Fascinating!

I had no idea. That’s problem the best summary of this book. Yes, I lived through Brexit and Covid and all what preceded. I always knew something is different in the UK but had no idea how to name it. Now I understand.

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Interesting

Insightful view into the inner works of Oxford and the people who went on to become Britain’s biggest politicians

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1 person found this helpful

An entertaining listen let down by the end

For the most part this was a decent book, not groundbreaking but fairly entertaining to listen to, and giving a good impression of the atmosphere within Oxford university and the state of mind that its students may have had during their time there.

However chapter 16, and to a lesser extent chapter 17, seem to have gone out without going through the same editing process as the rest of the book as they are far more political, far less well written, and just generally feel more like yet another blog post about how the UK locked down too late during Covid or how Brexit and the Iraq war were the two biggest mistakes this century.
It's a shame because the rest of the book is fairly neutral and the author says himself at the beginning that this isn't meant to be another rant about how "they lied on the side of their bus." This is true for most of it but sadly it appears the author had to let it all out by the time this fairly short book ended.

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A well spun diary of unfettered privilege

Simon Kuyper tells the story very well about this unique sect of English, Eton and Oxford University characters who codded and manipulated everybody else, including themselves.
They and this book provide great entertainment for us all but happily they are unlikely to ever be in charge again.

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3 people found this helpful

Astonishing

A really good listen that delves into the personal upbringing of so many of the current policitical class that passed through Oxford in the 1980s and 90s and how the experience shaped them.

Well narrated and really interesting. Highly recommend.

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Insightful

A particularly surreal experience to read while attending Oxford as a postgraduate. Genuinely insightful into the character of Britain, Oxford and the current ruling caste.

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1 person found this helpful

Scary stuff

I guess when we live in a so called democracy and we cast a vote for our favoured candidate or party we think we’re making a difference. I’ve long had doubts about politicians and successive governments. It always looks like an old boys network.

Chums explains why. Simon Kuper provides insight snd analysis of the impact of croneyism and the feeding trough known as Oxford. Frankly, it’s sickening to understand the extent to which a network ( predominantly male, of course) shapes politics and has done so for decades. We live in an autocracy, without doubt and I suspect little will change in the next few decades. Fascinating snd enraging in equal measure.

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Oxford exposed and it’s impact on U.K.

Excellent expose of Oxford University culture and it’s impact on U.K. society. For those of us harbouring the misapprehension that getting into Oxford required superior intelligence (well maybe for the working class folk who make it through the gate) and enabling us to see why there’s such a pipeline between Oxford and westminister - excellent read

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5 people found this helpful

No wonder Britain is in such a downward spiral.

Excellently written book in a semi serious tone;)
Virtually the disaster of Brexit has much to do with poor grasping of analytics by the elite Toffs with their sense and of entitlement. The Oxford union is a debating club mimicking the House of Commons. Kuper delivers us a selected history of Oxford university with focus on the continuing education of Etonians who are honed in debating skills but virtually no substance.
Mark Elstob does a fine job.

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2 people found this helpful

Very eye opening…

Like most people, I am only dimly aware of the kinds of lives that those mentioned in the book have lived in their university years.

The content confirmed most of what I had not quite found an answer to about the central protagonists - when politicians cite Latin phrases or Greek classics, I often found myself jealous their education. Now I realise it was only because they don’t really have an education that they had time to learn Latin and Greek classics.

I was impressed with the sort of cultural influences drawn in by the author too.

An enjoyable listen.

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