All articles written by Lord Black on PoliticsHome.com

23 Oct Books & culture

"Played with breathtaking perfection": Lord Black reviews 'Elsinore'

Not your typical LGBT movie, this incredible story about the indomitability of the human spirit is both painful and uplifting to watch

14 Oct Books & culture

A "spellbinding first draft of history": Lord Black reviews 'Sunak at 10'

Laying bare the insurmountable challenges facing Sunak’s premiership, Anthony Seldon & Tom Egerton's masterful telling of the story of a decent man without a killer instinct makes for an agonising read

16 Jul Books & culture

"Pack this book for your holiday reading – you won’t put it down": Lord Black reviews 'Peace Makers'

The unsung story of the courageous diplomats who helped Britain to victory during the Second World War, Lord Ricketts' dazzling book is a perfectly judged blend of pace and detail

20 May Books & culture

"The perfect short novel": Lord Black reviews 'Operation Heartbreak'

Gorgeously written and deeply moving, Duff Cooper’s tale of Second World War intrigue has a truly delicious denouement

15 Oct 2025 Books & culture

'History at its finest': Lord Black reviews 'Allies at War'

It’s said there can’t be anything new to say about the Second World War. This work of extraordinary power and scholarship proves that wrong

01 Oct 2024 Books & culture

'It should come with a trigger warning': Lord Black reviews Anthony Seldon's 'Truss at 10'

Written with swashbuckling historical perspective and panache, Anthony Seldon has produced an intimate account of an unparalleled British psychodrama

29 Feb 2024 Books & culture

Lord Black reviews Chris Bryant's 'James and John: A True Story of Prejudice and Murder'

A harrowing and beautifully told story, Chris Bryant’s meticulously researched book about the last two men to be hanged in Britain for being gay makes for painful reading

21 Nov 2023 Books & culture

Lord Black reviews 'Mirrors of Greatness: Churchill and the Leaders Who Shaped Him'

Just when you thought there couldn’t possibly be more to say, David Reynolds delivers a fascinating survey of the many different manifestations of Winston Churchill’s life

19 Jul 2023 Books & culture

A remarkable and enchanting book: Lord Black reviews 'One Boy, Two Bills and a Fry Up'

Wes Streeting’s autobiography deserves unstinting praise for its candour, humour and energy

21 Apr 2021 Books & culture

A ravishing yet confused movie: Guy Black reviews ‘Mank’

It may feature a brilliant performance by Gary Oldman, but Mank places too many demands on the viewer and is unlikely to become an enduring cinematic classic like its inspiration, Citizen Kane

15 Oct 2018 Education

UK music is facing an existential crisis

The world class music profession in this country has not come about by accident. Now it is at risk of crumbling from the bottom upwards, warns Lord Black