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Sat, 25 January 2025

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Articles tagged with: Books & culture
A 'powerful' documentary: Jess Barnard reviews 'DEAR FUTURE CHILDREN'
Books & culture
By Jess Barnard
A 'powerful' documentary: Jess Barnard reviews 'DEAR FUTURE CHILDREN'
An inspiring snapshot of the personal stories of three young activists fighting for change in Chile, Uganda and Hong Kong, Franz Böhm’s insightful film is an emotional watch
'Witty and brilliant': Lord Baker reviews 'Desperate Times'
Books & culture
By Lord Kenneth Baker of Dorking
'Witty and brilliant': Lord Baker reviews 'Desperate Times'
Covering momentous events including Brexit, Afghanistan and global warming, this is a brilliant collection of Peter Brookes’ beautifully drawn and wonderfully witty cartoons
The writing is just as brilliant but some of the momentum has gone: Lord Vaizey reviews season three of 'Succession'
Books & culture
By Lord Vaizey
The writing is just as brilliant but some of the momentum has gone: Lord Vaizey reviews season three of 'Succession'
The sets are as lavish but as the characters become ever more extreme, season three of this comedy-drama about a media mogul and his dysfunctional family is sadly disappointing
A compelling case for change: Baroness Worthington reviews 'Earthshot'
Books & culture
By Baroness Worthington
A compelling case for change: Baroness Worthington reviews "Earthshot"
Attractive and well-written, Colin Butfield and Jonnie Hughes’ fresh take on how to tackle the global environmental crisis is designed to inspire hope but extols a naive belief in the power of the individual
‘Mesmerising’: Lord Pickles reviews The Old Vic's production of 'Camp Siegfried'
Books & culture
By Lord Pickles
‘Mesmerising’: Lord Pickles reviews The Old Vic's production of 'Camp Siegfried'
Based on the true story of a sex-fuelled American-Nazi summer camp held on Long Island on the eve of the Second World War, Bess Wohl’s script may have occasional wobbles but the play is carried by the wonderful performances of its lead actors
'Compulsory reading': Lord Austin reviews Sebastian Payne’s 'Broken Heartlands'
Books & culture
By Lord Austin of Dudley
'Compulsory reading': Lord Austin reviews Sebastian Payne’s 'Broken Heartlands'
A brilliant book, Sebastian Payne’s political road-trip is essential reading for everyone in the Labour Party who wants to know why it lost the last election so badly
Algorithms shouldn't decide whose voices are heard: Baroness Morgan reviews 'Dangerous Ideas'
Books & culture
By Baroness Morgan of Cotes
Algorithms shouldn't decide whose voices are heard: Baroness Morgan reviews 'Dangerous Ideas'
An engaging book asking important questions, Eric Berkowitz may argue that history demonstrates censorship doesn’t work – but struggles to reconcile the impact of the internet on the modern age
The value of experienced ministers: Lord Willetts reviews 'Clashing Agendas'
Books & culture
By Lord Willetts
The value of experienced ministers: Lord Willetts reviews 'Clashing Agendas'
A fascinating account of modern British government, Lord Freud’s book is an important reminder of how much experienced ministers can achieve
Recommended reads for Recess
Books & culture
By Lord Cormack, Bell Ribeiro-Addy MP, Tim Farron MP & Baroness Bennett
Recommended reads for Recess
From the fields of espionage through to the history of colonial struggles, the historical reliability of the gospels and a deep dive deep into multicultural 14th-century London, four parliamentarians offer their suggestions for a great holiday book
The mystery of the missing Mountbatten diaries
History
By Andrew Lownie
The mystery of the missing Mountbatten diaries
In a David verses Goliath legal battle, I have been fighting the establishment for the release of the diaries and correspondence of Earl Mountbatten and his wife Edwina. I hope members of both Houses will join me in trying to uncover the truth - and stop this censorship and abuse of power.
‘Vivid and sincere’: Lord Cormack reviews David Amess' Ayes and Ears a survivor’s guide to Westminster
Books & culture
By Lord Cormack
‘Vivid and sincere’: Lord Cormack reviews David Amess' Ayes and Ears a survivor’s guide to Westminster
Part autobiography and part guidebook, Sir David Amess' book will be of particular help to newly elected Members baffled by some of the arcane language and practices of the House of Commons
A 'fascinating' history of the political press pack: Baroness Wheatcroft reviews Carole Walker's Lobby Life
Books & culture
By Baroness Wheatcroft
A 'fascinating' history of the political press pack: Baroness Wheatcroft reviews Carole Walker's Lobby Life
Carole Walker has produced an engaging account – but fails to convey the sheer fun of being part of the extraordinary circus that is political journalism
'We learn nothing new, gain no insights, plumb no hidden depths': Alan Johnson reviews Keir Starmer: The Unauthorised Biography
Books & culture
By Alan Johnson
'We learn nothing new, gain no insights, plumb no hidden depths': Alan Johnson reviews Keir Starmer: The Unauthorised Biography
Keir Starmer is a rarity: a working class boy who made it to the top of his profession. The question is, with such great material, how could Nigel Cawthorne have produced such a terrible book?
'The DUP leadership is monumentally out of step': Stephen Farry reviews 'Northern Protestants: On Shifting Ground'
Books & culture
By Stephen Farry MP
"The DUP leadership is monumentally out of step": Stephen Farry reviews 'Northern Protestants: On Shifting Ground'
Faced with yet another collapse of the Northern Ireland Executive and the ongoing crisis within political unionism around Brexit and language rights, in what is Northern Ireland’s centenary, Susan McKay’s new book is timely and essential reading for anyone with an interest in our troubled region.
La clemenza di Tito: An opera with plenty of political machination – but Sir Bob Neill finds the production at odds with Mozart’s original message
Books & culture
By Sir Robert Neill MP
La clemenza di Tito: An opera with plenty of political machination – but Sir Bob Neill finds the production at odds with Mozart’s original message
Perhaps the most significant thing about this run of performances of Mozart’s late work is that they happened at all, and the producers are to be lauded for that alone.
The Underground Railroad: An epic vision of Black American history
Books & culture
By Kim Johnson MP
The Underground Railroad: An epic vision of Black American history
When I embarked on watching this 10-part adaptation of Colson Whitehead’s, 2016 Pulitzer prize winning novel on slavery, The Underground Railroad, I had high expectations – but also dread and anxiety as to how the subject would be tackled by the renowned director, Barry Jenkins.
'Quo Vadis, Aida?' – how the Srebrenica atrocity still weighs on the conscience of the west
Books & culture
By Baroness Helic
'Quo Vadis, Aida?' – how the Srebrenica atrocity still weighs on the conscience of the west
Shortlisted for this year's Academy Awards, Jasmila Žbanić’s extraordinary depiction of the unfolding horror of the Srebrenica massacre may succeed in proving that art can reveal the truth when politics fails
It's A Sin: As a man diagnosed with HIV in the 1980s, this brilliant series was almost unbearably true to life
Books & culture
By Lord Smith of Finsbury
It's A Sin: As a man diagnosed with HIV in the 1980s, this brilliant series was almost unbearably true to life
A moving and engaging drama, compellingly written and brilliantly acted – the result is classic Russell T Davies. Go watch it, you’ll love it
Just when you thought it was safe to get back in the water: 'Diary of an MP's Wife, Inside and Outside Power'
Books & culture
By Lord Vaizey
Just when you thought it was safe to get back in the water: 'Diary of an MP's Wife, Inside and Outside Power'
Engaging, waspish and with a keen eye for detail, Sasha Swire makes for a perfect diarist, writes Lord Vaizey
Vote Leave chair Gisela Stuart reviews Brexit: The Uncivil War
Books & culture
By Baroness Gisela Stuart of Edgbaston
Vote Leave chair Gisela Stuart reviews Brexit: The Uncivil War

The facts may be questionable, but Cumberbatch’s portrayal of Cummings was brilliant: Gisela Stuart finds James Graham’s TV drama evocative but lacking in complexity