1) Being British: What’s Wrong With It?
Peter Whittle, author of Being British: What’s Wrong With It? had a fantastic article in The Sun on Saturday. In the article Peter discussed the best things about Britain, why he believes we Brits fail to take pride in ourselves, and how the Jubilee could change it.
2) Six actors in search of a director
Steven Berkoff’s, author of Tales From An Actor’s Life, new play, Six Actors In Search of a Director, is one of the Lyn Gardner’s theatre tips for this week. The play is showing at the Charing Cross Theatre and runs until the 23rd June.
3) The tax reform Britain needs
Matthew Sinclair, author of Let Them Eat Carbon and How To Cut Public Spending, has written a brilliant article for The Wall Street Journal on tax rates and the number of taxes which need to be cut. ‘Now that the complexity and opacity of the tax system is getting our leaders in trouble themselves, will they finally see the case for serious tax reform?’
4) Muckraker a must read
W. Sydney Robinson’s Muckraker: The Scandalous Life and Times of W. T. Stead, Britain’s First In Investigative Journalist appeared in The Sunday Times’ Culture as their top ‘must read’. It comes after Dominic Sandbrook said of the book, 'Closely researched and briskly written, it does an excellent job of explaining one of the most extraordinary individuals in journalistic history’.
5) Under Every Leaf reviewed in The Guardian
William Beaver’s Under Every Leaf: How Britain Played the Greater Game from Afghanistan to Africa was reviewed in The Guardian. Of William’s telling of the Victorian Intelligence Division Bernard Porter says ‘William Beaver tells its story well, from documentary sources that have been largely overlooked in the past’.
6) Chicago: peace town
Interesting article by David Swanson, author of War Is A Lie, on Sunday, on the peace marches which took place in Chicago. David states that, whilst turnout was brilliant, it could have been more had there not been a fear of violence from authorities.