That’s sounds a great read, you have a link to where it can be purchased? The 1924 government were a strange bunch you had the likes of Jimmy Thomas who basically just wanted power!

Edited September 25, 20231 yr by steve201

It should be available at places like Waterstones although you may have to order it.

Yes, there were definitely some oddballs in the team. A large part of the book is made up of pen portraits of them. They were, of course, all men. After all women (over 30) hd only had the vote for five years at the time of the election (December 1923).

Indeed and it would be 1928 before woman over 18 got the franchise (or was it 21 at that time?)

It should be available at places like Waterstones although you may have to order it.

 

I have a Waterstones voucher from my birthday maybe it’ll come to good use on that!

Indeed and it would be 1928 before woman over 18 got the franchise (or was it 21 at that time?)

Yes, it was 21 (for everybody) at the time. It was reduced to 18 in time for the 1970 General Election.

Currently reading (and enjoying) Simon Heffer: 'The Age of Decadence' 1880 - 1914

 

A social history with all the main political players and moments worked around, really enjoying it. They are long books of 800 pages but easy enough to read on the way to work. I also have the follow up from 1914-39 - have read Andrew Marrs version and theres alot of similar stories in them.

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/more-t...da1bc&ei=36

Finally finished the Heffer book after 5 months and 830 pages and thoroughly enjoyed it.

 

Started reading the new Andy Beckett book on route to work this moring called 'The Searchers' which I got in hard back a few months ago. Its basically a political histpry of the 5 'Searchers in British politics from the far left - Benn/Corbyn/McDonnell/Livingstone/Abbott and their formative years and how they have been in the political limelight and background throughout various eras.

 

I have read Becketts previous history books about the 1979-82 period 'Promised You A Miracle' (yes after the Simple Minds track) and hes a great writer.

The Searcher was a brilliant book!

Just also finished another short book which only took me a month to read (it was only 220 pages). It was called ‘The Shortest History of Germany’ by Michael Hawes.

Really easy and good read. Told the story of German history from before Roman Times to Merkels third term. Now I’m not normally one who likes pre history books but this one was great, it laid things out in an easy to understand way and made a lot of sense in how the nation developed.

It was fascinating to read how Germany has always been 2 distinct nations that developed through history and this was perfectly encapsulated in the division of 1945-90. The river Elbe was the divide that the Romans, Charmalayne, Napoleon and the rest couldn’t control. Beyond the river Elbe in East Elbia or west Prussia as it became known by the 1500s it was an area that Germans colonised and tried to control in a sea of Slavic peoples. It was always different to the more west facing Germans who lived along the River Rhine. It was the Prussians who tried to unite Germany in the 1860s under Bismark but as a Prussian Germany forcing the west under this empire or Reich. This was only destroyed in 1945 but the Soviets controlled the old Prussia until 1990 and even today the old East Elbians are politically and culturally different in their votes bf or the AFD which perfectly alines with the old East German border.

Currently reading James o’briens ‘How to be Right’ book, really good!