I'm Sure I Speak For Many Others . . .: Unpublished Letters to the BBC

by Colin Shindler

Britain is a nation of correspondents, and few British institutions attract as much praise and criticism as the BBC. In Dear Auntie , Colin Shindler gathers together the very best of the unseen letters and telegrams sent over the years. Categorized by theme – Political bias , Royal Family etc, the letters present the moral outrage, the concern, the praise and the fury of the nation, perfect for anyone who regularly feels tempted to put pen to paper.

Genres: Nonfiction

230 pages, Hardcover

Published December 1, 2017

About the author

Colin Schindler is emeritus professor at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London. He became the first professor of Israel Studies in the United Kingdom in 2008 and was the founding chairman of the European Association of Israeli Studies (EIAS) in 2009.

He is a lecturer and broadcaster and has written and edited a number of books including: A History of Modern Israel, Israel: A History in 100 Cartoons and, most recently, the Routledge Handbook on Zionism.

Reviews

[Nicola · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the letters, for the most part. Astounded that it's only 60 years ago that people were incensed that the word 'Blast' should be used in a public broadcast - my word, but they were either more innocent times, or times with the underbelly hidden better from the rest of us.

However, the writing of the author - as distinct from the correspondents - was woeful. There were some truly incoherent sentences.

I despair at the lack of editorial and proofing quality extant in so much published work today.

[Lucy McAlister · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was certainly an entertaining read and an enjoyable insight into attitudes during the late 1950s and 1960s. The chapters grouped letters relating to a single programme and often a single event, which did make them somewhat repetitive. I would have preferred a longer chapter devoted to miscellaneous letters rather than the very short one offered at the end. All in all though, a fun and lighthearted read to grab in quiet moments.

[Sophie Crane · Rating 4 out of 5]

The contents of this book are a good social commentary on how much attitudes have changed in a relatively short space of time.
Despite some of the letters sounding downright self-righteous and priggish and, therefore, humorous, I must admit to finding at least a few with which I was in complete agreement!

[David Walley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Brigadier Sir Charles Arthur Strong, Mrs.:
Dear Sir, I wish to complain in the strongest possible terms about the song you have just broadcast about the lumberjack who wears women's clothes. Many of my best friends are lumberjacks, and only a few of them are transvestites. Yours faithfully, Brigadier Sir Charles Arthur Strong, Mrs.
P.S. I have never kissed the editor of the Radio Times.

[Rob Keeley · Rating 4 out of 5]

An amazing collection of praise and complaints from the days when people wrote letters to give their views on TV programmes and had no social media to rush to. The content suggests that times haven't changed much, even if the technology has. A fascinating look into the BBC correspondence archive. I only withheld the fifth star because it would have been good in many instances to see the whole chain of correspondence, including BBC replies, rather than simply the incoming letter. There are also a few uses of [sic] where the use of English in the letter is perfectly correct! I recommend this book to all TV historians.