Hoo-hahs and Passing Frenzies


Book Description

With his acclaimed biography of Karl Marx, his contributions to radio and television and his outstanding journalism, Francis Wheen has established himself as one of the most brilliant and admired commentators in Britain. This book brings together the best of his collected writings from the Guardian, Observer and magazines such as the Modern Review. Ranging from the follies of think-tanks to the future of swearing, the hypocrisy of New Labour to the madness of retired prime ministers, all via shady business deals and scabrous gossip, this is a book that none of Wheen's legion of admirers will want to miss.




How Mumbo-Jumbo Conquered the World


Book Description

What characterizes our era? Cults, quacks, gurus, irrational panics, moral confusion and an epidemic of mumbo-jumbo, that's what. In How Mumbo-Jumbo Conquered the World, Francis Wheen brilliantly laments the extraordinary rise of superstition, relativism and emotional hysteria. From Middle Eastern fundamentalism to the rise of lotteries, astrology to mysticism, poststructuralism to the Third Way, Wheen shows that there has been a pervasive erosion of Enlightenment values, which have been displaced by nonsense. And no country has a more vivid parade of the bogus and bizarre than the one founded to embody Enlightenment values: the USA. In turn comic, indignant, outraged, and just plain baffled by the idiocy of it all, How Mumbo-Jumbo Conquered the World is a masterful depiction of the absurdity of our times and a plea that we might just think a little more and believe a little less.




Marx's Das Kapital


Book Description

In vivid detail, Wheens captivating, accessible book shows that, far from being a dry economic treatise, "Das Kapital" is like a vast Gothic novel whose heroes are enslaved by the monster they created: capitalism.




Karl Marx


Book Description

Looks at the life of the father of Communism focusing primarily on the human side of the man rather than his works.




Strange Days Indeed: The Golden Age of Paranoia


Book Description

Strange Days Indeed tells the story of how the paranoia exemplified by Nixon and Wilson became the defining characteristic of western politics and culture in the 1970s.




Scapegoat


Book Description

A “brief and vital account” of humanity’s long history of playing the blame game, from Adam and Eve to modern politics—“a relevant and timely subject” (The Daily Telegraph). We may have come a long way from the days when a goat was symbolically saddled with all the iniquities of the children of Israel and driven into the wilderness, but has our desperate need to absolve ourselves by pinning the blame on someone else really changed all that much? Charlie Campbell highlights the plight of all those others who have found themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time, illustrating how God needs the Devil as Sherlock Holmes needs Professor Moriarty or James Bond needs “Goldfinger.” Scapegoat is a tale of human foolishness that exposes the anger and irrationality of blame-mongering while reminding readers of their own capacity for it. From medieval witch burning to reality TV, this is a brilliantly relevant and timely social history that looks at the obsession, mania, persecution, and injustice of scapegoating. “A wry, entertaining study of the history of blame . . . Trenchantly sardonic.” —Kirkus Reviews




Writing Feature Articles


Book Description

Hennessy's classic text tells you everything you need to know about writing successful features. You will learn how to formulate and develop ideas and how to shape them to fit different markets. Now in its fourth edition, Writing Feature Articles has been fully revised and updated to take into account the changing requirements of journalism and media courses. You will also discover how to exploit new technology for both researching and writing online. Learn step-by-step how to plan, research and write articles for a wide variety of 'popular', 'quality' and specialist publications. Discover more and make the advice stick by completing the tasks and reading the keen analysis of extracts from the best of today's writing. Packed with inspirational advice in a friendly, highly readable style, this guide is a must-have for practising and aspiring journalists and writers.




The Politics of Pain: Postwar England and the Rise of Nationalism


Book Description

“I read The Politics of Pain: Postwar England and the Rise of Nationalism by Fintan O’Toole and wished I’d written it.” – Zadie Smith, Wall Street Journal From one of the most perceptive observers of the English today comes a brilliantly insightful, mordantly funny account of their seemingly irrational embrace of nationalism. England’s recent lurch to the right appears to be but one example of the nationalist wave sweeping across the world, yet as acclaimed Irish critic Fintan O’Toole suggests in The Politics of Pain, it is, in reality, a phenomenon rooted in World War II. We must look not to the vagaries of the European Union but, instead, far back to the end of the British empire, if we hope to understand our most fraternal ally—and the royal mess in which the British now find themselves. O’Toole depicts a roiling nation that almost ludicrously dreams of a German invasion, if only to get the blood going, and that erupts in faux outrage over regulations on “prawn-flavored crisps.” A sympathetic yet unsparing observer, O’Toole asks: How did a great nation bring itself to the point of such willful self-harm? His answer represents one of the most profound portraits of the English since Sarah Lyall’s New York Times bestseller The Anglo Files.




Journalism


Book Description

Get 12 months FREE access to an interactive eBook* when you buy the paperback! (Print paperback version only, ISBN 9781446274095) To find out more and for a preview of the new edition visit https://study.sagepub.com/journalism Journalism: Principles & Practice remains the essential textbook for all students of journalism. With each print copy of the new third edition, you receive FREE access to the interactive eBook edition offering on-the-go access to a wealth of digital resources including video tutorials from the author. This book is the must-have guide to everything you need to know about how journalism works. The new edition is fully updated to cover the new essentials: social media, the impact of Twitter, and the need for an ethical approach. This book will equip you with all the skills and savvy you need to become the resourceful yet ethical journalists of the future. New and improved features will help you: Get to grips with the huge impact of social and mobile media on how we gather information and tell stories Grasp the rights and wrongs of journalism with a new chapter on ethics and regulation Learn how to make the most of your skills with tips from journalists such as Cathy Newman and Andrew Norfolk Think through ‘what would you do?' in a new feature that takes you into the real world of journalism at the end of every chapter This new edition retains its innovative two-column structure, stylishly blending theory and practice. As relevant to the newsroom as the seminar room, it is the one book you will need to take you through your degree and into your career as a journalist. *interactivity only available through Vitalsource eBook




Feature Writing


Book Description

This book provides a practical and richly informative introduction to feature writing and the broader context in which features journalists operate. As well as covering the key elements and distinctive features that constitute good feature writing, the book also offers a rich resource of real life examples, case studies and exercises. The authors have drawn on their considerable shared experience to provide a solid and engaging grounding in the principles and practice of feature writing. The textbook will explore the possibilities of feature writing, including essential basics, such as: Why journalists become feature writers The difference between news stories and features What features need to contain How to write features The different types of features The text is intended for both those who are studying the media at degree level and those who are wishing to embark on a career in the print industry. It will be invaluable for trainee feature writers.