Tag: Cambridge University

Peter Cook

2,020 words

Originality of thought and a command of words give him a maturity of style beyond his years. In speech or essay he is never dull and his work should always be interesting. — Peter Cook’s school report, aged 14

I know I’ve been destructive. What I do reflects the idiocy and chaos within myself. — Peter Cook

In the self-congratulatory world of show business, the word “genius” is used casually and often, and “comic genius” more than most, but in its original sense it is occasionally appropriate. (more…)

The blacks brought by the Empire Windrush in 1948: cheap labor for Britain, or the result of cheap tickets?

1,788 words

(Post-)modern history

Have you ever talked yourself out of a job? The Cambridge University Department of Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic have. The Dons have declared that Anglo-Saxons did not exist, which should free up a third of their time. (more…)

Kevin Alfred Strom

2,416 words

Who Said It: Elon Musk, Voltaire, or Kevin Alfred Strom?

To learn that Nazis don’t rule over you, all you have to do is say bad things about Nazis. Nothing bad will happen to you.

Last weekend, Twitter CEO Elon Musk found himself swirling in another maelstrom of online fart-rage after he retweeted a meme falsely attributing the following statement to French Enlightenment philosopher Voltaire: (more…)

Kdo zabil Orwella? Nejstudenější člověk, „Bába“ Gow?

1.871 slov

English original here

Jistá pověst tradovaná o smrti George Orwella se už posledních více než 20 let usilovně snaží prodrat na povrch hlavního proudu. Pokud vím, nebyla zatím nikde otištěna, což je poněkud zvláštní, protože všechny její hlavní součásti jsou už dlouho veřejně dostupné a známé: v životopisech, memoárech i novinových titulcích. Kdokoliv, tedy skoro kdokoliv, koho celá věc zajímá, si dávno mohl dát dvě a dvě dohromady. (more…)

1,966 words

Czech version here

There’s a story about George Orwell’s death that’s been bubbling up from the underground for the past 20 years or so. To the best of my knowledge it’s never been published anywhere. And this is odd indeed, because all the essential pieces have been out on public display for a long time—in biographies, memoirs, and newspaper headlines. Anyone, almost anyone who cares to, can connect the dots.

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2,388 words

Guy Burgess

Edited by Alex Kurtagić 

Part 2 of 2

Editor’s Note: 

The following is an excerpt from Jonathan Bowden’s Vermin.  (more…)

Spy Kim Philby honored on Soviet postage stamp

3,017 words

Edited by Alex Kurtagić 

Part 1 of 2

Editor’s Note: 

The following is an excerpt from Jonathan Bowden’s Vermin. The book was written sometime between 1990 and 1991. The text has only been lightly edited for punctuation, spelling, and capitalization.

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