Book Review
Hugo Young’s Supping with The Devils.
Supping with The Devils brings together a selection of political journalist Hugo Young’s incisive and broad reaching commentary and analysis. Covering the last three decades, it interprets the major events that have punctuated British political life, from the Thatcher reign to the rise of New Labour.
Young considers the nature of the British state, looking in particular at its complex triangular relationship with Europe and the USA. Although focusing mainly on party political issues, Young muses over subjects ranging from the murder of Stephen Lawrence, to the future of fox-hunting.
Writing with great lucidity Young manages to pour a factual melting pot over his reader whilst avoiding a lot of the moralistic conventions of political writing. He provides a detailed exposition of the changing political climate, using well measured writing to set the tone of the periods he covers.
For those of us who are not well versed in the finer points of politics, this book provides an invaluable between the lines reading of what is often a cloudy and enigmatic sphere. Breaking down the key figures and events of contemporary politics, Young creates digestible, often humorous commentary.
Supping with The Devils also provides a fascinating insight into the changing nature of the British press, particularly in regards to political journalism, which Young tells us was a non entity when he started out on Fleet Street. Regarding the difficult relationship between politicians and the press, it explains the shift of power, whereby the press has in many ways become the master of the state.
Young occasionally digresses into the academic format of over writing a subject, drawing out analysis, and wallowing in his own extensive knowledge. Despite this, the book is an interesting and unbiased commentary, and the reader will come out its covers better informed and refreshed to find such accessible political writing.
Supping with The Devils brings together a selection of political journalist Hugo Young’s incisive and broad reaching commentary and analysis. Covering the last three decades, it interprets the major events that have punctuated British political life, from the Thatcher reign to the rise of New Labour.
Young considers the nature of the British state, looking in particular at its complex triangular relationship with Europe and the USA. Although focusing mainly on party political issues, Young muses over subjects ranging from the murder of Stephen Lawrence, to the future of fox-hunting.
Writing with great lucidity Young manages to pour a factual melting pot over his reader whilst avoiding a lot of the moralistic conventions of political writing. He provides a detailed exposition of the changing political climate, using well measured writing to set the tone of the periods he covers.
For those of us who are not well versed in the finer points of politics, this book provides an invaluable between the lines reading of what is often a cloudy and enigmatic sphere. Breaking down the key figures and events of contemporary politics, Young creates digestible, often humorous commentary.
Supping with The Devils also provides a fascinating insight into the changing nature of the British press, particularly in regards to political journalism, which Young tells us was a non entity when he started out on Fleet Street. Regarding the difficult relationship between politicians and the press, it explains the shift of power, whereby the press has in many ways become the master of the state.
Young occasionally digresses into the academic format of over writing a subject, drawing out analysis, and wallowing in his own extensive knowledge. Despite this, the book is an interesting and unbiased commentary, and the reader will come out its covers better informed and refreshed to find such accessible political writing.
posted by edspeak at 2:57 AM
1 Comments:
sounds good.
You should check out 'never had it so good' by a young historian called dominic sandbrook.
It starts by looking at the suez crisis of the 1950's and ends with the whole beatlemania vibe of the early 60's. There's a sequel too.
He makes the political history easy to understand and his analysis of the beatles and james bond films is particularly insightful.
T
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