BOTM: B. Lenon, Much promise: successful schools in England (2017)
J. Barber, Conquest (2015)
P. Baker, Fabulosa! The story of polari (2020)
W. Cather, O Pioneers (1915)*
K. Feiling, In Christ Church Hall (1960)
S. Hoare, Palaces of Power: History of London’s Clubland (2019)
S. Leys, The death of Napoleon (1986)
P. Longworth, Russia's Empires (2005)
H. Morales, Pilgrimage to Dollywood (2014)
S. Plokhy, The gates of Europe: the history of Ukraine (2015)
W. Shakespeare, Henry V [Arden]
S. Weyman, Under the red robe (1894)
Several excellent options here - Feiling, Cather, and Morales were much of a par with Lenon's analysis of effective schools. None were perfect. Feiling is of course an absurd, though marvellously written, set of biographical sketches. Cather I have read before, though thoroughly enjoyed (massively disappointed to discover that the Song of Lark is twice as long). Morales was good on Dolly Parton, but hasn't done the wider reading about Country music in general and it showed. Lenon had flaws too, not least glossing over financial issues (one of his successful schools just has a £1.5k top up per pupil from HSBC) and social ones (I'd have liked even more analysis of the numbers especially for FSMs). But it was fascinating, easy to read, and at this stage of decisions about my children's education, highly relevant.
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