Phil Tinline
@philtinline.bsky.social
Author, THE DEATH OF CONSENSUS (The Times' Politics Book of 2022)
GHOSTS OF IRON MOUNTAIN ("riveting" - The New Yorker)
https://tinyurl.com/Ghosts-Iron-Mountain
Last on Radio 4: Societal Collapse https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002lppp
GHOSTS OF IRON MOUNTAIN ("riveting" - The New Yorker)
https://tinyurl.com/Ghosts-Iron-Mountain
Last on Radio 4: Societal Collapse https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002lppp
Love how this consistently means:
'You have 0 (zero) new invitations...but please click anyway! Someone might have blu-tacked some clichés together about how their job isn't steadily draining them of joy, honest.'
'You have 0 (zero) new invitations...but please click anyway! Someone might have blu-tacked some clichés together about how their job isn't steadily draining them of joy, honest.'
January 3, 2026 at 7:44 PM
Love how this consistently means:
'You have 0 (zero) new invitations...but please click anyway! Someone might have blu-tacked some clichés together about how their job isn't steadily draining them of joy, honest.'
'You have 0 (zero) new invitations...but please click anyway! Someone might have blu-tacked some clichés together about how their job isn't steadily draining them of joy, honest.'
4. The English at War by 'Cassandra' - the Daily Mirror's William Brown, whose columns appeared on the same page as Wintringham's - and who was even angrier about the selfishness that had taken us close to total disaster.
We could do with one or two more journalists like these now.
We could do with one or two more journalists like these now.
December 14, 2025 at 11:21 AM
4. The English at War by 'Cassandra' - the Daily Mirror's William Brown, whose columns appeared on the same page as Wintringham's - and who was even angrier about the selfishness that had taken us close to total disaster.
We could do with one or two more journalists like these now.
We could do with one or two more journalists like these now.
3. New Ways of War by Tom Wintringham, ex-communist veteran of the Spanish Civil War who taught guerrilla war techniques to volunteers in a country house near London - then wrote this book, in weeks, to share his tips before the invaders came. Including how to make a sponge bag into a hand grenade.
December 14, 2025 at 11:21 AM
3. New Ways of War by Tom Wintringham, ex-communist veteran of the Spanish Civil War who taught guerrilla war techniques to volunteers in a country house near London - then wrote this book, in weeks, to share his tips before the invaders came. Including how to make a sponge bag into a hand grenade.
2. If Hitler Comes (originally Loss of Eden): another book hacked out at speed by angry, jumpy young journalists.
People have often imagined a Nazi invasion, but Brown and Serpell did it when it was a real fear. Guess who they picked out as the guilty men who'd sell us out to the fascist enemy?
People have often imagined a Nazi invasion, but Brown and Serpell did it when it was a real fear. Guess who they picked out as the guilty men who'd sell us out to the fascist enemy?
December 14, 2025 at 11:21 AM
2. If Hitler Comes (originally Loss of Eden): another book hacked out at speed by angry, jumpy young journalists.
People have often imagined a Nazi invasion, but Brown and Serpell did it when it was a real fear. Guess who they picked out as the guilty men who'd sell us out to the fascist enemy?
People have often imagined a Nazi invasion, but Brown and Serpell did it when it was a real fear. Guess who they picked out as the guilty men who'd sell us out to the fascist enemy?
First, Guilty Men: hammered out by Michael Foot and 2 colleagues in 4 days, as the troops limped back from Dunkirk. The aim was to force Chamberlain out, and recast the last decade as a time not of wise caution, but paralysed timidity.
Here's some of what I wrote about it in The Death of Consensus:
Here's some of what I wrote about it in The Death of Consensus:
December 14, 2025 at 11:21 AM
First, Guilty Men: hammered out by Michael Foot and 2 colleagues in 4 days, as the troops limped back from Dunkirk. The aim was to force Chamberlain out, and recast the last decade as a time not of wise caution, but paralysed timidity.
Here's some of what I wrote about it in The Death of Consensus:
Here's some of what I wrote about it in The Death of Consensus:
Ever more talk of the war against fascism spreading to Europe's complacent, poorly-armed west.
The hope of relying on America closed off.
Some Brits denouncing their own country and cheering our enemies.
For some reason, I keep thinking about 1940-41 and these guys - the patriotic anti-Nazi left:
The hope of relying on America closed off.
Some Brits denouncing their own country and cheering our enemies.
For some reason, I keep thinking about 1940-41 and these guys - the patriotic anti-Nazi left:
December 14, 2025 at 11:21 AM
Ever more talk of the war against fascism spreading to Europe's complacent, poorly-armed west.
The hope of relying on America closed off.
Some Brits denouncing their own country and cheering our enemies.
For some reason, I keep thinking about 1940-41 and these guys - the patriotic anti-Nazi left:
The hope of relying on America closed off.
Some Brits denouncing their own country and cheering our enemies.
For some reason, I keep thinking about 1940-41 and these guys - the patriotic anti-Nazi left:
Is this where said bishop-on-bishop clash happened?
December 8, 2025 at 9:00 PM
Is this where said bishop-on-bishop clash happened?
Likewise, it's very kind of Dominic Sandbrook to pick Ghosts of Iron Mountain as one of his books of the year in The Times!
"It's the perfect history book for the post-truth age."
You all know someone who wants one of those:
www.hive.co.uk/Product/Phil...
"It's the perfect history book for the post-truth age."
You all know someone who wants one of those:
www.hive.co.uk/Product/Phil...
December 1, 2025 at 3:19 PM
Likewise, it's very kind of Dominic Sandbrook to pick Ghosts of Iron Mountain as one of his books of the year in The Times!
"It's the perfect history book for the post-truth age."
You all know someone who wants one of those:
www.hive.co.uk/Product/Phil...
"It's the perfect history book for the post-truth age."
You all know someone who wants one of those:
www.hive.co.uk/Product/Phil...
Perhaps, instead of turning everything into paperclips, AI is coming to resemble Clippy.
December 1, 2025 at 7:57 AM
Perhaps, instead of turning everything into paperclips, AI is coming to resemble Clippy.
This raises exactly the right questions, including the role in the oversight of BBC editorial standards of people who work in PR, rather than, say, full-time journalists:
November 20, 2025 at 9:07 AM
This raises exactly the right questions, including the role in the oversight of BBC editorial standards of people who work in PR, rather than, say, full-time journalists:
Yes indeed! I read it when I was researching my book The Death of Consensus, along with lots of other such texts from the time:
November 14, 2025 at 11:31 AM
Yes indeed! I read it when I was researching my book The Death of Consensus, along with lots of other such texts from the time:
Far more British people trust the BBC than the Daily Mail. Which would you miss more?
November 11, 2025 at 7:57 AM
Far more British people trust the BBC than the Daily Mail. Which would you miss more?
The New York Post is doing the whole "if you vote for the thing we don't like, everyone will move to Dubai" routine that is so convincing and persuasive when newspapers do it over here:
nypost.com/2025/11/03/u...
nypost.com/2025/11/03/u...
November 4, 2025 at 6:27 AM
The New York Post is doing the whole "if you vote for the thing we don't like, everyone will move to Dubai" routine that is so convincing and persuasive when newspapers do it over here:
nypost.com/2025/11/03/u...
nypost.com/2025/11/03/u...
Was it the military-industrial complex
October 31, 2025 at 11:19 PM
Was it the military-industrial complex
Who will win? My money's on Bill de Blasio. Or maybe Bill DeBlasio.
October 31, 2025 at 8:02 AM
Who will win? My money's on Bill de Blasio. Or maybe Bill DeBlasio.
Really hope someone has run a headline about how Trump is hailing his 'Xii out of X' Xi summit
October 31, 2025 at 7:31 AM
Really hope someone has run a headline about how Trump is hailing his 'Xii out of X' Xi summit
South London bus stop
October 9, 2025 at 9:13 PM
South London bus stop
Pretty much all of this is nonsense.
Tax is already digital; I haven't filled in a return on paper for years. This is not 'help and support'; it's a deadline threat in the service of a pointless nuisance. And I'm not a 'customer' of HMRC.
Also, how does wasting freelancers' time boost growth?
Tax is already digital; I haven't filled in a return on paper for years. This is not 'help and support'; it's a deadline threat in the service of a pointless nuisance. And I'm not a 'customer' of HMRC.
Also, how does wasting freelancers' time boost growth?
October 3, 2025 at 11:06 AM
Pretty much all of this is nonsense.
Tax is already digital; I haven't filled in a return on paper for years. This is not 'help and support'; it's a deadline threat in the service of a pointless nuisance. And I'm not a 'customer' of HMRC.
Also, how does wasting freelancers' time boost growth?
Tax is already digital; I haven't filled in a return on paper for years. This is not 'help and support'; it's a deadline threat in the service of a pointless nuisance. And I'm not a 'customer' of HMRC.
Also, how does wasting freelancers' time boost growth?
September 12, 2025 at 8:08 AM
Bonus ball, just landed
September 11, 2025 at 9:23 PM
Bonus ball, just landed
Ok - I'll do one a day until we both lose the will to live. Or we could just go for a pint and you can check.
September 11, 2025 at 9:12 PM
Ok - I'll do one a day until we both lose the will to live. Or we could just go for a pint and you can check.
Elsewhere this article is more critical of employers breaking the law, but the suggestion here that the fault lies with the state more than the criminals is rather...odd:
www.thetimes.com/comment/colu...
www.thetimes.com/comment/colu...
August 31, 2025 at 9:51 AM
Elsewhere this article is more critical of employers breaking the law, but the suggestion here that the fault lies with the state more than the criminals is rather...odd:
www.thetimes.com/comment/colu...
www.thetimes.com/comment/colu...