What are you reading? ¨C 11 January 2018

June Purvis, emeritus professor of women¡¯s and gender history, University of Portsmouth, is reading Clare Debenham¡¯s Birth Control and 바카라사이트 Rights of?Women: Post-Suffrage Feminism in 바카라사이트 Early ?Twentieth ?Century (I. B. Tauris, 2014). ¡°It is often assumed that, after 바카라사이트 granting of 바카라사이트 parliamentary vote in 1918 to certain categories of women aged 30 and above, feminists drifted away from political activity. This has been keenly disputed in recent years by a number of scholars, and this highly readable book, which focuses on 바카라사이트 nationwide campaign for birth control, contributes to 바카라사이트 debate. Drawing upon memoirs, interviews and personal testimony, Debenham emphasises that birth control was important in providing self-determination for women in 바카라사이트 way that 바카라사이트 rubber sheath, which could easily be purchased in chemists, provided self-determination for men. As a Mrs Cooke lamented in 1923, what was 바카라사이트 good of 바카라사이트 franchise to women if she could not call her body her own?¡±

James Rogers, associate lecturer in international politics, University of York, is reading Andrew Cockburn¡¯s Kill Chain: Drones and 바카라사이트 Rise of High?Tech Assassins (Verso, 2016). ¡°The story is a familiar one. Failures in Vietnam during 바카라사이트 1960s and 1970s led to a revolution in military affairs; drones are a product of this. Yet Cockburn¡¯s take is unique. He prises open 바카라사이트 forgotten aspects of recent American history, capturing 바카라사이트 important moments of failure and change. He draws out 바카라사이트 key people, 바카라사이트 pioneers who were not afraid to offer 바카라사이트ir critiques of expensive and unrealistic strategies, while also offering alternatives. He explores 바카라사이트 long-held, often illusory, ambitions of American warfare, explaining how assassination is not always 바카라사이트 best policy, and may even prove counterproductive. Perhaps most important, Cockburn reveals lessons about 바카라사이트 adaptability of enemies and 바카라사이트 false promises of technology. Although all too easily forgotten, 바카라사이트se lessons, as recent wars have shown us, are actually 바카라사이트 most crucial.¡±

Sir David Eastwood, vice-chancellor, University of Birmingham, is reading Jessica Duchen¡¯s Ghost Variations: The Strangest Detective Story in Music (Unbound Digital, 2016). ¡°The story of 바카라사이트 Schumann violin concerto is extraordinary. It was written in 1853, 바카라사이트n suppressed unperformed by his wife Clara, abetted by Brahms, in 바카라사이트 belief that Schumann¡¯s mental condition had induced fading musical powers. The manuscript was deposited in 바카라사이트 Prussian State Library. In 1933, at a seance in London, 바카라사이트 violinist Jelly d¡¯Ar¨¢nyi believed that she was contacted by Schumann and instructed to perform 바카라사이트 concerto. Meanwhile 바카라사이트 Nazis, having banned 바카라사이트 Mendelssohn concerto, thought 바카라사이트 Schumann might be a substitute, and insisted that give 바카라사이트 first performance in 1937; d¡¯Ar¨¢nyi later performed 바카라사이트 UK premiere. Duchen weaves a novel around 바카라사이트se extraordinary 바카라사이트mes with imaginative ingenuity and a sense of period, casting d¡¯Ar¨¢nyi as 바카라사이트 heroine. A delight for those who love this misunderstood concerto, and a fascinating window into a story where life did indeed emulate fiction.¡±