Reading for Battle
Battle Readings is a regularly updated compilation of articles, essays, and opinion pieces relevant to the themes of the Battle of Ideas.
Choose a theme from the listing on the left to narrow your search, or view all readings.
Arts & Culture
What is it about politicians and football?
What is it about politicians and football? Tony Blair bragged of growing up as a Newcastle United fan, and made sure he was seen heading the ball with Kevin Keegan, then the England manager. He even invited the England squad to Downing Street after they had been beaten by a Brazil side playing just ten men in the quarter finals of the 2002 World Cup.
Michael Henderson, Daily Mail, 27 September 2011
What is it about politicians and football? Tony Blair bragged of growing up as a Newcastle United fan, and made sure he was seen heading the ball with Kevin Keegan, then the England manager. He even invited the England squad to Downing Street after they had been beaten by a Brazil side playing just ten men in the quarter finals of the 2002 World Cup.
Michael Henderson, Daily Mail, 27 September 2011
How Brighton v Crystal Palace grew into an unlikely rivalry
Most of football's great rivalries involve clubs thrown together either by geography – Arsenal and Tottenham, say, or Dundee United and, er, Dundee – or by years of high-profile, high-intensity competition for the game's biggest prizes – which explains Liverpool ongoing ding-dong with Manchester United, or Real Madrid's with Barcelona.
Simon Burnton, Guardian, 27 September 2011
Most of football's great rivalries involve clubs thrown together either by geography – Arsenal and Tottenham, say, or Dundee United and, er, Dundee – or by years of high-profile, high-intensity competition for the game's biggest prizes – which explains Liverpool ongoing ding-dong with Manchester United, or Real Madrid's with Barcelona.
Simon Burnton, Guardian, 27 September 2011
The End of Empire - Attila the Hun and the Fall of Rome
Attila the Hun – godless barbarian and near-mythical warrior king – has become a byword for mindless ferocity. His brutal attacks smashed through the frontiers of the Roman empire in a savage wave of death and destruction. His reign of terror shattered an imperial world that had been securely unified by the conquests of Julius Caesar five centuries before.
Christopher Kelly, W. W. Norton, 22 September 2011
Richard Caborn: 'Olympic legacy in danger of failing completely'
The sports minister who helped to shape the legacy promises that won London the 2012 Olympics has claimed one of them – the drive to increase sports participation – has been "disastrous" and called for an urgent change of strategy.
Owen Gibson, Guardian, 20 September 2011
The sports minister who helped to shape the legacy promises that won London the 2012 Olympics has claimed one of them – the drive to increase sports participation – has been "disastrous" and called for an urgent change of strategy.
Owen Gibson, Guardian, 20 September 2011
Wisbech fan moves out of home, into one-bed flat built in football ground
Spenny Larham has seen all his dreams come true - though perhaps annoyed his family slightly - by moving out of his town-centre home and into a one-bedroom flat built within the ground of his favourite team, Wisbech Town.
Emily Hewett, Metro, 16 September 2011
Spenny Larham has seen all his dreams come true - though perhaps annoyed his family slightly - by moving out of his town-centre home and into a one-bedroom flat built within the ground of his favourite team, Wisbech Town.
Emily Hewett, Metro, 16 September 2011
Lest we should ever be allowed to forget
Museums used to be a celebration of human achievement. Now they merely peddle misery.
Tiffany Jenkins, Independent, 13 September 2011
Museums used to be a celebration of human achievement. Now they merely peddle misery.
Tiffany Jenkins, Independent, 13 September 2011
Derrida had a word for it
An irritating cliche inspired David Bellos to examine the artful skills of the translator.
Matthew Reisz, Times Higher Education, 8 September 2011
An irritating cliche inspired David Bellos to examine the artful skills of the translator.
Matthew Reisz, Times Higher Education, 8 September 2011
Power of Making, V&A, review
Power of Making is an exhibition about craft. 'Craft' is such an off-putting word, with connotations of amateurism, and a reactionary attachment to time-honoured traditions. But this exhibition transformed my understanding of what contemporary craft can be – ingenious, exciting, and relevant to the 21st century.
Alastair Sooke, Daily Telegraph, 6 September 2011
Power of Making is an exhibition about craft. 'Craft' is such an off-putting word, with connotations of amateurism, and a reactionary attachment to time-honoured traditions. But this exhibition transformed my understanding of what contemporary craft can be – ingenious, exciting, and relevant to the 21st century.
Alastair Sooke, Daily Telegraph, 6 September 2011
A match made in heaven
It would be nice to think that I could enjoy football without all that partisanship and prejudice. But the truth is the demented rivalries are the most essential part of being a fan. There are those who say the game can be appreciated on a purely aesthetic level, but they are almost always posturing liars (or Arsenal fans), or people who haven’t seen enough football in their time.
Sam Delaney, New Humanist, 5 September 2011
It would be nice to think that I could enjoy football without all that partisanship and prejudice. But the truth is the demented rivalries are the most essential part of being a fan. There are those who say the game can be appreciated on a purely aesthetic level, but they are almost always posturing liars (or Arsenal fans), or people who haven’t seen enough football in their time.
Sam Delaney, New Humanist, 5 September 2011
Power of Making: the case for making and skills
Seemingly disparate objects are brought together in a 'cabinet of curiosities' to unite and reinforce creative, cultural, social and educational points of view all offering different ways of understanding the potent power that comes with making.
Daniel Charny, V&A Publishing, 5 September 2011
Capitalism What Is it Good For? - Sanjaya Baru
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