Christmas in England

There is nothing more delightful than Christmas in England. It is a peaceful time of joy and hope, and as I have come to believe, it is the experience of the British as a people that makes it so. This thesis has been long incubating in the back of my mind. Christmas dinner two years … More Christmas in England

Churchill Recalls: The Fall of France- May 10 1940 to Dunkirk

Among the great surprises of history was the speed of which France fell to the German invasion in 1940. We armchair historians tend to gloss over the event, and focus solely on the heroic last stand Britian made that following summer. In doing so we miss a remarkable drama that unfolded in the few weeks … More Churchill Recalls: The Fall of France- May 10 1940 to Dunkirk

Upon the President

Don’t we want a warm feeling of respect to come over us when we refer to “The President”? A feeling of trust in his ability to do better than the common man? A sense he really does care about us ordinary people and we are in his thoughts in the midnight hour? We expect character … More Upon the President

Homage to Catalonia

Catalonia Independence Referendum. Wow, what a mess. But entirely predictable. Spain’s government is and has always been an exercise in fragmentation. When this came down this past weekend I happened to be reading Orwell’s account of his fighting for the government in the Spanish Civil War, Homage to Catalonia.  This past Sunday’s images from Barcelona … More Homage to Catalonia

The Speech After Dunkirk: “We Shall Fight on the Beaches”

The release of the film Dunkirk  this summer recalls the summer of 1940, when Western Civilization itself was held in the balance. Caught in a narrowing perimeter by the Nazi Blitzkrieg, protected by their British rear guard, their French comrades and the RAF, over 300,000 mostly British, but also French, Belgian and even a few … More The Speech After Dunkirk: “We Shall Fight on the Beaches”