History

A trio of dictionaries of political quotations for your delectation: Liberal, Conservative and Labour

The Dictionary of Liberal Quotations - book coverAs I’ve had a small role in updating it, no surprises perhaps that I heartily recommend the new edition of the Dictionary of Liberal Quotations.

What surprised me taking a look at the two companion volumes, the Dictionary of Labour Quotations and (you guessed it) the Dictionary of Conservative Quotations, is how many of the quotes in one volume are not only likely to be of interest to people of a different political persuasion but could even feature in other volumes too.

For example, Dante’s “The hottest places in Hell are reserved for those who in time of great moral crisis maintain their neutrality” finds its place in the Conservative volume, but could just as easily be summoned up to bolster an argument by a Labour or liberal person.

Even where the identity of the person who first uttered a quote makes the book in which it appears obvious, the words are also often of wider interest. No surprises then that Fidel Castro features in the Dictionary of Labour Quotations, and given his reputation many elsewhere on the political spectrum may be wary of quoting him. Yet at least one of his quotes could easily have come from someone on many other points on that spectrum too: “Look at how machismo works in Latin America. There are many countries where it is a good idea for the candidate in order to be elected to have a lot of girlfriends, where being a womaniser is a virtue”. Perhaps Alan Clark should have picked a different continent for his political career.

You can buy the Dictionary of Conservative Quotations, the Dictionary of Labour Quotations and the Dictionary of Liberal Quotations online.

Note: review copies of all three books were provided to me by the publisher.

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