Like the Roman: The Life of Enoch Powell

by Simon Heffer

First edition hard cover, with unclipped dust jacket, both in very good condition. From the collection of the political journalist, David Hughes, compliment slip from the publishing house laid in. Light shelf and handling wear, including creasing to cover, edges and corners. Minor wear to board edges, bump to spine head, and light bumping to corners. Within, pages are tightly bound, content unmarked. CN

Genres: Biography, Politics, History, British Literature, 20th Century, Nonfiction

969 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

Simon James Heffer is an English historian, journalist, author and political commentator.

Reviews

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Warning. This is a thick tome weighing in at some 1,200 pages.

Having read the memoirs of every Prime Minister since 1900, I decided to go off on a tangent and examine some of the big beasts of British politics since 1970. Enoch's career ended suddenly in 1968 when his 'Rivers of Blood' speech cut a fissure across the race relations landscape. He was sacked from the shadow-cabinet by a cowardly Heath and relegated to the realms of an outsider and cross bencher, despite overwhelming support from the British people at the time. Support which possibly brought the Tories back to power in 1970.

Sadly Enoch became the unwitting poster-boy for neo-nazis and skin heads. His name is now entirely discredited in the annals of British political history. I'm not sure many of his odious BNP supporters know that he spoke 13 languages including Urdu.

Enoch's life encompassed an extraordinary list of achievements. Awarded a double-starred first at Cambridge, the only WW11 soldier to be promoted from the ranks to Brigadier - Enoch had the kind of intelligence that transcends politics. It's a pity he wasn't understood.

This is a great book which takes the reader on a truly grand tour.

[Luke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simon Heffer wrote a political biography worthy of such a great, captivating man who still influences many to this day. His warnings and views certainly still hold immense relevance, and anybody who is interested remotely in Enoch Powell and even British politics in the 1960-70s ought to start here. The detail is immense and sourced excellently, it gives a fair and accurate account of his life that is as sad as it is influential and uplifting, and I would be lying to say that it did not bring me closer to the man, even long after he has passed away. Indeed, Heffer has such fantastic grasp of the context, and does not detail more than what is needed throughout. There is an emotional and romanticist air throughout that befits Powell, and certainly brings you closer to the man rather than at a distance with all emotion extricated, as is the case with some biographies. Powell's intelligence is portrayed ever so well by Heffer - and indeed, I believe one or two reviews have already mentioned his grasp of classics from an early age, a first first at Trinity College, knowledge of thirteen languages, and a professor at twenty six, not to mention becoming one of only two to rise from Private to Brigadier in the whole war - the fact he then went on to become a giant in British politics who stood by his principles, as well as laying the foundations of the modern NHS and the future economic ideals Thatcher and Joseph would later lay out, truly you would not believe one biography could befit such a man - but Heffer does so with brilliance. I can only strongly recommend it.

The only complaint, if I must nitpick, is that the speeches are not published in full, but his own published works is quite accessible (such as Freedom and Reality & Still To Decide) even today on auction sites and other marketplaces and certainly aren't very expensive - therefore, I can only discount that. It seems to be out of print now, but I do hope it shall be reprinted. It is displeasing to say the least when copies are priced at fifty pounds - whilst worth it after reading, it is no good, and it was lucky I acquired my copy for ten pounds from a second-hand bookshop.

He did not fail.

[Philip · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it to anyone looking to understand the current malaise in British politics. It's tragic how quickly events are lost from the public consciousness. And we keep on making the same mistakes.

[Duarte Branquinho · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enoch Powell é conhecido especialmente pelas suas posições lúcidas, ainda que polémicas, sobre a imigração maciça e as suas consequências, mas habitualmente não é referida a sua elevada cultura, própria de um classicista de formação, que aos 25 anos era já professor de grego antigo. Sobre o seu conhecimento linguístico, há um aspecto que interessa especialmente aos portugueses.

Nesta excelente biografia feita por Simon Heffer, intitulada “Like the Roman. The Life of Enoch Powell”, há uma passagem que refere o encontro de Powell com a língua portuguesa.

Em 1940, com 28 anos de idade, Powell é destacado para o quartel-general da 9.ª Divisão Blindada em Guilsborough, Northamptonshire. Continuava a escrever poesia e a ler avidamente. Escreve Heffer que “a sua erudição era lendária e os seus camaradas oficiais estavam sempre a tentar apanhá-lo em falso. Um deles, em Aldershot, conseguiu descobrir que Powell nunca tinha lido o grande poeta português Camões. Quando os dois se encontraram novamente, dois anos mais tarde no Cairo, Powell disse-lhe que já tinha lido tudo o que Camões havia escrito, um estudo que iniciara quando chegou ao Egipto, aprendendo por ele próprio português antes de deixar a Inglaterra.”

[Reza Amiri Praramadhan · Rating 5 out of 5]

John Enoch Powell was a politician like no other. He was a rare kind of politician, a principled politician, whose adherence cost him probably his political career, making him rather out of place as a Member of Parliament in Westminster. A child prodigy, polyglot and voracious reader, he began translating works of Herodotus at 14 years old, becoming a Professor of Greek at 25 years old, and, after WW2 started, he joined the British Army and went from a private to Brigadier, even holding the record as the youngest Brigadier in the Army for a few weeks.

While he was mostly known for his icy-cold logic, he was also a fervent romantic. His serving in the India theater during the war pushed him into trying to be Viceroy of India, learning Urdu language for the eventuality. However, this romanticism of him was tempered by a sense of realism that was honed by his superb logic, that as Britain retreated from India, and eventually from its imperial possessions, he quickly abandoned the notion of imperialism and re-emerged as British nationalist, with British sovereignty being first and foremost in his mind, a position that led him into anti-Americanism and rapprochement with Soviet Union, even as Cold War raged on.

His political career, at least in the number of cabinet office he held, in my opinion, was mostly unremarkable. However, it was his thoughts, political stances and principles that secured him a place in British history, more than many other politicians, and officeholders did. Against the postwar consensus of Keynesian economics he swam, preaching economic neoliberalism before it was made cool by Friedman, Thatcher and Reagan. Believing that uncontrolled migration meant the end of Britain as they knew it, his most (in)famous speech, the 'Rivers of Blood' speech turned him into an overnight sensation and doomed his political career, as he was sacked immediately from his position as Shadow Defense Secretary by the Opposition Leader Edward Heath. He became adored and reviled by many people at the same time for his stance against what was (and is) perceived as political correctness, and after voicing his disagreement with Britain joining the EEC (which Tory Prime Minister at the time, Edward Heath, was a keen proponent), he left The Conservatives after telling people to vote Labour Party, probably a factor that caused The Conservatives' defeat in 1974.

After a short stint in the wilderness, he rejoined the Parliament as an Ulster Unionist MP from Northern Ireland, during the height of The Troubles. Even here, he was a cut above the other Ulster MPs, as he adopted a stance that was different from the rest. Guided by his own sense of British Nationalism, he pushed for more integration of Northern Ireland into United Kingdom, rather than for devolution and delegations of power like others sought. As Thatcher's government came into power and Powell's economic theories were put into reality, Powell himself became increasingly sidelined, while still reserving his venomous words for everything that stood against his principles, coming into defense of the government while ravaging them at other opportunities.

While this is my first time finishing this book, this was the second time I start to read, the first time left unfinished due to sheer number of pages. However, as I soldiered on reading, I found myself attracted by the force of Powell's personality, his own uniqueness and staunch adherence to his principles, even as he sacrificed his political career. he was quoted as saying "if you are right, well, then you will be found right in the end," when being asked whether he was worried by criticism and frustrated as his aims were unfulfilled. In the end, he was found right, as Neoliberalism economics became the dominant economic policy, Britain left the EU in Brexit referendum, and British society became more polarized on immigration issue. In my opinion Powell was the British PM that got away, and British people missed a great opportunity.

[Caryatid · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not well known to me, just vaguely so when I saw this book I thought I should read it. And glad I did. I concur with him on some of his theories and knowing very little about UK politics, I'll hold judgement on others. Certainly an amazing brain with the diligence to research every subject that came into his field of view. Many of the world's present conflicts could have been averted by noting this man's speeches all those years ago. But he wasn't listened to, more like villified and we now suffer the consequences.
I'd also admire anyone who could master so many lenguages.

[Old Bob · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely fascinating read about a fascinating man.
With our weekly anti semetic marches on the streets of London, home grown Islamic terrorism, the BLM riots and now white working class riots you have to admit that Enoch was a prophet.

[Stuart Ward · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dry as hell

[Teddy Dodger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Will maybe edit this with a more full-length review later

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting and informative. Read because I wanted information about the period.

[Jake Wojtowicz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Despite some stretches of dullness, this book is excellent. Ok, the bits on prices and incomes policies are tedious, but a comprehensive biography must include the things which took up the time of, and interested, the subject - despite the fact it may take up far too much of our time, or not interest us. The book manages to paint a so often black and white figure as a complex man, and one who the reader will feel sympathy for - his views might be seen as wrong, but a greater understanding is accessible because of this book.