Polling UnPacked: The History, Uses and Abuses of Political Opinion Polls
“Essential reading for anyone seeking to understand modern politics … comprehensive yet surprisingly fun” – Sunday Times on Polling UnPacked … Read the full post »
Books
Here you can read all my reviews of books, and assorted matters – such as why I love printed books. They’re so much better than e-books.
The Big Bow Mystery: the first locked room murder mystery novel
The Big Bow Mystery by Israel Zangwill is a locked room murder mystery that is usually taken to be the first full length novel of that type. … Read the full post »
The books I read in 2021
It’s become a tradition of mine to pile up the books I’ve read each year for a once-a-year bookshelf filing binge. Which also means I can handily record in one photograph what I’ve read in the last year. … Read the full post »
What is your top political book/show/film from 2021?
Whether it’s something that was new out in 2021, or an oldie that you came across for the first time, what were your favourites this year? … Read the full post »
PODCAST – Lessons from football for political campaigning
With the a new edition of 101 Ways To Win An Election out, I chatted with co-author Ed Maxfield for the latest episode of Never Mind The Bar Charts. … Read the full post »
Master of the Senate: available in a brilliant audio version
It’s hardly breaking or surprising news to say that Robert Caro’s Master of the Senate, a volume of biography covering Lyndon Johnson’s time as Majority Leader of the US Senate, is as brilliant and enjoyable as it is long. But… … Read the full post »
Quite simply, the best book title. Ever.
The book, which I discovered courtesy of my growing niche book collection, is appositely dedicated to “All poultry judges and exhibitors in the interests of the poultry fancy”. … Read the full post »
Wasp: Eric Frank Russell’s tale of one terrorist against a planet
The title of Eric Frank Russell’s science-fiction novel Wasp comes from the idea that one wasp in a speeding car can annoy the driver to the extent of causing a crash and hence damage out of all proportion to the wasp’s size and strength. … Read the full post »
The neglected problem with Sasha Swire’s diaries
The diaries of Sasha Swire, wife of former Conservative MP Hugo Swire, have attracted a lot of attention and several lengthy book reviews. But… … Read the full post »
Which political book has most changed or challenged your views?
Which book has most challenged your previous political views, putting them under heavy strain or even changing them? … Read the full post »