Michael Bloch, James Lees-Milne. The Life

I read the first volume of James Lees-Milne's edited diaries, Ancestral Voices, which cover the years 1942-43, and was both repelled by his spiky and judgemental personality, and intrigued by his account of social history and the Blitz experience. But the diaries were very edited, and JLM assumed that his readers would understand his allusions … Continue reading Michael Bloch, James Lees-Milne. The Life →

Now posting on Vulpes Libris: A Notable Woman: The Romantic Journals of Jean Lucey Pratt

I was persuaded by the excellent word of mouth praise for A Notable Woman: The Romantic Journals of Jean Lucey Pratt, which is an unlikely-sounding smash hit. I was delighted. Also appalled by its weight and size: this is NOT a book for taking on holiday unless you do the ebook thing. A very absorbing, moving … Continue reading Now posting on Vulpes Libris: A Notable Woman: The Romantic Journals of Jean Lucey Pratt →

Don’t take Michael Palin to bed, he’ll keep you up all night

Michael Palin – Python, actor, TV travel writer, novelist - is terribly famous and I have never met him. I’ve seen him on TV and film screens all my life, however, so, like millions of others I have the illusion that I know what he’s like, and thus might be able to have a conversation … Continue reading Don’t take Michael Palin to bed, he’ll keep you up all night →