Cultural Capital

Reflections on books and the arts from the New Statesman culture desk

Read all about it: NS Books of the Year 2012

The New Statesman’s friends and contributors choose their favourite books of 2012.

By New Statesman Published 29 November 2012 12:14

Image: Lori Nix (Library)

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Douglas Hurd

After the death of Edward VII in 1910, people began to ask how far he was responsible for the Anglo-French Entente Cordiale. In her excellent biography, Bertie (Chatto & Windus, £30), Jane Ridley puts this argument to bed. She concedes that Edward, unlike his father, did not amend official documents but in 1903 he had driven through the streets of Paris and proclaimed that this was a city where he felt at home. In 1914, while the diplomats played their ambiguous games, the French people remembered the king who had been their friend. The king had spoken and for them this was the voice of Britain.

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2 comments

Fri, 2012-11-30 00:07 — Natacha (not verified)

Odd that Adonis shoule choose "Finnish Lessons" since it describes the particularly successful education system in Finland which is pretty much the polar opposite of everything Adonis has advocated in our education system.

His support for Free schools and Academies, doesn't sit well with the more unified system in Finland. His point about thestatus of teaching being high in Finland ignores the fact that this is achieved by giving teachers (CLASS teachers NOT Headteachers) more professional autonimy than they ever get in British schools, especially in the academies and Free schools that he supports. This status is also achieved without anything like Ofsted, without league tables and with politicians consulting teachers on any changes to the system.

A far cry from our system, in particular most of what Adonis advocates.

Thu, 2012-11-29 22:55 — Old Indy (not verified)

...So basically saying we should appologize, sorry - "be honest" about New Labour's failings (Brown's, not Blair's of course!) while accepting, sorry, "be candid" of the Tory cuts. Or maybe he really just happen to choose THAT particular book... via David Miliband. While you're at it, am sure Blair would also LOVE it!