More results of my book search & Triumph of the Will

Yesterday's search involved around 15 boxes from the deepest, darkest recesses of the garage and has thrown up some excellent books unseen for many years. Today, to add a fourth day of poor work productivity, I have been looking through some of the gems retrieved.

Perhaps most connected to current work is Michael Oakeshott's On History. I was in my first month at LSE in 1981 when I first came across Oakeshott. A book called My LSE had been published around that time and I had bought a copy soon after arrival. There I learned of Oakeshott's appointment to the government department to succeed firebrand leftie Harold Laski. The highest profile (perhaps only) conservative philosopher at LSE, he may well have been appointed to re-balance LSE's left wing reputation. Soon after, a paperback edition of Rationalism in Politics and Other Essays was published and I was deeply impressed with the manner of writing - beautifully styled essays (which I now see as the result of a "classic" education).

Oakeshott was Emeritus Professor of Politics when I was at LSE. I asked permission to attend the graduate seminar in political theory that he still attended but was refused - no doubt because I was an undergraduate and not even in the politics department. Since his death I have occasionally seen a book or article about him and he has been mentioned as an influence of Cameronian conservativism. I am intending to read his Three Essays on History soon.

Once I looked up all his works in the LSE library and came across a book of his called Guide to the Classics which I assumed was on Greek philosophy and literature - it turned out to be on horse racing.


Michael Oakeshott

Following our family trip to see Inglourious Basterds, I have been reminded that Linda took a course on German Cinema while at University. I have now found some of her books from this course, such as Lotte Eisner's study of Murnau and other works on German Expressionism. I have also downloaded Riefenstahl's Triumph of the Will which I watched a bit of today. Powerful stuff no doubt.

I was surprised to discover that Riefenstahl died in 2003 aged 101. I feel I would like to live to be 101 - I have so much left to do and so little time!

More newly-found old gems will be discussed more soon.

Hitler and Leni Riefenstahl. Widely considered the "greatest" woman filmmaker of the twentieth century - but who would the alternatives be?

Stadium scene from Triumph of the Will