There’s an old saying that a man is known by his enemies, which would make William Cobbett one of the most comprehensively known individuals in British history. By the time of his death in 1835, he’d managed to alienate virtually everyone who’d ever tried to help him, befriend him, or work alongside him. His talent

Are vertical dramas the final nail in the coffin for western civilisation?

He was mainly notable as the possessor of a disagreeable character. This never seemed to be offset by any redeeming virtue.

William Cobbett was one of the most influential men of his day, more or less despite of his personality. He is sadly forgotten today – but he is still entertaining.

Spoiler Alert – this review reveals the plot of the book Why Did Isherwood Write Goodbye to Berlin? In the author’s introduction we learn that it is a fictional account but that one of the characters is called Christopher Isherwood, who is an author who has written a book with the same name as one