No . 136 The Trusty Servant
Laos , Ethiopia , Turkey , Luxembourg , Nigeria , Pakistan and finally as High Commissioner in Mauritius . All these assignments were interspersed with important jobs in London in both the Cabinet Office and Foreign and Commonwealth Office . Published privately . To order a copy , email memoirclub @ msn . com or contact Win Coll Soc for an order form .
Alan Philps ( C , 68-72 ) has recently published The Red Hotel : The Untold Story of Stalin ’ s Disinformation War . It relates the battles that the Anglo- American correspondents fought with the Soviet censor in Moscow in wartime . The censor was invariably the winner , but the experience changed forever the lives of the reporters and their Soviet translators .
The book explores some of the issues that preoccupy international correspondents today , but which were writ large in the time of Stalin . Most pertinently for our times , Stalin ’ s success in muzzling the press has provided Vladimir Putin with a model of media control for his war on Ukraine , even if implementing it in the digital age is proving beyond his means . 450 Pages ; Headline Publishing Group ; ISBN 978 1 0354 0130 7
Nicholas Shakespeare ( F , 70-74 ) has written Ian Fleming – The Complete Man , the definitive biography of Ian Fleming . Ian Fleming ’ s greatest creation , James Bond , has had an enormous and ongoing impact on our culture . What Bond represents about ideas
of masculinity , the British national psyche and global politics has shifted over time , as has the interpretation of the life of his author . But Fleming himself was more mysterious and subtle than anything he wrote .
Described by The Economist as the most comprehensive picture yet of Bond ’ s creator , The Complete Man is a fresh portrait of the man behind James Bond , by an award-winning biographer with unprecedented access to the Fleming family papers . 864 pages ; Harvill Secker ; ISBN 978-1787302419
Oliver Southall ( K , 00-05 ) has written Rowan about a tree that captivates the senses and stimulates the imagination . Its delicate , feathery leaves , creamy spring blossom and scarlet clusters of autumn fruit have delighted artists , poets and plant enthusiasts through the ages .
Rooted in ecology , Rowan is the first in-depth social history of this muchloved plant . It takes the reader on a surprising and eclectic journey , and charts our changing relationships with nature and landscape , raising urgent questions of how we value and relate to the non-human world . 248 pages ; Reaktion Books ; ISBN 978-1789147124
Philip Steadman ( Coll , 55-60 ) has written Renaissance Fun about the technology of Renaissance entertainments in stage machinery and theatrical special effects ; in gardens and fountains ; and in the automata and self-playing musical instruments that were installed in garden grottoes .
How did the machines behind these shows work ? How exactly were chariots filled with singers let down onto the stage ? How were flaming dragons made to fly across the sky ? How were seas created on stage ? How did mechanical birds imitate real birdsong ? What was ‘ artificial music ’, three centuries before Edison and the phonograph ? How could pipe organs be driven and made to play themselves by waterpower alone ? And who were the architects , engineers , and craftsmen who created these wonders ? All these questions are answered . 418 Pages ; UCL Press ; ISBN 978-1787359154
Nicholas Pritchard ( Coll , 60-65 ) has had a crossword ( specifically a crossnumber ) published in The Times . Number 4764 in the Listener series , called Root 66 by Miles .
Composer , multi-instrumentalist and producer Graeme Ginsberg ( I , 84-88 ) has released a new album , Structure , under the artist name If Not If . Described in reviews as “ perfectly composed and beautifully delivered ” and “ a delight to listen to – provocative , electrifying and emotive ”, Structure crosses various genres , primarily progressive rock , classic rock , and jazz-rock fusion . Structure is available at Bandcamp and on the customary download / streaming services : https :// ifnotif . bandcamp . com /. Graeme has also released an EP (“ Beautiful Horizon ”) and two singles (“ Excite ” and “ Always Two Approaches ”) under the artist name Theories Of , a vehicle he uses for his electronic projects . Described as “ infectious and profound ”, the Theories Of releases are available at Bandcamp and on the customary download / streaming services : https :// theoriesof . bandcamp . com
25