Bevan Lewis > Recent Status Updates

Churchill is tossed into Opposition by Ramsey MacDonald’s second Labour victory

Archduke Ferdinand is assassinated

Churchill goes over to the Liberals. Very interesting the ‘Progressive’ position he is taking on many issues. As usual Martin Gilbert’s writing is clear, factual and non-partisan.

The new era of a fresh Labour government begins with a currency crisis (and the launch of “Crossroads” on TV)

The Beatles please at the Royal Variety Performance

As David Frost wrote later, the Profumo Affair marked a tipping point where “the Establishment had been caught with its pants down and, unable to hide, was standing red-faced as everyone else fell about laughing. Game, set and match to satire!”

The Beeching Report is released amidst the slowly unfolding Profumo scandal. More wonderful ground level history with his usual questioning attitude to modernist planning.

Good survey thus far, into the all important Industrial Revolution

A new phase of the war begins:
"On July 12 [1941], in Moscow, the Anglo-Soviet agreement was signed, pledging ‘mutual assistance’ against Germany, and no separate peace."

"Perhaps the Prime Minister has a daring and unconventional plan, but it isn't going to be as simple as recapturing the Iranian Embassy. Unfortunately the Falkland Islands are not in Knightsbridge".

From mass unemployment to a more positive topic - snooker

1980 - unemployment passess 1.6 million while Thatcher keeps talking of 'bitter medicine '.

1940 draws to a close, a tense year full of world historic moments and disaster. A sprig of optimism grows - Operation Compass has been launched to success in North Africa and Britain has survived the year without invasion and with victory in Battle of Britain

The attack on Dakar doesn't go as well as expected.

Darkest Hour - Churchill made PM as Germany invades Belgium and Holland.

The great debate over the Norwegian debacle.

No spoilers but this book is wonderful

Connie tracks down the Goldseam.
"Smiley talked, Connie talked, di Salis fidgeted and scratched himself like a verminous court tutor in a Restoration comedy, till it was his own turn to speak out, in his cracked, clever voice".

Between books I pulled down my battered old copy of the Penguin History of the World. So much of my reading in the past year has been trying to understand the world before WW1, the events, people and ideas that in the end lead to the Great War and the twentieth century. This journey seems even more poignant with Trump's 'diplomacy'. Robert's comments at the beginning of the century are interesting ... continued

Between books I pulled down my battered old copy of the Penguin History of the World. So much of my reading in the past year has been trying to understand the world before WW1, the events, people and ideas that in the end lead to the Great War and the twentieth century. This journey seems even more poignant with Trump's 'diplomacy'. Robert's comments at the beginning of the century are interesting ... continued

Between books I pulled down my battered old copy of the Penguin History of the World. So much of my reading in the past year has been trying to understand the world before WW1, the events, people and ideas that in the end lead to the Great War and the twentieth century. This journey seems even more poignant with Trump's 'diplomacy'. Robert's comments at the beginning of the century are interesting ... continued

The Greeks begin to rebel, sparking retribution . Hundreds of Dragomen and the Greek patriarch are executed.

A disturbing chapter on the slave trade and harem, truly sad, bizarre but very ordinary aspects of Ottoman life .

A long road trip allows considerable progress with the long 19th century! Great section on German reunification, I must read more on that ultimate politician, Bismarck. Now onto the Apogee of Europe 1870-1917 including continued industrialism, socialism and a discussion of anti-Semitism.

Great chapter about those who etched pictures of ships on the wall of the Hagia Sophia - the Vikings and their changing relationship with Constantinople.

Hughes gives Justinian a fairly good press and covers his legal code as a major achievement. Good article on the first major recent English edition by Averil Cameron in this month's History Today magazine. http://www.historytoday.com/reviews/l... . She suggests that her view of Justinian isn't as positive as Hughes

Connected by land and sea, Constantinople sits as lead city of the greatest empire in the known world, increased in size by 45% during Justinian's life.

The Codex Justinianus comes togrther as collection of laws .

Lecture 12 - Napoleon III - An Evaluation "As distinct from domestic policies, even when well intentioned, his politics were often quixotic, insufficiently considered, events often got out of control and he didn't seem to learn from past mistakes ... his learning curve in foreign policy was truly pathetic".