Search results for "tag:"Author Peter Raina""

Book SynopsisJust once in a while, actors and performers change the whole way in which they approach the words in their scripts. Such a change happened in the early-to-middle years of the twentieth century; and the person behind it was "Dadie" Rylands. He was a man with an ear acutely attuned to the nuances of poetry, and he insisted that it was the ear and not the eye that mattered most in productions of Shakespeare. It was Rylands who taught an exceptional generation of Shakespearean actors how to speak. Gielgud, Olivier, Ashcroft, Redgrave – all owed their superb diction to him. Moreover, they adored him as a person. Amazingly for a man with such influence, Rylands was not ensconced in the established Theatre. He taught undergraduates at Cambridge and his own productions were with the amateur Marlowe Dramatic Society there. Nor was his life confined to dramatics and the academic world. He was a fringe member of the Bloomsbury set – firm friends with Lytton Strachey, Virginia Woolf and John Maynard Keynes, all regular correspondents. And his circle of notable friends stretched to a wider group of literati including Maurice Bowra and T. S. Eliot. Rylands died, aged 97, in 1999. We no longer have his irrepressible presence, but he left a palpable legacy in gramophone recordings of all Shakespeare’s plays in which he directed star-studded casts. Now that legacy is augmented by Peter Raina’s study, with its admirable selection of Rylands’ marvellously lucid radio talks (hitherto unpublished) and its sampling of the multitude of letters he wrote and received.Table of ContentsPREFACE - ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS - 1. EARLY LIFE AND EDUCATION - 2. THE BLOOMSBURY EFFECT - 3. A DIALOGUE ON POETRY - 4. POETRY IS NOT WRITTEN WITH IDEAS; IT IS - WRITTEN WITH WORDS - 5. BBC TALKS: SYDNEY AND SHAKESPEARE - 6. BBC TALKS: POETRY AND HOW TO SPEAK IT - 7. BBC TALKS: MORE SHAKESPEARE - 8. BBC TALKS: WITH VIOLET ASQUITH AND ON - VIRGINIA WOOLF - 9. ESSAYS - 10. WITS NURTURED IN ELIZABETHAN - CAMBRIDGE - 11. SHAKESPEARE’S IMAGE OF MAN AND NATURE - 12. SHAKESPEARE’S POETIC ENERGY - 13. A MAN OF THE THEATRE: "THE STAGE HAS NO - SECRETS FOR ME" - 14. LECTURER AND TUTOR - 15. DADIE’S ROOMS AT KING’S - 16. DOMUS BURSAR - 17. LETTERS: THE VIRTUES OF FRIENDSHIP - 18. LETTERS: KEEPING UP WITH BLOOMSBURY - 19. LAST SCENE OF ALL

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Book SynopsisThis collection of poems by Heinrich von Kleist (1777-1811) translated into modern English rhyming verse by Peter Raina will bring the stature of this contemporary of Goethe and Schiller into sharp focus and will reach a new readership of English speakers across the world. The subjects treated in this anthology include reaction to major political events (particularly Napoleon’s incursions into German territory) and patriotic laudatory pieces as well as anti-military sentiments, down to shorter poems, especially the epigrams which explore everyday joys and tribulations. Embarking on this challenging task of translation, the author was inspired by the thoughts of John Sparrow in his book "Great Poetry", Independent Essays: [words in poetry] ‘move us simply by their sound and through the appeal of rhythm and metre to the ear’. Peter Raina was thus emboldened to replace the metre he found in the original with a new rhyme and rhythm in his English translation. The effect is a fresh, arresting comment on issues in Kleist’s background often not so dissimilar from those we experience today.Table of ContentsContents – POEMS – EPIGRAMS.

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Book SynopsisIn March 1949 the security service MI5 received notice of a suspect person about to enter Britain and went to great pains to keep her under surveillance. This person was the author Doris Lessing. She would eventually go on to win the Nobel Prize for literature as an «epicist … who with scepticism, fire and visionary power has subjected a divided civilisation to scrutiny». And it was precisely this scrutiny that troubled the guardians of the status quo. Lessing grew up in colonial Rhodesia and hated the scorn with which the colonists treated the native population. She worked tirelessly for a more just society and this drove her into support for communism. But a communist, as one of her fictional characters says, «is hated, despised, feared and hunted». Peter Raina’s book, reproducing the secret files kept on Lessing, shows that this was largely true, even though her emphasis in these troubled times was always on Peace. Lessing was eventually disillusioned by communism, and sought a better understanding of human relations than Soviet-conforming clichés could provide. However, her understanding was much enriched by the experiences of her activism and knowledge of the opposition it aroused. The secret files show how strongly Lessing followed her convictions and throw new light on how her perceptions of society evolved. Peter Raina elucidates this in a short Introduction and an Epilogue discussing aspects of her writings.Table of ContentsContents: Background to the Files – Why Doris Lessing Became a Communist – The Communist Party of Great Britain – MI5 – The British Security Service – Secret Service Files – The Files on Doris Lessing (chronological) – Early Security Interest – Heightened Interest and the Authors’ World Peace Delegation – Visit to «Central Africa» and the Aftermath – Parting with the Communist Party and the Waning of Security Interest – Epilogue – Doris Lessing as Writer.

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Book Synopsis«Raina’s documentation provides invaluable insight into the high-powered and high-level political calculations that made it happen. It is perhaps the most signal achievement of the era and this expertly curated collection on its genesis and evolution is unquestionably of permanent value.» (Professor Marc Mulholland, Professor of Modern History, Oxford) This is the second volume in which Peter Raina presents the Blair government’s Devolution papers. Here, the focus shifts to Northern Ireland in the midst of the «Troubles» – a situation where discrimination and bigotry in a society divided by religious and national affiliations had erupted into hatred, violence and fear. Tony Blair, his minister Mo Mowlam and a team of civil servants and others reached for American help and worked intensely with Gerry Adams, Leader of Sinn Fein, and with the government of the Republic in the South of Ireland to bring the warring factions together. Their efforts were concentrated into an astonishing single month. The Devolution plans, as such, have not stood the test of time but, with effort from all sides, a fragile truce was achieved and a virtual end to the «Troubles». This was an enormous achievement. The papers are an object lesson in how patient diplomacy and negotiation can work, even in the most intractable of situations.Table of ContentsContents: Introduction – Government Discussions on Devolution in Northern Ireland – Towards the Northern Ireland Act – Documents 97 and 98: Report of the International Body on Arms Decommissioning & The Belfast Agreement – The Northern Ireland Act 1998.

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Book SynopsisIn 1987 Tony Blair’s New Labour won a landslide victory in the British elections. To show it meant business, the new government immediately embarked on a major legislative programme, granting devolution to the outlying «Regions» joined with England in the UK. The cabinet papers concerned with this initiative have just been released, and Peter Raina is publishing them, with brief commentaries, in two volumes. This one concerns Scotland and Wales. The papers show just how much interdepartmental work was involved in this comparatively modest exercise, and how dependent ministers were on the Civil Service and their legal teams. They also raise questions which have recently been much amplified. The drive for devolution had contradictory aims – to offer more self-sufficiency and foster development; but also to take the sting out of nationalist movements, so as to preserve the Union. Readers can judge how democratic and how fruitful the scheme really was.Table of ContentsContents: Introduction – Government Discussions on Devolution in Scotland and Wales – The Scotland and Wales Bill – 77 Scotland Act 1998 – 78 Government of Wales Act 1998.

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Book SynopsisAn admirable undertaking, as impressive for its scholarship as its sympathy. Heaney is presented here at the centre of a worldwide network of correspondents, and what emerges is a vivid sense of both the great writer and the living man.(Seamus Perry, Fellow of Balliol College and Tutor in English Literature, Professor of English, University of Oxford)I just finished reading it. I found it very touching; Heaney's influence on such a wide circle of correspondents comes through with great force.(Professor Marc Mulholland, Senior Tutor, St Catherine's College, Oxford)Seamus Heaney wrote hundreds of letters and postcards in long hand, answering almost all the letters he received from friends, fellow poets, university professors, arts councils and of course from ordinary fans. He was not only a master of English prose and poetry, but was also highly skilled in the art of writing letters.The author has selected fragments and parts of this vast correspondence to show how we can see the portrait of the man himself from the way in which he interacted with others.

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Book SynopsisThe 7th Earl Beauchamp was a prominent figure in English public life in the years 190030, but his career ended in scandal. He was barred from English soil, his reputation was destroyed and his papers were withheld from public view. In this book, Peter Raina uses previously unreleased documents to reassess Beauchamp's life and legacy. Born into the aristocracy, Beauchamp was driven by a sense of noblesse oblige and devoted his life to public service. Though some of this was ceremonial, Beauchamp was keen to involve himself in practical politics, where he showed his independence of mind. He joined the Liberals as they pushed through change against obstruction from his own landowning class. He championed Irish Home Rule. In 1914 he opposed entry into the war and lost any chance of promotion. However, he remained deeply loyal to his party even after its split and decline, and worked tirelessly in its cause. His life touched on great events such as the formation of Australia and, in Britain, the great reforms of 19069, the 1911 Parliament Act, the crisis of 1914, the creation of the Irish Free State, the Liberal collapse, the first Labour government and the economic slump. Through all these, he busied himself in party affairs, but one aspect of his private life worked against him and, in a Sophoclean twist, he fell from grace. This book documents the Earl's involvement in politics, explores his personality and looks carefully at the issues that brought him down. In the light of this analysis, it is hoped that historians will recognize his significant contribution to the events of his day.

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Book SynopsisPeter Raina’s House of Lords Reform recounts the long struggle to bring an ancient institution up to date. The first volume ended in 1937, as crisis overwhelmed Europe. Reform issues were not forgotten, however. This second volume continues the story, presenting a wealth of illuminating records, a great many of them published here for the first time. The 4th Marquess of Salisbury planned changes to the Lords even before the war’s end. Further proposals followed after the establishment of the Labour government in 1945. Fearful that its legislation would be blocked, Labour amended the Parliament Act, 1911 to limit the Lords’ delaying powers to just one year. Some believed the Upper House would disappear altogether. Salisbury’s heir worked hard for preservation, and managed to secure an all-party conference. Its complex schemes and animated discussions are all presented here in original documents. Though the conference failed, Lords Reading, Exeter and Simon continued the effort, with ideas that would eventually bear fruit. They championed the rights of women, self-regulation through standing orders, and the creation of life peers. The Churchill government formed a Lords Reform Committee but could get no further. Then, in an unexpected twist, the cause finally triumphed when Harold Macmillan and the Earl of Home got a one-clause bill through parliament in 1958. The Life Peers Act transformed the nature of British politics.Trade Review«Your book, a magnum opus, is a major breakthrough in a process which has been so difficult, ever since 1911 and before.» (Sir Michael Wheeler-Booth, Honorary Fellow, Magdalen College, Oxford)Table of ContentsContents: House of Lords – Reform – Upper House – Original records uncovered – Social history – Political history – Proposals – Legislature – Women’s rights – Life peers.

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Book SynopsisVolume 3 of Peter Raina’s magisterial history covers the 1960s and draws on newly released documents. In astonishing detail, it traces new plans drawn up during the Macmillan-Wilson era to reform the House of Lords. ‘Mission impossible,’ a civil servant declared. But when, to remain a Commons MP, Tony Benn insisted on disclaiming an inherited peerage, he started off a fresh willingness to tackle old problems. The Peerages Act 1963 allowed peers the option of disclaimer and, at last, gave equal rights in the Upper House to Scottish and women inheritors. A Labour government came in, and in 1967 gained the majority needed to embark on bold legislation. But it feared interference, so comprehensive plans were backed for changing the whole complexion of two-chamber politics. Led by Lord Shackleton and the intellectual Richard Crossman, schemes were devised and inter-party talks got under way – at first in a spirit of cooperation. But had the party elites listened to their fiery back-benchers? When a bill was introduced into parliament, the scenes were unforgettable … This volume tells not just the story, but reveals the intricate thinking of those who wanted to make a bicameral system work in the age of modern party politics.Trade Review«Peter Raina has written a remarkable book about Lords Reform between 1960-69, those years were part of the long running discussions about the future of the Lords and they are brilliantly told in Mr Raina's book. For anybody interested in the History of Reform this is sensible reading.» (The Lord Carrington) «What a magnificent opus. From the start, I was gripped by admiration for [the] scholarship, mastery of the English language, and understanding of the British body politic! (...) As one who lived through it all – to have you bring out the differing climates of opinion – in the early 1960s to that of today – fascinating... [This] book is well described as magisterial.» (Sir Michael Wheeler-Booth, Honorary Fellow of Magdalen College, Oxford)Table of ContentsContents: 1960-61. The Wedgwood Benn Case – 1961-63. The Setting up of the Joint Committee on House of Lords Reform: Conservative Proposals – 1962. The Joint Committee on House of Lords Reform: Draft Report – 1963. The Peerage Act – 1965. Procedures and Functions of the House of Lords: Lord Alport – 1966. The Labour Party Manifesto: Modernizing the Work of Parliament – 1966. Memorandum by the Lord Chancellor and the Lord Privy Seal – 1966. Motion to Appoint a Lords Select Committee: Lord Alport – 1967. The Need for Reform of the Upper House: Lord Mitchison – 1967. Composition and Powers of a Reformed House: The Lord President of the Council – 1967. The Lord Chancellor’s Ministerial Committee: Powers of the House of Lords – 1967. The Cabinet: Proposed Reform of the Lords – 1967. Detailed Proposals for Reform: The Shackleton Committee – 1968. Inter-Party Conference on Lords Reform – 1968. Conclusions of the Inter-Party Conference – 1968. The Lords’ Rejection of Sanctions Against Rhodesia: A Provocation – 1968. Bill to Abolish the House of Lords: William Hamilton – 1968. The Government White Paper – 1968. The White Paper in Parliament – 1968. The Parliament (No. 2) Bill: The Text – 1969. The Parliament (No. 2) Bill: Debate in the House of Commons – 1969. The Parliament (No. 2) Bill Withdrawn – 1969. The Parliament (No. 2) Bill: Regrets and Reflections.

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Book SynopsisAt the height of the Second World War, Hitler’s Deputy, Rudolf Hess, made a dramatic solo flight to the British Isles. His arrival there was sensational news – and it baffled everyone. Why had he come? Hess claimed he had flown to Britain entirely of his own initiative and was on a personal mission of peace. But so unlikely was the success of such an appeal in Churchill’s entrenched Britain that historians continue to wonder at his motives. In this book, Peter Raina publishes, for the first time, complete texts of Hess’s ‘peace proposals’ and a treatise he wrote in captivity outlining how he saw Nazi Germany’s role in Europe. These texts throw considerable light on Hess’s mission and also on how the Nazi leadership saw their programme of expansion and their relations with Britain. Disconcertingly single-minded and an unashamed disciple of Hitler, Hess was at heart an idealist. His friend and confidant Albrecht Haushofer was an idealist of a different kind, and joined the German Resistance Movement. The frame story of this book relates how the two men moved to their tragic ends.Trade Review«It is really an excellent academic piece of work containing all the relevant documents and giving a superb insight into Hess’s motives, his character and his complete misunderstanding of the rules, convictions and traditions of British policy. I recommend it warmly for publication.» (Professor Rainer F. Schmidt, Institute of History, University of Würzburg, Germany)Table of ContentsContents: A Magnificent Sight – Why Did Hess Want to Speak to the Duke of Hamilton – The Duke Meets the Reichsminister – The Führer’s Rage – Ivone Kirkpatrick Meets Rudolf Hess: First Interview: Terms of Proposals for Peace – Kirkpatrick Meets Hess: Second Interview: Further Peace Proposals – Kirkpatrick Meets Hess: Third Interview: Additional Conditions – The Frustrations of the Deputy Führer – The Hess Case Raised in the House of Commons – Peace Proposal: Anglo-German Accord, 9 June 1941 – Peace Proposal: Alliance Against Bolshevism, 6 September 1941.

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Book SynopsisBishop George Bell always felt that the Church must endeavour to meet the problems of the modern world. He was thus foremost in applying the precepts of the Christian faith to national and international issues. George Bell very often raised his voice in the House of Lords (of which he was a distinguished member from December 1937 till January 1958) against class and racial hatred, against war, and against totalitarianism, and spoke for the innocent and helpless victims of persecution. Complete texts of all Bell’s House of Lords speeches are presented here, published for the first time in one volume. The issues that Bell tackled are, in essence, still relevant today. This volume also includes unpublished correspondence between George Bell and Rudolf Hess, Hitler’s deputy. After the National Socialists came to power in Germany, Bell, as a committed Christian, felt that he had to act in defence of the German Church, which the Nazis were eager to destroy. The Bishop made strenuous efforts to contact people in power in Germany, people who, he knew, took decisions with momentous consequences. Rudolf Hess was one of them.Table of ContentsContents: Preface by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Revd & Rt Hon. Dr Rowan Williams – Foreword by the Dean of Christ Church, Oxford, the Very Revd Christopher Lewis – House of Lords Speeches: Refugee Problems - Peace Mediation - The Fifth Column - Germany and the Hitlerite State - German Atrocities - International Relations after the War - Agricultural Policy - Bombing Policy - Europe Relief Problems - The Moral Revival of Europe - War Memorials - World Organization for Peace - World State - Economic Situation in Germany - Employment of Prisoners of War - Displaced Persons - Let Europe be Envisaged as a Whole - The Work of UNESCO - German War Crimes Trials - German Prisoners in Russia - The Schuman Plan - How to Meet the Strategy of Post-war Totalitarianism? - Persecution of Religion in Communist States - Total War, Just War, the Use of the Atomic Bomb - On German Unity - The Importance of the Building of New Houses - Central African Federation - University Education - The Reform of the Constitution of the House of Lords - Retirement of the Bishop of Chichester - Farewell Speech: Developments Hostile to Religious Liberty in Eastern Germany – Correspondence with Rudolf Hess – German Text of Letters from Rudolf Hess to Bishop George Bell.

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Book SynopsisAlbert Venn Dicey (1835-1922) was elected to the Vinerian professorship of English Law in the University of Oxford in 1882. Dicey established himself as a great expert on constitutional history when in 1885 he published his Introduction to the Study of the Law of the Constitution, a major classic on the British constitutional system. Dicey’s writings have achieved an almost canonical status, and his views are judged almost entirely on this volume. However Dicey developed his views further and extensively in a series of lectures he delivered in the late 1890s in which he focused his thoughts on the sovereignty of Parliament, the relationship between Parliament and the people, and the role of constitutional conventions. Dicey would not defend every detail of the British Constitution, but was quite prepared to consider certain constitutional innovations, such as the principle of referendum to give special status to Constitutional Acts, or that the House of Lords should have more representative legitimacy. Dicey also toyed with the idea of a Constitutional Convention as a basic form of protection for constitutional rules: he argued about constitutional safeguards to remedy the defects of the party system and recognised the adaptability of an unwritten constitution to changed circumstances. All these aspects of Dicey’s thought are reflected in these lectures, published here for the first time.Table of ContentsContents: Foreword by Lord Plant of Highfield – Memorandum on English Party System of Government – General Characteristics of Existing English Constitutionalism – Comparison between English & other Executives: Parliamentary & non-Parliamentary Executives – Cromwellian Constitution of 1653 – English Constitutionalism under George the Third (1785) – Memorandum on Party Government.

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