Why Vote Green Shahrar Ali

Shahrar Ali - Why Vote Green (2010)
Politics – 120 pages – bought for £6.99 from Plymouth Waterstones pre-2010 General Election
- 2 nods

The recent General Election has captured the attention of the public like none other for a whole generation. Political commentators had been predicting a rumble in the parliamentary jungle in the months leading up to the D-Day of May 6th, resulting in a plethora of books upon the shelves of all good bookshops, ranging from the throw-away (see previous review on X Marks The Box) to the specifics of a particular party. One such interesting series was Why Vote, incorporating the big three of Tory, Labour and Lib-Dem, as well as the minor of UKIP, the SNP and my own particular chosen path of Green.

So, why vote Green? It is the task of Shahrar Ali to speak to Joe Public and convince them of the radical, Green way forward. 'Radical politics' is the feature of the first part of this short book, with emphasis on trust, direct action and those at the grassroots. Ali asserts the Greens are different and fresh; a real choice of change (yes, another change slogan to add to the barrel of all other parties!), with the party actually practicising what it preaches (unlike Mr Clegg, who does a good job of talking the talk).

Of course, the author tackles 'Climate Change', but in the hope of making the connection with the reader that they are part of the environment, that their needs and wants dictate the future path of our planet. This responsibility is followed up on other policy issues, including education, equality and the local services around us; before ending on the wrongs of war, leaving us with - oh yes - another Iraq War reference.

The Worm wholeheartedly agrees that the Greens offer a radical politics; unfortunately, Ali's book is not similarly refreshing. Although a gentle introduction for those of the Green persuasian, it is, ultimately, another throw-away to the add to the pile of this year's electioneering literature. But with their first MP in Parliament - in the shape of the formidable Caroline Lucas in Brighton - the Greens have a future of many further books published on their success.

Virtual History - Niall Ferguson

Niall Ferguson – Virtual History (1997)
History – 450 pages - bought from the Oxfam Bookshop in Ealing Broadway, sometime in 2008
4 nods

The publication of the "what-may-have-been" books of history have found a strong and hungry market in recent decades. Yes, we all know the heroes of history - but what of the losers? The persistant dominating image continues to be the Nazi swastika flying from London's Big Ben. There has long been debate about the merits of such writing: is it simply a parlour game or rather an argument of greater weight worthy of research?

Niall Ferguson made a name for himself in this genre of history; his edited collection Virtual History is an addition at the higher end of the market. No simple articles mocked up by hack historians, but instead well weighed arguments, interestingly researched, topped off with good, exciting prose.

The reader is treated to 'England Without Cromwell', the possibility of no American Revolution, and the what if scenario of Kennedy living beyond his assassination. Furthermore, there are more meaty topics in store, such as Home Rule being enacted in Ireland in 1912 and the continuance of Communism. Of course, there is the addition of the Nazis, fantastically written by the joint efforts of Andrerw Roberts and Niall Ferguson: 'Hitler's England: What if Germany had invaded Britain in May 1940?'. Bleak, devastating and scary; and all the more thankful for the Allies actual triumph.

All of which is crowned with Ferguson's introductory essay 'Virtual History: Towards a "chaotic" theory of the past': impressive yet also daunting for an entrance to such a book. Ferguson might over-egg the pudding, chucking into the mix all he could possibly find to justify this genre's worthiness; but for certain, it proves this collection as a heavyweight. Virtual History is recommended for all those with a thirst for history and a curious mind.

Firmin - Sam Savage

Sam Savage – Firmin (2006)
Novel – 230 pages – scooped from the bookcase in Plymouth Starbucks
3 nods

The novelist, Sam Savage, wrote this – his first – novel in his sixties. His own personal history is rich and diverse, itself reading as something from fiction: a philosophy student, a bicycle mechanic, carpenter, commercial fisherman and letterpress printer. The Worm can deduce from such activity that Savage was rarely bored.

Firmin is the story of a rat born in counter-culture America in the early sixties. It follows Firmin himself, as he is neglected and eventually isolated from his brothers and sisters, his quest to find acknowledgment in the world of books, right through to his demise at the book’s end. The narrative certainly lives up to the book’s subtitle: ‘Adventures of a Metropolitan Lowlife’.

As well as being a critique on our own human relations (as too often in fiction, in tends to take a non-human to celebrate our qualities: such as Dumbo, the alien from E.T., and of course, the brave little toaster), Firmin is also a celebration of our history of literature. Firmin himself is born upon a copy of Finnegan’s Wake, the rat stating: ‘I was birthed, bedded, and suckled on the defoliated carcass of the world’s most unread masterpiece’ (p.12). He feeds himself upon a diet of Nabokov, of Lawrence and of Austen; he references the greats, always himself wanting to be one of these 'Big Ones'.

This is Firmin’s ever enduring agony: his awareness of the great, big world around him and his inability to ever fully take part. As well as being entertaining, the novel is a moving one, notably in Firmin’s encounters with humankind. He loves Norman, the book-shop owner, who sees the rat as a pest to be eradicated; he has a strong bond with Jerry, who in returns sees him as an innocent, silly plaything. Ultimately, Firmin is alone, and even sadder is his actual realisation of this loneliness.

The book is an entertaining read – made all the more worthwhile due to the oddity of the central character. It will not change the reader's world, and it is not a book to place alongside the 'Big Ones' - yet for a few hours, it will succesfully and comfortably transport them away into Firmin's mindset. An engaging first novel from an interesting author.

Dylan On Dylan - Jonathan Cott

Jonathan Cott – Dylan on Dylan (2006)
Music – 440 pages – borrowed from fellow student of Dylanology, Jay
- 3 nods

Who, these days, can oppose themselves against a man such as Bob Dylan? The true hero of the 1960s, when other bands and figures remain divisive (think Mick Jagger, think Paul "Macca" McCartney, think Herman’s Hermits) Dylan remains a living legend. His 1960s period is one now widely acknowledged as "super cool", of untouchable songs and lyrics – whilst the modern Bob continues to reap the plaudits on recent albums such as Time Out of Mind. If Michael Jackson was the King of Pop, Bob Dylan is surely the Caesar of all Songwriters.

Jonathan Cott’s book upon Dylan is a succession of articles, taken from the 1960s to the modern day. It shows Dylan’s progression from unknown folkie, to leader of a movement, his shying away from the limelight, his surprise Christian revivial, the awkward eighties to eventual consolidation as the Man of the 60s.

However, many of the articles are a simply waste of good reading time. There are Dylan’s web of ridiculous lies – which is mouth was prone to spout when hitting the big time in 1965-1966 – coupled with sycophantic writers praising Bob as the son of God (the Worm realises his own sycophantic praises…but the Worm is not a rock biographer). Yet despite this, there are some real gems and treats in store for the Dylan fan, none more so than A.J. Weberman’s psychotic meeting with the man in the early 1970s. Weberman, self-proclaimed ‘Dylanologist and Minister of Defence of the Dylan Liberation Front’, accuses Bob of betraying his counter-culture roots.

Other highlights include Nat Hentoff’s 1964 interview, in which we catch a glimpse of (perhaps) the true Bob during the recording of Another Side of Bob Dylan; as are the eighties interviews with Rolling Stone and Esquire, showing Dylan on the road to his current comfortable status in 2010. For the truly laughable, however, all the reader must do is turn to Dylan’s religious period (1979-1982); no words can do justice to the songwriter’s warped and confused mindset.

Cott’s collection of articles is one for bookcases of all Dylan fans – and, of course, Dylanologists. A book that can be dipped into from time to time, to quote and muse over; without ever seriously competing with Dylan’s actual recordings.

Austerity Britain - David Kynaston

David Kynaston – Austerity Britain, 1945-51 (2009)
History – 640 pages – my copy (paperback) a present from the true gentleman, Mr Mooney, Xmas 2009
- 4 nods

‘A marvel’, notes the Sunday Telegraph; ‘Exemplary’, says the Mail of Sunday; whilst the Guardian has no bones about hailing it as ‘a classic’. All hail the historian David Kynaston indeed! Austerity Britain is the culmination of tremendous devotion and a great deal of research – two books sandwiched together – to create this mammoth read for the delight of any layman and student interest in post-war politics.

Why all the praise? Quite simply, it leaves no stone un-turned. The period 1945-51 is well noted for being the first majority Labour government: the time of Attlee and of Bevin; of the rise of the NHS and of Keynes; of fiscal tightening and the rebirth of modern Britain. Kynaston notes of all of this, but also so much more: housing gripes, the rise of multi-media, writers and scoundrels, sport and communism.

Kynaston’s range of sources is simply breathtaking, earning many compliments from the Book Worm. However, this praise is also its chief failing. Kynaston commits to all and sundry, leaving the reader to trawl through page after page of housing policy, both unrelenting and never ending.

Whilst the second notable flaw of Austerity Britain is its lack of analysis. Kynaston is great at throwing quote after quote and reference after reference upon the reader, a seeming orgy of the statistic. Yet what of the rolling up the sleeves, of adding his own comment, of perhaps, staking his flag upon the ground. Of course, Mr Kynaston could be saving such energy for later books – he has been commissioned a whole series to conclude at the accession of Thatcher in 1979 – however, after surmounting over six hundred pages, the reader feels a little cheated at having to continue onwards to Family Britain, a cliff-hanger for our eyes.

The Worm highly recommends this book to all who want to know what it was actually like in this changing period. Britain had won the war, yet it had a battle in order to win the peace. A battle that rages to today. The Worm will continue on with Kynaston’s series, a sequence for all serious history buffs and fans alike. Hail Mr Kynaston, indeed – but the prince has yet to show himself a true king.

Green Hopes - Alan Lipietz

Alan Lipietz – Green Hopes (1993)
Politics – 160 pages – my copy (paperback) bought for 50p from Plymouth Library, late 2009
- 3 nods

The subtitle of Green Hopes – The Future of Political Ecology – interests the reader of 2010 primarily due to the book’s age. Written in 1993, detailing the events of the late 1980s and early 1990s, the reader of 2010 can look back on the past two decades to see if Lipietz’s predictions have come true. The early 1990s was a different world in so many ways: before Blair, before 9/11, before the spin and the scandal. Yet one thing remains true, the Greens in politics remain a small, yet committed group, predicting their eventual flowering.

Translated from French, Lipietz’s book is one for all European Greens. It notes the then high point of Green feeling, before its dip later in the 1990s, calling itself a ‘New Political Force’. So much of the print resounds today: not enough people listen to the Green viewpoint, too few people worrying about the planet’s future. For the failure of the Rio Conference, we have the modern Copenhagen setting; for the fears of the Maastricht treaty, today we have the Lisbon agreement.

Lipeitz constantly refers to the old Left – the Reds – in an attempt to reconcile those disillusioned into the new Green movement. Political Ecology, he states, is the future of the Left, as are its values: Solidarity, Autonomy, Ecological Responsibility and Democracy. The writer forever drums in the message that ‘the environment is other people!’ (p.8), and although much is inspirational, there is also much within these pages that is stilted, some of its comparisons and references grown old and grey with age.

The Green reader of today will find much of the reading tough going – so much failure and unfulfilled hope. But the Green marches, or perhaps, struggles onwards – waiting for the day when the march will have its accompanying trumpets and fanfare. As Lipietz concludes himself: ‘Political ecology – the modesty of reason, the ambition of will’ (p.151).

X Marks The Box: Daniel Blythe

Daniel Blythe - X Marks The Box (2010)

Politics - 180 pages - my copy (paperback) bought for £7.99 from Waterstones, March 2010

- 2 nods

In light of the British political expenses scandal, a flood of books upon the disillusionment and dejection in modern society have washed upon the shelves of all good - and some bad - bookshops. Daniel Blythe's X Marks The Box is one of them.

The book is a quick read and stomp around the current electoral scene; a scene heating up with the impending General Election. Always jovial, Blythe takes the reader on a tour of political lingo (speaking of floating voters), of the parties and background on leaders (stretching back to the 1960s) as well as decisive elections in past decades; thus adding to the wide held belief that 2010 is also a decisive year.

Throughout all, Blythe adds many facts - both humourous and needless - which suggests a lack of actual material for the book rather than the intention of informing the reader. The majority of the text deals with scandal and betrayal, thus cementing the mood of ill feeling towards all politicians.

Never threatening for one moment to become too involving or stimulating, X Marks The Box book is a suitable book for anyone who wishes to reaquaint themselves in the British political scene.

Short Cuts: Raymond Carver

Raymond Carver – Short Cuts (1993)
Short Stories – 160 pages – my copy (paperback) taken from Starbucks, Armada Way February 2010
- 3 nods

A man who dresses in his neighbour’s blouse whilst looking after the home; a husband who on finding a dead female body, proceeds to enjoy a fishing trip before informing the authorities; an aggressive and vengeful baker and parents of a coma boy: welcome to the world of Raymond Carver.

Short Cuts is a collection of various short stories from Carver, taken as the basis of Robert Altman’s film of the early nineties. Excelling at the short story form, Carver’s work is critically noted as being about nothing in particular. These are snapshots of larger stories, snippets of the longer lives of his characters.

The writer forever strives to keep things simple – lots of he said, she said – and in so doing, he allows the thoughts and the actions of his characters do the talking. Rarely is the climatic enlightenment of the story’s bigger picture – a Joyceian revelation – ever realised. Carver has plumped for something else: not an unveiling of his characters, but rather life’s sinister moments and coincidences for his readers. Altman, the default editor of this collection, puts it aptly when writing: ‘I look at all of Carver’s work as just one story, for his stories are all occurrences, all about things that just happen to people and cause their lives to take a turn.’

Despite being the driving force of this project, Altman has not chosen the strongest of Carver’s stories. For that, the concerned reader must venture to his collections, particularly What We Talk About When We Talk about Love. The highlights of Short Cuts are So Much Water So Close to Home, in which a relationship is eroded due to a husband’s careless consideration of a dead body; and the death of a boy in A Small, Good Thing. There is much humour throughout, mostly coming in the form of the characters hopeless, dark situations, as well as much pointlessness (as shown in Collectors).

Throughout all, Carver speaks for the average American. Nothing spectacular happens in his pages; but throughout all, he manages to point out human qualities, both full of joy and full of sorrow, both destructive and positive.

A Life Like Other People’s: Alan Bennett

Alan Bennett – A Life Like Other People’s (2009)
Autobiography – 240 pages – my copy (hardback; 2009) a 2009 Xmas present
- 3 nods

As the years have gone by, Alan Bennett has cemented himself as one of the premier writers in Britain: there have been his plays, such as the recently successful The History Boys; screenplays such as The Madness of King George (that’s King George III for us on this Isle!); as well as many other pieces for the page and for the screen, such as the critical success that was Talking Heads.

This volume, gleamed from the larger autobiographical work Untold Stories, concerns itself with Bennett’s childhood, his family and his eventual parting with those around him. He recounts his mother’s insanity, the closely held secret of his grandfather’s death, his own father’s passing, as well as those of his boisterous aunts. As expected with a book full of death, much is mournful: yet Bennett’s purpose here is to breathe life back into his family members. An aim in which he wonderfully succeeds.

In tackling these memories, Bennett is tackling the pain, the angst and the embarrassment of former times. His mother’s bouts of insanity coupled with the saner moments when she strived to be like everyone else; his parents intense dislike of ‘making a fuss’, taking I to the extreme of becoming married without telling those around them and with his father heading straight for work after the ceremony; his mother’s eventual demise in a nursing home, no longer his Ma but rather an empty stranger.

Throughout all, Bennett is able to look back as a person removed from these scenes, yet one who is intrinsically linked. His humour is apparent throughout all, but also evident is his love of his parents. Yes, those same parents who he admits he felt so embarrassed of when younger, their parochial views and ways. Though not a full blown celebration, A Life Like Other People’s is Bennett’s refutation of the discomfited youth he once was. A read for anyone who has had growing pains; a read for anyone who misses those have parted.

The Making of Modern Britain: Andrew Marr

Andrew Marr – The Making of Modern Britain (2009)
History – 430 pages – my copy (hardback; 2009) bought from Waterstones for reduced price of £8.99
- 4 nods

Since leaving his post as the BBC’s political chief, Andrew Marr has notched up a career as the historian and commentator of modern Britain. First came his book upon the post-war decades, from victory days of Churchill to the slump days of Brown. Fast following in its success is The Making of Modern Britain; from the death of Queen Victoria to the end of the Second World War.

It is a period heavily covered by historians and writers alike. The big challenge is in adding something new to a historical landscape that is hard to shift about: there are two world wars that, obviously, dominate any book on the period. So, it is with Marr’s history. Though the author pulls back from heavy detail, warning the reader on the opening parts of both wars that his is not an analytical, event by event study; rather a portrait of an age with quick snapshots of the regular, the irregular and the outstandingly strange.

But although his pulling up of interesting and forgotten facts keeps the book fresh, Marr never goes for the jugular in defining the age. His continuing theme is to make the connection with the reader that although the times were indeed different, it was in these decades that our own conception of Britain was forged. Yet apart from this, Marr is bereft of adding anything new as to our perception of the early twentieth century; something his predecessor book did achieve (notably in his critique of our consumerist shopping culture lording it in the modern age).

Marr’s The Making of Modern Britain is a book recommended to those not acquainted with the period in question; for those looking for a light to shine on decades that appear remote and confined to black and white.