Category Archives: Books

The Corrosion of Conservatism by Max Boot…

Posted on October 27, 2018 by bsixsmith

Max Boot, like Jennifer Rubin, once claimed to be a conservative critic of President Donald Trump but has become critical of conservatism itself. His new book The Corrosion of Conservatism explores his dissatisfaction with the Conservative movement and explains, as … Continue reading →

Posted in America, Books, Conservatism | 8 Comments

My Book!

Posted on October 23, 2018 by bsixsmith

My book, Kings and Comedians: A Brief History of British-Polish Relations, has been published today and is available on Kindle and in paperback, as well as from Amazon.co.uk. It contains war, repression, liberation, art, heroism, war, betrayal, poetry, war, football … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Britain, Personal, Poland | Leave a comment

Christopher Hitchens Remembered…

Posted on January 2, 2017 by bsixsmith

How, five years after his sad, untimely death aged 61, should we explain the phenomenon of Christopher Hitchens? He was more loved, and more hated, than any journalist, and inspired devotion unseen since, perhaps, Henry Louis Mencken. He inspired countless … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Reviews | 6 Comments

Truth, Imagination and Imperfection…

Posted on December 29, 2016 by bsixsmith

An early essay in The Halls of Uselessness, Pierre Ryckmans’ elegant and enlightening collection of a prose, is a review of Christopher Hitchens’ The Missionary Position. That venomous tract, bearing a title no dignified publisher should have accepted, reminds Ryckmans … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Literature, Reviews | 5 Comments

Orwell Against Modernity…

Posted on December 23, 2016 by bsixsmith

The ubiquity of George Orwell in British and American culture has much to do with his being the secular saint of journalists. If the media was run by Mormons, Joseph Smith would be as famous. He embodies their romantic illusions … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Conservatism, History, Literature | 2 Comments

Mein Weltanschauung…

Posted on December 20, 2016 by bsixsmith

Ben Southwood, Sam Bowman and Anonymous Mugwump have written on their influences. I felt like doing the same: partly because it is diverting and partly because it makes some sense of what has lead me, after strange adventures in liberal … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Personal, Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Getting Rid of Books…

Posted on August 15, 2016 by bsixsmith

I am on holiday in England, at my parent’s house, and am throwing out some of the old books that I had left with them. I have hundreds here: the result of a childhood and adolescence spent rummaging through charity … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Literature, Personal, Uncategorized | 6 Comments