Founding friendship

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Marvin Rintala

When David Lloyd George and Winston Churchill began their long friendship, one of their numerous enemies nicknamed the new friends "the Heavenly Twins" after a set of gifted, irresponsible, and inseparable twins in a late Victorian novel. In Lloyd George and Churchill: How Friendship Changed Politics, Marvin Rintala explores the lengthy and unexpected friendship between these two statesmen, from its beginning in early 1901 to its end at Lloyd George's death in 1945. Rintala examines the dynamics that shaped the friendship between two powerful men (a friendship that belied Lloyd George's statement that "there are no friends at the top") and the ways in which this friendship shaped British politics during the first half of the twentieth century.

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Plutarch

This story is set in the mid-fourth century B.C., in the city-state of Syracuse on the island of Sicily. It's the story of two father-and-son tyrant rulers who called themselves kings, both named Dionysius (pronounced Die-oh-nee-see-us). But the main character is Dion (pronounced Dion as in Lion), who was a relative, mentor, and finally mortal enemy to the second Dionysius. It has been pointed out that Dion and his siblings Megacles and Aristomache, as the children of Hipparinus, a wealthy and powerful man, had a social status that the upstart Dionysius I lacked, which suggests that envy might have been partially to blame for the increasing conflict between the families. However, Dionysius was clever enough to make use of Dion's good connections in his dealings with other rulers, where he himself, perhaps, might not have been shown as much respect.

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Aidan Hegarty

'John Mitchel A Cause Too Many' by Co Derry writer Aidan Hegarty is a very interesting biography of the Young Irelander born in Dungiven. It is an easy read but that is not to say it is not well researched. It covers that period in Irish History dominated by the Famine and the emergence of the Young Ireland Movement. It is certainly a recommended read for any student who wishes to read about mid-19th century Irish History but wants to avoid chapter after chapter of detail. It is, in my view, a worthwhile read and gives an interesting insight into John Mitchel and his lesser known American Story. (Screenog)

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Matthew Cragoe

This detailed, scholarly exploration of Welsh political culture in the 19th century offers a new interpretation of the rise of nationalism. The author shows how the focus of legitimate power in the community shifted from the aristocracy to the urban middle classes.