Livros tentadores na The Spectator, de Maquiavel a Lenin

Grato a meu bom amigo Stelio Amarante.

Paulo Roberto de Almeida 

Responder A: Culture House Books <culturehouse@spectator.co.uk>

Welcome to the Spectator Books weekly email. This week’s section leads with Roland Elliott Brown’s appraisal of three new bookstied to this year’s anniversary of the Russian Revolution – including Victor Sebestyen’s intimate portrait of Vladimir Lenin. Andy Miller, meanwhile, considers another of the great dictators, Tharg the Mighty, who has presided over the retro-futuristic world of 2000AD comic for forty years.  We have diplomacy as well as dictatorship: Ian Thomson considers the reputation of one wily old fox, Machiavelli; while Jane Ridley takes on the story of Talleyrand’s years in London. Luther’s latest biographer, Peter Stanford, discusses Eamon Duffy’s brilliant new book on the Reformation – and Mick Brown looks at the rackety life of that bard of the tea-towel, Kahlil Gibran.  There’s a great crop of new fiction too, from Boualem Sansal’s dystopian update of Orwell, 2084, to an intriguing Japanese novel about a family of polar bears… via new work from Susan Hill, Michael Fishwick and Dorthe Nors. And, on the podcast, Machiavelli’s biographer Erica Benner joins me to ask: how Machiavellian was Machiavelli? I hope you enjoy the issue.  Sam Leith Literary Editor, The Spectator How Lenin manipulated the Russian Revolution to his own ends Roland Elliott Brown He even viewed the starvation of countless peasants as a ‘progressive element’ in weakening the Tsar, says Victor Sebestyen. Read more A genial green guide to 2000 AD Andy Miller A glorious compendium of 40 years of the sci-fi comic is a must for all fans of Judge Dredd, Rogue Trooper and Strontium Dog. Read more By 2084, will Islam rule the world? Brian Martin The novelist Boualem Sansal foresees the universal caliphate becoming a grim reality within the next two generations. Read more Is Susan Hill trespassing on Anita Brookner territory? Matthew Dennison The lonely heroine of From the Heart is destined for ordinariness — until she stops second-guessing other people’s feelings. Read more A century of holy heroes — from Thomas More to George Fox Peter Stanford More clearly saw the need to reform the Church from within, says Eamon Duffy — who mourns the death of ‘Erasmian England’. Read more The secret of survival in Machiavelli’s Florence Ian Thomson Despite Erica Benner’s best efforts, Machiavelli still emerges as a master of opportunism, cunning and deception. Read more The best sort of magic realism — from Michael Fishwick Richard Francis His rebellious hero is uprooted to the country — and is entranced by folklore surrounding the appearance of a white hare. Read more What Theresa May could learn from Talleyrand Jane Ridley Lecturing and table-banging were never his style, says Linda Kelly. But charm and warmth and shrewdness were. Read more A story of three bears — and what it means to be human Lee Langley Yoko Tawada’s surreal new novel fizzes with ideas about exile, migration, fame and love. Read more Has Dorthe Nors’s heroine reached a dead end? Suzi Feay Her life seems at an impasse, and she’s continually being yelled at by her driving instructor. Can she change gear in time? Read more Kahlil Gibran: from penniless refugee to universal Prophet Mick Brown Millions the world over have drawn comfort from his mysticism. But Gibran’s private life was not quite so uplifting. Read more Books Podcast: Machiavelli’s lifelong quest for freedom Sam Leith Erica Benner discusses her new Life of Machiavelli, Be Like The Fox. Listen here Follow Us

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