Monthly Archives: January 2015

“The Liturgies of Quakerism” by Ben Pink Dandelion

Posted on January 26, 2015 by Houyhnhnm

Perhaps the dullest of book titles. Ever. Especially when received as a Christmas present (one I had asked for…). And I didn’t read it all, as the middle chapters seemed very similar to Pink Dandelion’s more recent and general history … Continue reading →

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“The Trial of Mussolini” by ‘Cassius’

Posted on January 26, 2015 by Houyhnhnm

A wonderful find (I’ve forgotten where from). A 1943 fictionalised transcript of the trial Benito never had, at some putative war-crimes tribunal in London. Part of the Gollancz series of anonymous books published in the war. The first prosecution speech … Continue reading →

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“Sweet Danger” by Marjery Allingham; “Have his Carcase” by Dorothy L. Sayers

Posted on January 26, 2015 by Houyhnhnm

Campion or Wimsey? Campion. Lugg or Bunter? Bunter. Stanislaus Oates or Parker? Oates. So Allingham wins 2:1. And when you factor in Sayers’ casual racism (part of the time, but tellingly absent from Allingham), and the grating vicarious Wimsey-worship of … Continue reading →

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Plato’s Protagoras

Posted on January 10, 2015 by Houyhnhnm

The main trigger to reread this came from my colleague’s teaching it as an A2 Greek text. Expecting Socrates to expose Protagoras as a shallow and mercenary “sophist”, he and his class couldn’t understand how Socrates’ arguments seemed just as … Continue reading →

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