect, sees the beginnings of Bruce Wayne’s fight on crime. He returns to the city of Gotham and takes up training, hitting the streets before deciding how he needs a costume to instil fear into the thugs of the city: alas, the bat-suit. But, somewhat interestingly, Wayne and his caped crusader beginnings take a back-seat to the rise of Commissioner Gordon. Gordon is a new cop in the city who refuses to take bribes, bringing him into conflict with his corrupt colleagues on the force. Bit by bit, Gordon’s star rises; although is beset by personal problems. Through misunderstandings as to Batman’s role, the pair form an alliance at the book’s end.

The problem with Batman: Year One is the flapping of loose threads (including Selina Kyle in the background, first as domineering prostitute, later as Catwoman) that actually makes the book unable to successfully stand alone as a graphic novel. And although Miller’s influence reinvigorates the Batman myth and legend, there is the question mark hanging over the heads of comic book crusaders and their shelf life. Hollywood and publishers appear content to retell the story, again and again, albeit modernise it with a different setting and/or circumstances. DC Comics have recently rebranded once again: don’t these characters have greater scope to move forward with?

As talk of The Dark Knight Rises grows until it reaches a never-ceasing wail, Batman fans would do themselves a favour by purchasing a copy of Batman: Year One. Trace Nolan’s origins, and applaud the Batman myth.

Buy it here:http://www.amazon.co.uk/Batman-Year-One-Frank-Miller/dp/1852860774/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1323257847&sr=1-6

The Drowned and the Saved - Primo Levi

Primo Levi – The Drowned and the Saved (1986)
Autobiography – 170 pages – my copy (paperback; 2001) borrowed from University of Plymouth Library during November 2011
- 5 nods out of 5 -



Allow the Worm a first, manic and loud-mouthed comment on Primo Levi’s The Drowned and the Saved: "Read it now!" That being said and digested, let us move on and review this book. Levi – a survivor of Auschwitz – reflects on the Holocaust, almost forty years after its occurrence. Levi became an internationally renowned writer in the post-war period, bringing truths to light, never letting this momentous, horrific period in history be forgotten. The Drowned and the Saved – the first work, although certainly not the last, on which the Worm has had the pleasure to read – was Levi’s last published work in his lifetime: he died afterwards in what remains uncertain circumstances. Many believe he took his own life; others that he accidentally fell down a staircase. But that is, as they say, a different story.

Much has been made of Levi’s guilt: at surviving when so many good, worthy ones died at the hands of the Nazis. Here he writes on the issue: ‘I must repeat – we, the survivors, are not the true witnesses. This is an uncomfortable notion, of which I have become conscious little by little, reading the memoirs of others and reading mine at a distance of years. We survivors are not only as exiguous but also an anomalous minority; we are those who by their prevarications or abilities or good luck did not touch the bottom.’

Using his own experience, Levi brings Auschwitz alive like no other. He analyses the ‘Orwellian falsification of memory’ of the Nazi state, in their ‘war against memory…falsification of reality, negation of reality’; of the ‘grey zone’ in which prisoner becomes both victim and persecutor, thereby confusing ‘our need to judge’; as well as the horrific description of the Jews who burnt the dead, gassed bodies of their fellow man and woman:

‘Conceiving and organising the squads was National Socialism’s most demonic crime. Behind the pragmatic aspect (to economise on able men, impose on others the most atrocious tasks), other more subtle aspects can be perceived. This institution represented an attempt to shift on to others – specifically the victims – the burden of guilt, so that they were deprived of even the solace of innocence. It is neither easy nor agreeable to dredge the abyss of viciousness, and yet I think it must be done, because what it was possible to perpetrate yesterday can be attempted again tomorrow, can overwhelm ourselves and our children. One is tempted to turn away with a grimace and close one’s mind: this is a temptation one must resist. In fact, the existence of the squads had a meaning, containing a message: “We, the master race, are your destroyers, but you are no better than we are; if we so wish and we do so wish, we can destroy not only your bodies but also your souls, just as we have destroyed ours.”’

Levi further expresses this idea of the victim becoming stained with the blood of the murderers: ‘before dying the victim must be degraded, so that the murderer will be less burdened by guilt.’ These words are so well expressed that Levi shares the talent of a poet brought against the harsh reality of evil, of chaos, and of despair.

And whilst we’re bathing in the colour of his prose, how about this:

‘Hateful also, but not insane, were the means foreseen to achieve these ends: to unleash military aggressions or ruthless wars, support Fifth Columns, transfer or remove entire populations, subjugate them, e them, or exterminate them. Neither Nietzsche nor Hitler nor Rosenberg were mad when they intoxicated themselves and their followers by preaching the myth of the Superman, to whom everything is permitted in recognition of his dogmatic and congenital superiority; but worthy of meditation is the fact that all of them, teacher and pupils, become progressively removed from reality as little by little their morality came unglued from the morality common to all times and all civilisations, which is an integral part of our human heritage and which in the end must be acknowledged.’

Make no mistake, this is a heavy read of a momentous, heavy period. However, Levi is the perfect host to guide the reader through the shock and the shame. Amongst such passages are more amiable memories, of correspondence with Germans, of his own personal, moral philosophy. What he has to say is never easy to swallow; but it is a dish we must feed on, and once started becomes addictive. He repeats the same message again and again: ‘It happened, therefore it can happen again: this is the core of what we have to say.’ It is a statement that is needed to be made; Levi was – and remains – a defender of the memories of the Holocaust. It is now up to the next generation to take on the mantle, to read Levi, to discuss Levi, to promote Levi. The Worm repeats: "You will read this book." The Worm repeats: "You will devour this book." The Worm repeats: "You will love this book."


Buy it here:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Drowned-Saved-Abacus-Books/dp/0349100470/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1323257828&sr=1-1

Hitler & Nazism - Dick Geary

Dick Geary – Hitler & Nazism (1993)
History – 80 pages – my copy (paperback; 1997) purchased for 50p from Plymouth Central Library sometime during 2008
- 3 nods out of 5 -



The Worm hears your concerns already: “not another book on Hitler.” But let us all be serious; Mr Hitler is hardly your every-day politician, of scandal and infamy; not your run-of-the-mill dictator; nor your next-door-war-monger of which the world has countless numbers throughout history. No, Hitler is more than that. As historians have proclaimed in the past few decades, we are far from done with Hitler yet. And if that’s good enough for the academic community, then it’s good enough for the Worm.

Yet this book, from the hand of Dick Geary, perhaps deserves more of your time and consideration. In a brief, yet information packed, 80 pages Geary manages to give us the birth and growth of Nazism, of the collapse of the Weimer Republic, of a look at Nazi state and society, leading towards the ominous chapter title: ‘War and destruction’. And if that wasn’t enough, Geary is ready at hand to reflect and analyse on every notable tenant of the Nazi regime. The Worm can already hear you gasping for air.

Many of the prominent books on Hitler and Nazism normally number hundreds of hundreds, into the thousand mark (William Shirer, most famously); so to pack in such information and debate into double digits is nothing short of remarkable. Although Geary himself would argue he has written greater works, with heavyweight impact; this book is the perfect introduction into Nazism, as well as the book for Nazi enthusiasts to brush up on their Hitler. As the Worm concurs, we are a long way from being done with Hitler. The continuance of books such as this ensures the past is never forgotten.

The Fantastic Four (Vol.1) - Stan Lee & Jack Kirby

Stan Lee & Jack Kirby - The Fantastic Four: Essential Vol. 1 (2005)
Comic Book – 544 pages – my copy (paperback; 2005) purchased from Amazon sometime in 2008 for under £5
- 3 nods out of 5 -



Everybody – I repeat: everybody – knows who the Fantastic Four are. Superman may be stronger; Batman is darker and full of more emotion; and Iron Man is back in fashion. And the majority of Hollywood superhero movies are a damn sight better than the recent outpourings of our Fab Four… but despite all of this, the Worm (and many others out there) have a soft spot in their heart for the Fantastic Four.

It may just be the lack of pervasive super-powers, lack of intensity and fashion that makes these characters so likeable. They were the booster that made Marvel a house-hold name, with Stan Lee outpouring hero after hero in the sixties. None of them (Spiderman included) reach the geeky excitement of these early creations: Reed “Mr Fantastic” Richards, Susan “The Invisible Storm, Johnny “The Flame” Storm, and the corniest and hardest of them: “The Thing.”

This collection is the first twenty comics from the early 1960s, as well as first (cough: cash-in) annual. In these twenty issues some of the principal Fantastic Four villains are introduced: Doctor Doom and the Submariner; characters who have endured for the past fifty years. Alongside these are the not so notable and memorable: Mole-Man, the master of Planet X, and the Miracle Man. All have the same common traits: mastery of Earth, regarding the human race as ‘puny’, as well as the destruction of the Fantastic Four.

From our place, here in the smug twenty-first century, it is easy to pick holes in the storylines (magic rays on a visit to the Moon?), to comment on the blatant male bias (Susan Storm pin-up, anyone?), and poke fun of the cheesy lines (“Just wait! Sooner or later…I’ll get my mitts on you!!”). But all of these supposed flaws are part of the fun. The Fantastic Four is a product of its time, and like any cherished cultural product from the sixties (such as bad Beach Boys records and pretentious art), these comics should be appreciated and enjoyed.

Buy it here:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Essential-Fantastic-Four-TPB-All-New/dp/078513302X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1323257225&sr=8-2