tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41982463657390932982024-03-05T22:13:39.824-08:00Richard Toye's blogHistory, Politics & RhetoricAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16065470518901250761noreply@blogger.comBlogger56125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4198246365739093298.post-44565943117976583142015-05-06T09:01:00.001-07:002015-05-06T09:01:57.955-07:00What if Winston Churchill fought the general election of 2015?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The world in which Winston Churchill lived out his political career was
very different from that we live in today. He fought his first parliamentary
election in 1899, at the close of the Victorian era, and his last in 1959, at
the dawn of the space age. There were many changes across that period, of
course, but there were also continuities. One of the most significant of these
was the importance of public meetings to electioneering. These were often rowdy
and sometimes even violent affairs. Politicians were expected to be able to
defend themselves against hecklers with a quick wit and to be able to hold
their own against noisy barracking. Now, by contrast, the public meeting is all
but dead and even a single jibe directed to the Prime Minister by a voter can
be headline news. So if Churchill was fighting in this year’s election he might
feel that the electorate is rather passive and perhaps even that politicians
are getting a surprisingly easy ride.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<o:p> </o:p></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
What, though, if Churchill were to look at what people are saying on
Twitter and other social media? He was always fascinated by technology and
would certainly take a strong interest in the new methods of campaigning. But
he would perhaps <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">not </i>be shocked by
the level of vitriol and recrimination that is to be found online. During the
period he was politically active, harsh invective was part and parcel of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the electoral process. Indeed, Churchill
indulged in it himself, most notoriously in the 1945 election speech in which
he alleged that a Labour government, if elected, would have to rely on ‘some
form of Gestapo, no doubt very humanely directed in the first instance.’
Contrary to popular belief this remark, however misguided, was not some sort of
wild aberration. At this time, comparing one’s opponents to the Nazis was quite
a popular habit, engaged in by Labour and Liberal figures as well as by a
number of Churchill’s fellow Conservatives. Nonetheless, the level of debate
has arguably declined somewhat over the last seventy years, but abusing the
enemy is nothing new.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<o:p> </o:p></div>
Equally, Churchill might well be appalled by the quality of today’s
press, but then again he was not particularly impressed by the activities of
the Fourth Estate within his own lifetime either. The attitude of the newspapers
played an important part in his 1945 defeat at the polls, and the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Daily Mirror </i>famously branded him as a
warmonger during the 1951 election campaign. Indeed, we have to remember that
of the three elections that Churchill fought as leader of his party, he lost two
and narrowly won another. If he struggled then he might well struggle now,
especially in an age that has become obsessed with youth and glamour and seems
to care little for maturity and experience. Still, he almost always rebounded
from setbacks, and Churchill were defeated in 2015 he might still have battled
on and emerged as a serious contender in the election of 2020.<o:p></o:p><br />
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16065470518901250761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4198246365739093298.post-36217314816663506392013-12-03T08:24:00.001-08:002013-12-03T08:24:07.188-08:00How to write a proposal for a history Ph.D.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<o:p><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 48.0pt; text-align: justify;">
Here are what I think are the key ingredients of a successful history Ph.D. proposal:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 48.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 48.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">1. A
statement of the topic and why it is important and interesting.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 48.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 48.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">2. A
summary of the existing historiography.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 48.0pt; text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 48.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">3.
Some reflection on the deficiencies/limitations of the historiography.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 48.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 48.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">4. A description of the sources that you intend to use, and how they will enable you to
overcome </span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">those limitations.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 48.0pt; text-align: justify;">
</div>
</o:p><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 48.0pt;">
</div>
This is not a formula that has to be followed rigidly; but the proposal should address in some way all the issues raised by the above.<br />
<br />
Incidentally, now is the time of year that you need to start exploring <a href="http://humanities.exeter.ac.uk/graduateschool/funding/phd/" target="_blank">funding opportunities</a> too.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16065470518901250761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4198246365739093298.post-19697397654012548782013-11-27T02:48:00.000-08:002013-11-27T02:48:08.302-08:00The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Historians<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
The self-help guru Stephen R. Covey died in 2012. His
best-known book was <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Seven Habits of
Highly Effective People</i>. Here is my own stab at advice for historians:<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">1. Take nothing on
authority. </b>Don’t believe what Professor X says just because he or she is a
considered a leading specialist on the topic. Work out for yourself if the evidence
and argument stack up.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">2. Go the extra mile in
the search for information.</b> But also know when you have hit diminishing
returns.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">3. Listen to the
evidence. </b>Don’t just cherry-pick the bits that happen to suit your argument
– or that fit with established interpretations. Embrace and try to understand
the inherent messiness of the historical record.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">4. Verify your
quotations</b>. Check a) that the person that they are attributed to actually
said them, and b) that previous historians have not wrenched them out of
context (see above).<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">5. Pay attention to the seemingly
banal</b>. If you neglect the everyday, you won’t be able to understand the
exceptional.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">6. Consider the form as
well as the content of your sources</b>. Ask not only ‘What does this document
say?’ but ‘Why and how was it created, and what functions did it serve?’<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">7. Finally, remember that
your mission is to explain. </b>This inevitably involves a measure of simplification.
The biggest challenge you face is to do this with integrity.<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16065470518901250761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4198246365739093298.post-85660369705429075722013-07-31T08:58:00.002-07:002013-07-31T08:58:28.557-07:00Churchill's First World War<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I pop up a couple of times as a talking head in this drama-documentary about Winston Churchill's experiences during the Great War, which is <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b037w3bj/Churchills_First_World_War/" target="_blank">available on iPlayer for a week</a>. And here's <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/reviews/tv-review--churchills-first-world-war-bbc4-8738577.html" target="_blank">a review</a> of the programme.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16065470518901250761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4198246365739093298.post-63182816384052301652013-05-16T05:55:00.001-07:002013-05-16T05:55:40.960-07:00How (and how often) should the Prime Minister speak?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201213/cmselect/cmpolcon/writev/role/m1.htm" target="_blank">Here</a>'s my evidence to the Constitutional Affairs Select Committee on the Powers and Role of the Prime Minister.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16065470518901250761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4198246365739093298.post-90304754444894454612013-05-14T03:58:00.000-07:002013-05-14T03:58:17.638-07:00In defence of The Historical Association<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
This letter was published in <em>The Times </em>today:<br />
<br />
As historians from the Higher Education sector, we deplore
Michael Gove’s extraordinary and misleading attack on the Historical
Association in his recent speech at Brighton College. Mr. Gove suggested that
the HA favours a dumbed-down or infantilised version of history teaching in
schools. Citing a single sentence in an article by an experienced teacher in
the Association’s journal <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Primary History</i>,
he claims that ‘<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">the Historical Association
suggest students learn about the early Middle Ages by studying the depiction of
King John as a cowardly lion in Disney’s “Robin Hood”.’ In fact, the journal
piece is a very thoughtful one which explains how students can be helped to
realise that they should not take film depictions of history at face value. Mr.
Gove at any rate ignores the important statement that </span>‘Publication of a
contribution in Primary History does not necessarily imply the Historical
Association’s approval of the opinions expressed in it.’<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
Mr. Gove would have us believe that the HA is an
ideologically motivated organisation dedicated to the erosion of academic
standards. In fact, its 6000 plus members have widely divergent political views
but are united by their love of history and their devotion to bringing high
quality scholarship to schools and the wider public.<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"> </span>The key skill that the study of history teaches is the ability to
evaluate evidence. Regrettably, what Mr. Gove has demonstrated in his speech is
a remarkable capacity for manipulating and distorting it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
Dr Sophie T. Ambler, King's College London<o:p></o:p><br />
Dr Sara Barker, University of Exeter<o:p></o:p><br />
Professor Jonathan Barry, University of Exeter<o:p></o:p><br />
Professor Eugenio F. Biagini, University of Cambridge<o:p></o:p><br />
Dr Adrian Bingham, University of Sheffield<o:p></o:p><br />
Dr Helen Birkett, University of Exeter<o:p></o:p><br />
Professor Lawrence Black, University of York<o:p></o:p><br />
Dr Elizabeth Boyle, University of Cambridge<o:p></o:p><br />
Professor Kathleen Burk, Professor Emerita of Modern and Contemporary
History, University College London<o:p></o:p><br />
Dr John-Henry Clay, Durham University<o:p></o:p><br />
Dr Timothy Cooper, University of Exeter<o:p></o:p><br />
Dr Pat Cullum, , University of Huddersfield<o:p></o:p><br />
Professor Martin Daunton, University of Cambridge<o:p></o:p><br />
Dr Simon Ditchfield, University of York,<o:p></o:p><br />
Kenneth F. Duggan, Doctoral Student, King's College London<o:p></o:p><br />
Dr Ann-Marie Einhaus, Northumbria University<o:p></o:p><br />
Dr Steven Gunn, Merton College, Oxford<o:p></o:p><br />
Professor Sarah Hamilton, University of Exeter<o:p></o:p><br />
Dr Freyja Cox Jensen, University of Exeter<o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Dr
Helen Foxhall Forbes, University of Exeter<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Dr
Felicity Heal, Emeritus Fellow, Jesus College, Oxford.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
Professor David Hendy, University of Sussex.<o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="color: black;">Dr Clive Holmes, Emeritus Fellow and Lecturer in
History at Lady Margaret Hall, University of Oxford<o:p></o:p></span><br />
Dr Matt Houlbrook, Magdalen College, Oxford<o:p></o:p><br />
Dr Bronach Kane, Bath Spa University<o:p></o:p><br />
Professor Evan Mawdsley, Senior Professorial Research
Fellow, University of Glasgow<o:p></o:p><br />
Dr Helen McCarthy, Queen Mary University of London<o:p></o:p><br />
Dr George Molyneaux, All Souls College, Oxford<o:p></o:p><br />
Dr Staffan Müller-Wille, University of Exeter<o:p></o:p><br />
Jamie Page, PhD student, St Andrews Institute of Mediaeval
Studies<o:p></o:p><br />
Dr Hugh Pemberton<o:p></o:p><br />
Senior Lecturer in Modern British History <o:p></o:p><br />
University of Bristol<o:p></o:p><br />
Dr Catriona Pennell, University of Exeter<o:p></o:p><br />
Dr Tim Rees, University of Exeter<o:p></o:p><br />
Dr Matthias Reiss, University of Exeter<o:p></o:p><br />
Dr Catherine Rider, University of Exeter<o:p></o:p><br />
Dr Laura Sangha, University of Exeter<o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="color: black; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Dr Levi
Roach, University of Exeter<o:p></o:p></span><br />
Dr Mark Roodhouse, University of York.<o:p></o:p><br />
Professor John Shepherd, University of Huddersfield<o:p></o:p><br />
Dr Nicholas Terry, University of Exeter<o:p></o:p><br />
Dr. David Thackeray, University of Exeter<o:p></o:p><br />
Professor Patricia M. Thane, Institute for Contemporary
British History, Kings College, London<o:p></o:p><br />
Professor Andrew Thorpe, University of Exeter<o:p></o:p><br />
Dr. Hereward Tilton, University of Exeter<o:p></o:p><br />
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">Dr Daniel Todman,
Queen Mary University of London<o:p></o:p></span><br />
Laura Tompkins, PhD Candidate, University of St Andrews<o:p></o:p><br />
Professor Richard Toye, University of Exeter<o:p></o:p><br />
Professor Paul Ward, University of Huddersfield<o:p></o:p><br />
Dr Cordelia Warr, University of Manchester<o:p></o:p><br />
Tosh Warwick, PhD candidate, University of Huddersfield<o:p></o:p><br />
Professor Jane Whittle, University of Exeter<o:p></o:p><br />
Dr Alun Withey, University of Exeter<o:p></o:p><br />
Professor Matthew Worley, University of Reading<o:p></o:p><br />
Professor Chris Wrigley, Professor Emeritus, Nottingham
University<br />
<br />
The following also wish to be associated with the letter:<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Dr KH Adler, Department
of History, University of Nottingham<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Dr. Sascha Auerbach, Department of History, University of
Nottingham</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ann Garfield, PhD Student, University of Nottingham<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Dr Robert
Alexander Hearn, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Universita degli Studi di Genova,
and <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>formerly University of Nottingham </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Professor
Michael Jones, Correspondant de l'Institut, Emeritus Professor of Medieval
French History,<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">University of
Nottingham<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Dr
Conor Kostick, Advanced Research Fellow, University of Nottingham. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Dr
Joe Merton, Teaching Associate, University of Nottingham<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Matt
Phillips, PhD student, University of Nottingham<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Laura Sumner, PhD
student, University of Nottingham<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Dr. Claire Taylor,
Associate Professor in History, University of Nottingham.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Professor John W.
Young, Professor of International History, University of Nottingham<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<br />
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16065470518901250761noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4198246365739093298.post-75327206580957706832013-04-09T14:33:00.001-07:002013-04-09T14:33:48.678-07:00"RIP Maggie Thatcher; Long Live Nigel Farage"<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://blog.oup.com/2013/04/margaret-thatcher-rhetoric/" target="_blank">My OUP blog on Thatcher's rhetoric</a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16065470518901250761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4198246365739093298.post-87774827688834013952012-12-18T07:06:00.002-08:002012-12-18T07:06:57.145-08:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I'm now on Twitter @RichardToye</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16065470518901250761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4198246365739093298.post-87221495721924441122012-12-06T06:09:00.001-08:002012-12-06T06:09:38.372-08:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Cblockquote%20class=%22twitter-tweet%22%3E%3Cp%3EConnection%20between%20PM%20&%20Chancellor%20is%20most%20important%20ministerial%20relationship,%20writes%20@%3Ca%20href=%22https://twitter.com/uniofexeter%22%3Euniofexeter%3C/a%3E's%20Prof%20Toye%20%3Ca%20href=%22https://twitter.com/search/%23as2012%22%3E#as2012</a> <a href="http://t.co/S0Zxuz9l" title="http://bit.ly/RDH3Cf">bit.ly/RDH3Cf</a></p> UK Prime Minister (@Number10gov) <a href="https://twitter.com/Number10gov/status/276644943664132096" data-datetime="2012-12-06T11:11:09+00:00">December 6, 2012</a></blockquote>" target="_blank"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Connection between PM & Chancellor is most important ministerial relationship, writes @<a href="https://twitter.com/uniofexeter">uniofexeter</a>'s Prof Toye <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23as2012">#as2012</a> <a href="http://t.co/S0Zxuz9l" title="http://bit.ly/RDH3Cf">bit.ly/RDH3Cf</a><br />
— UK Prime Minister (@Number10gov) <a data-datetime="2012-12-06T11:11:09+00:00" href="https://twitter.com/Number10gov/status/276644943664132096">December 6, 2012</a></blockquote>
</a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16065470518901250761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4198246365739093298.post-85297033206654990472012-12-06T04:50:00.000-08:002012-12-06T04:50:02.006-08:00Prime Ministers and their Chancellors<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
My article on the<a href="http://www.number10.gov.uk/history-and-tour/prime-ministers-and-their-chancellors/" target="_blank"> History section of the No. 10 website</a> has now been published.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16065470518901250761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4198246365739093298.post-13682785395359170532012-11-01T01:56:00.000-07:002012-11-01T01:56:12.166-07:00Notes on Japan<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Konan University asked me to write a few thoughts on my recent visit, and they have posted them <a href="http://www.konan-cube.com/diary/archives/date/2012/10" target="_blank">here</a>. You have to scroll down a bit to find them.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16065470518901250761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4198246365739093298.post-6296770043651028592012-10-29T08:26:00.000-07:002012-10-29T08:26:27.727-07:00Some photos from my recent trip to Japan<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSm6P4E5IZNUenrLk7ggmuAr0Y5_6SAgftZVo9AEYEmwnxFeagn48jwN71zjmYYnL7MNFlftJkukjDUBLAeUDQtYNLBH38XtXlmriBVvNN3AikKyt-jlB5eaORXEkI6sIX9UHE5N5LCaY/s1600/Japan+2012+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSm6P4E5IZNUenrLk7ggmuAr0Y5_6SAgftZVo9AEYEmwnxFeagn48jwN71zjmYYnL7MNFlftJkukjDUBLAeUDQtYNLBH38XtXlmriBVvNN3AikKyt-jlB5eaORXEkI6sIX9UHE5N5LCaY/s320/Japan+2012+4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16065470518901250761noreply@blogger.com0Japan, Kyoto Prefecture, Kyoto, Shimogyo Ward, Nishiuoyacho, 23834.994003757575776 135.75805664062534.162743257575777 134.494629140625 35.825264257575775 137.021484140625tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4198246365739093298.post-18407618371973892592012-10-15T03:54:00.000-07:002012-10-15T03:54:00.135-07:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Here's the cover of my new book, due out in March 2013. Order a copy <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Rhetoric-Very-Short-Introduction-Introductions/dp/0199651361">here</a>.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16065470518901250761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4198246365739093298.post-16188429925611260752012-05-29T04:57:00.000-07:002012-05-29T04:57:03.665-07:00I'm quoted in <a href="http://www.thenational.ae/arts-culture/diamond-jubilee-commemorates-a-dignified-reign-over-a-declining-empire#page1">this article </a>on the Jubileee. <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16065470518901250761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4198246365739093298.post-43279492923866527952012-03-29T06:55:00.000-07:002012-03-29T06:55:07.464-07:00My father, John Toye, has a <a href="http://johntoye.net/papers/">new website</a>. You can read his interesting evidence to the Department for International Development Select Committee <a href="http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201011/cmselect/cmintdev/c616-i/c61601.htm">here.</a> Some of you may already be aware that a few years ago we <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Global-Political-Economy-Intellectual/dp/0253344115/ref=sr_1_13?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1333029195&sr=1-13">wrote a book together.</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16065470518901250761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4198246365739093298.post-90440939045078738082012-01-24T02:12:00.000-08:002012-01-24T02:12:02.335-08:00New review of Churchill's EmpireProf Christophe Maule has written a very kind review of <i>Churchill's Empire</i> and has <a href="http://cmaule.wordpress.com/">published it on his blog</a>.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16065470518901250761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4198246365739093298.post-74281428604107190562012-01-20T05:59:00.000-08:002012-01-20T05:59:32.724-08:00Fans of Eric Hobsbawm will be pleased to see this <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/newsnight/9682626.stm">interview</a> of him by Jeremy Paxman.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16065470518901250761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4198246365739093298.post-30673006205275015422011-06-22T09:00:00.000-07:002011-06-22T09:00:16.410-07:00I've been quoted in the <i>Western Mail</i> a couple of times in the last week or two, once on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.walesonline.co.uk%2Fnews%2Fneed-to-read%2F2011%2F06%2F15%2Fchurchill-and-lloyd-george-firm-friends-or-a-marriage-of-political-convenience-91466-28879543%2F%23.TfjWVO3TIFU%3Bfacebook&h=59a89">Lloyd George and Churchill</a> and once on the <a href="http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2011/06/21/do-we-face-a-second-general-strike-91466-28911289/">1926 General Strike</a>.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16065470518901250761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4198246365739093298.post-46746400565658208862011-04-28T03:19:00.000-07:002011-04-28T03:19:11.151-07:00Interesting blog <a href="http://moyellow1.blogspot.com/">here</a> from the Libyan writer Mohammad Al Asfar, recommended to me by one of my readers.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16065470518901250761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4198246365739093298.post-785754100699731182011-04-06T04:56:00.000-07:002011-04-06T04:56:00.594-07:00<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/03/books/review/book-review-the-long-road-home-by-ben-shephard.html">Here</a> is a review I wrote of Ben Shephard's <i>The Long Road Home</i> which appeared in this week's <i>New York Times Book Review</i>.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16065470518901250761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4198246365739093298.post-58595655799136847862011-01-28T06:22:00.000-08:002011-01-28T06:22:16.715-08:00Save Our ForestsStill time to sign <a href="http://www.38degrees.org.uk/page/s/save-our-forests?sms_ss=facebook&at_xt=4d4166f9ad52e023%2C0">this petition </a>to stop the government privatising national forests.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16065470518901250761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4198246365739093298.post-14667665948336197582010-12-14T06:38:00.000-08:002010-12-14T06:38:20.606-08:00Celebrity endorsements ...According to <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/05/t-magazine/5well-mick-dek.html?pagewanted=3&_r=1">an interview he did with the <i>New York Times</i></a>, Mick Jagger has my book on his Kindle ... Martha Nussbaum has also made <a href="http://www.vault.com/wps/portal/usa/blogs/entry-detail/?blog_id=1461&entry_id=12238">some nice comments</a>.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16065470518901250761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4198246365739093298.post-4201510251052361322010-11-05T04:44:00.000-07:002010-11-05T04:44:19.478-07:00My first ever animated module guide ...<object width="480" height="390"><param name="movie" value="http://www.xtranormal.com/site_media/players/jwplayer.swf"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><param name="flashvars"value="height=390&width=480&file=http://newvideos.xtranormal.com/web_final_lo/5b55b51c-e69c-11df-95ea-003048d69c21_14.mp4&image=http://newvideos.xtranormal.com/web_final_lo/5b55b51c-e69c-11df-95ea-003048d69c21_14.jpg&link=http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/7543541&searchbar=false&autostart=false"/><embed src="http://www.xtranormal.com/site_media/players/jwplayer.swf" width="480" height="390" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" flashvars="height=390&width=480&file=http://newvideos.xtranormal.com/web_final_lo/5b55b51c-e69c-11df-95ea-003048d69c21_14.mp4&image=http://newvideos.xtranormal.com/web_final_lo/5b55b51c-e69c-11df-95ea-003048d69c21_14.jpg&link=http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/7543541&searchbar=false&autostart=false"></embed></object><object width="480" height="390"><param name="movie" value="http://www.xtranormal.com/site_media/players/embedded-xnl-stats.swf"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.xtranormal.com/site_media/players/embedded-xnl-stats.swf" width="1" height="1" allowscriptaccess="always"></embed></object>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16065470518901250761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4198246365739093298.post-87869915606158856212010-09-10T08:25:00.000-07:002010-09-10T08:25:51.741-07:00The Page 99 TestMarshal Zeringue of the <a href="http://page99test.blogspot.com/">"Page 99 Test"</a> blog recently set me an interesting challenge:<br />
<br />
'I wonder if you might be interested in helping with a blog post that would tell readers more about <i>Churchill's Empire</i> [...]<br />
<br />
The "test" is simple: Is Ford Madox Ford's statement "Open the book to page ninety-nine and read, and the quality of the whole will be revealed to you," accurate for your book?'<br />
<br />
<a href="http://page99test.blogspot.com/2010/09/richard-toyes-churchills-empire.html">Here</a> is what I wrote.<br />
<br />
I also got <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/letters/2010/09/13/100913mama_mail2">this mention</a> in the correspondence columns of the New Yorker.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16065470518901250761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4198246365739093298.post-22827516768117006302010-09-02T04:57:00.000-07:002010-09-02T04:57:59.689-07:00Weekend Edition<a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129492527">Here</a> is my interview on NPR, broadcast last Saturday.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16065470518901250761noreply@blogger.com0