A beautifully-written and thought-provoking collection of essays on social, political and literary issues as diverse as the Jonathan Ross/Russell Brand controversy, violent crime on Britain's streets, the effects of the welfare state, modern architecture and the respective merits of Shakespeare and Dr. Johnson.
Dalrymple uses examples from his long career as a prison doctor and his travels to every corner of the globe to illustrate his central view - that Britain is in the throes of social, cultural and political decline.
"Dalrymple is surely a modern master," - The Guardian
"His (Dalrymple's) dispatches from this frontline have always had a tone and a quality entirely their own...I’d recommend the book to anyone with a brain and a heart, of whatever political persuasion.” - The Spectator
"Dalrymple illuminates with great clarity and precision some of the most difficult problems of our times.” - Washington Times
