politics | Frozensoul.net

52 Times Britain was a Bellend: The History You Didn’t Get Taught At School by James Felton
My rating: ★★★★★
[Audiobook, Narrated by Mathew Baynton]

This book may be short, but it very effectively highlights just some of the many (many, many) times throughout history when Britain and the British were, indeed, complete and utter fecking bellends. It’s told with pointed dark humour, and Mathew Baynton (of Horrible Histories, etc) is the perfect narrator for the tone of the book.

I thought it was pretty accessible as a history book – quite the opposite of dry and dull. The only caveat is that there’s a LOT of swearing, so if you’re not into that, and the title didn’t already give you a clue, best steer clear. Not one for the younger kids either, of course, despite the Horrible Histories link!

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WTF: What have we done? Why did it happen? How do we take back control? by Robert Peston
[Audiobook]
My rating: ★★★★★

A really interesting listen, and I think reading (/listening to) it now in Feb 2020 with knowledge of what’s happened since the book concluded – changes in party leaderships, for eg – makes it more so. It’s a great analysis of all the WTF-ery that’s been going on in British and international politics and economics recently, and I enjoyed the bits of behind-the-scenes commentary.

I did have some trouble engaging with the Peston-narrated letter to his father in the first chapter, to start with. I think it took me a while to tune-in to his rapid seeming narration style, which was pretty much as he reports on broadcast media. It didn’t bother me on the final chapter though, and the narration for the bulk of the book is great.

All in all, I found it thought-provoking and informative. Worth a read!

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