When it comes to the change of a year, there seem to be two attitudes. In one, the main impulse is to look back over the year passed, to analyse the successes and the failures. The other looks forward, either with the intention of setting targets - they used to be called 'New Year's Resolutions' - or with less precise hopes for a different, perhaps better year.
The young, I suspect, are more of the latter persuasion. Certainly, I can remember as a sixteen-year old welcoming in the New Year in Trafalgar Square with my heart full of hope and excitement for the year ahead. The older are perhaps more interested in looking back, in judging themselves on what use they have made of the late time given to them. I confess that that is what I do, and, the older I get, the more stern my judgement.
In a way, looking back in order to learn is one of the main justifications for the study of history. In schools in the UK, judging from experience and the figures of GCSEs and A Levels taken, it is probably one of the most disliked subjects. I don't think there are many young people in this country who have left school who would confess to an interest in the subject, and fewer still who would have bought a 'history' book in the past year. This is, in my view, a sad reflection on the way history has been taught, but also a symptom of the modern world, where immediate gratification is far more important than any careful consideration of consequence, and 'wisdom' is something for fuddy-duddies and, incidentally, certainly not a talent one looks for in a politician.
In the last few weeks I have read two novels and a history book. I don't know why I bothered with the former, but at least I go out of 2007 with another first class history book under my belt. Trafalgar: the Men, the Battle, the Storm by Tim Clayton and Phil Craig, is history at its very best, carefully researched, strongly supported with good primary evidence, vividly described, and a damn good read. Perhaps the greatest accolade one can give to a book which was, after all, written about one of the pivotal moments in British history, an event all of us British have heard of and should, if we have any education, know something about, is that my frequent reaction was, "Blimey, I never knew that!"
Search for it on Amazon. Is there any significance in the fact that they don't stock it themselves, so their price is the full £12.95 RRP, plus a £1.99 sourcing fee, but that you can buy it through Amazon from 'other sellers', the advertised prices starting at £0.01?
Perhaps it is appropriate that I plan to see in the New Year in the company of my nearest and dearest and a bottle of good, French red wine, though I might also take a dram or two of Tobermory malt whisky.
A very happy, prosperous, healthy and fulfilling New Year to you all.
Jon
And a happy New Year to you and yours, Jon. I've enjoyed your posts during 2007 and look forward (because I'm young at heart!) to keeping in touch during 2008.
Posted by: Paul | January 01, 2008 at 02:19 AM