In the early 1950s Sir Winston Churchill met the Irish politician Sean
Lemass, who was later to become Taoiseach. The great statesman
remarked upon the economic circumstances of Britain at the time. 'The
situation in Great Britain,' quoth Churchill in his most grandiloquent
tones, 'is serious but not hopeless.' Lemass responded instantly,
'Sure,' he said, 'it's exactly the opposite in Ireland.' Thus the
title for Jack McLean's autobiography. It is a book about being born
into the new world after the Second World War. McLean's varied
experiences during a time which shifted from the residue of pre-war
attitudes to a change in global culture are chronicled, as are his
relationships with a large number of the students who are now
household names. McLean is suitably scathing about most of them.
Equally so is his account of the next step in his career - the
turbulent area of education. He entered this a skilled politico and
left a skilled sceptic. His final retirement from both education and
politics was welcomed by all, not least himself. In this book we learn
about what there was in his life and background to make him into one
of the most polemical journalists to emerge in the post-war years 'No
great task considering what there is really' said McLean when
confronted with that observation. 'I only write what I've done, or
didn't do at that.' Friend or foe notwithstanding, this book is about
the times in which McLean has so far lived, along with lots of you out
there. He says it's fairly true as well. Or at least honest.
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Produktdetaljer
ISBN
9781906000615
Publisert
2014
Utgiver
Vendor
Neil Wilson Publishing
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Digital bok
Forfatter