Literature
Postcard from Taiwan
The Alishan Forest Railway runs from the coastal plain into the heart of Taiwan’s empty highlands. It was built in 1912 by the Japanese for the purpose of transporting timber from the mountains for the [more…]
Joe Slater
17th Century
The good ship Fredericus Quartus, Part One
Transatlantic slavery was ended in 1833 by Britain after a campaign by William Wilberforce. It is one of the key dates in British history, and Wilberforce is a name known to everyone. Britain may have [more…]
Literature
Along the Saxon Shore
When I lived in London in the early 2000s, I explored all the surrounding counties by bike. Of them, Essex was perhaps the most interesting. It suffers from more negative stereotyping than any other county [more…]
Economics
Meiyouren Yuedu Pinglun, Part Two
没有人阅读评论 Meiyouren Yuedu Pinglun (Nobody Reads the Comments) So what do Chinese people think about their country? Below are translations of three comments appended in Chinese (and hence not intended for foreigners) to a video [more…]
Economics
Meiyouren Yuedu Pinglun, Part One
没有人阅读评论 Meiyouren Yuedu Pinglun (Nobody Reads the Comments) “SINCE 1978 China has liberated more people from poverty than any other country in history, partly because China before 1978 consigned more people to poverty than anywhere [more…]
Literature
The Platform at Aston Rowant
From Aston Rowant to Kingston Blount From halt to halt, it beetled west For miles below the Chiltern crest A country line, of no account .. Now trains no longer skirt these hills And fencing [more…]
Biography
Going Postal, Part Three
Just before 2000, I decided to give up a well-paid job and comfortable life in Japan to make a new start in my homeland. I had bought a share in a house in south London, [more…]
Biography
Going Postal, Part Two
Just before 2000, I decided to give up a well-paid job and comfortable life in Japan to make a new start in my homeland. I had bought a share in a house in south London, [more…]
Biography
Going Postal, Part One
Just before 2000, I decided to give up a well-paid job and comfortable life in Japan to make a new start — please don’t laugh — in my homeland. England. Get back to my roots. [more…]