Kenneth Baker (2) (1934–)

A fascinating look at British political history from 1740 to about 1990 through editorial cartoons, narrated by a political insider (former Conservative Party chairman Kenneth Baker). The selection in many cases is truly sharp, and the commentary can be quite illuminating. One of the few flaws in the book is that in at least one case that I recognize, and perhaps more, captions for the cartoons were dropped, and in another case, the reproduction size makes it hard to read the cartoon. Otherwise, strongly recommended.… (more)

‘There are many of the forces of nature which tend to injure books; but among them all not one has been half so destructive as fire … chance conflagrations, fanatic incendiarism, judicial bonfires, and even household stoves, time after time, have thinned the treasures as well as the rubbish of past ages’. (William Blades, 1880, from the back cover)

On the Burning of Books was a chance discovery at the library and it’s quite an interesting book.

It’s divided into sections:
•Foreword
•Political Burning
•Religious Burning
•War Burning
•Personal Burning
•Accidental Burning
•Royal Burning
•Lucky Escapes, and
•an Epilogue.

The sections on political and religious burning cite examples familiar to us such as the Bonfire of the Vanities, and burnings by Italian and Spanish Fascists and the Nazis in 1930s, and of course the Cultural Revolution from 1966-1976 – but there are also ancient examples such as the burning of books in China in 213 BC in an attempt by the emperor Qin to eliminate the collective memory, the history and traditions of his subject states. Qin was especially keen to stamp out the works of Confucius, and to make sure, he also killed 460 scholars, a feat that Mao Tse Tung was proud to surpass with his boast that by burying 46,000 scholars, he had surpassed Qin Shi Huang by a hundred fold. In 1519, the Spanish also burnt books of the Aztec civilisation in Mexico for the same reason.

Books were burned in the Peasants Revolt in England in 1381, and later, English writers who were singled out for attention included Ben Jonson (1572-1637) and John Milton (1608-1674). Between 1661 and 1710 some books – about twenty, according to the former librarian of the House of Lords Library – were designated for special disapproval by having them burnt by the public hangman. And not all burnings were long ago: copies of The Times and The Daily Mail were burnt in 1915 for having the temerity to insult the national hero Lord Kitchener.

To read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2017/09/02/on-the-burning-of-books-by-kenneth-baker/… (more)

Approaches the subject of the destruction of books and manuscripts from the perspective of a literarily-inclined politician. Basically a collect of tales and anecdotes, with no general analysis or connecting overview. But because his view is distinctly British, his catalog of events includes several that are not generally included in similar collections. Well written, and sumptuously illustrated. Of special note is the inclusion of a rare poem by Ted Hughes, and with which the book author had some early connection.… (more)