John F Kennedy’s presidency was defined by Cuba, first in the botched Bay of Pigs invasion, then in the stand-off with Khrushchev in the Cuban missile crisis
Continue ReadingThe story behind the F-word and its Guardian debut
Alastair Hetherington: decision made against advice of lawyers and his senior team It is still taboo in most newspapers, yet common in a playground. And if you want to say it on the BBC you have to get top…
Continue ReadingHow a new queen courted the British press
The Queen: good at playing it long Self-confident and assured, the Queen has negotiated the difficulties of her reign with apparent ease. Stoicism and a grim determination to keep calm and carry on are the foundations of her success.…
Continue ReadingIn the gutter … looking at the stars
Lord George Brown: a tired and emotional man There’s a fabulous story about George Brown, the former British Foreign Secretary in Harold Wilson’s first government. It’s almost certainly not true, but it should be. Brown was a drunk…
Continue ReadingObama handshake ties up Kennedy loose ends
Barak Obama and Raul Castro at the Summit of the Americas A handshake and four simple words – “those days are past” – signalled a new era of diplomacy between the United States of America and Latin America. The…
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