The nostalgia myth

Perspective Media
August 18, 2024

THIS WEEK’S DEEP DIVE
The nostalgia myth
BY GAVIN ESLER

From Guinness-fuelled debates in Dublin to Brexit negotiations in Brussels, this thought-provoking piece explores how Britain’s misremembered history shapes its present and threatens its future. Discover why clinging to past glories may be the UK’s greatest weakness.

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People

Q&A with Lucy Hughes-Hallett

The historian, biographer and novelist delves into the complexities of power, beauty, and political influence across centuries and explains why there's no such thing as an unbiased account of history

www.perspectivemedia.com/lucy-hughes-hallett

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The significance of an event shifts, depending on the narrator’s viewpoint. No single source can ever tell the whole truth

Interview with Henry Dimbleby

The food entrepreneur and writer tells Gavin Esler how our diet is killing us but politicians don’t want to know

www.perspectivemedia.com/henry-dimbleby

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People are worried their children are bombarded with adverts for disgusting food that’s going to kill them

Comment

Our low-down on current issues

Hopeful histories

From Roman bloodbaths to Viking sagas, history’s pages drip with tales of doom and gloom. But amid the wreckage of fallen empires, Peter Phelps uncovers stories of human ingenuity and adaptation, challenging us to rewrite our future with resilience rather than ruin.

www.perspectivemedia.com/hopeful-histories

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Ever since our ancestors made it through the Ice Age we've shown ourselves to be adaptable, creative and resourceful

Save our swifts

Writer-turned-campaigner Hannah Bourne-Taylor strips down to the bare essentials in her fight to save Britain’s swifts. From walking naked through London to recurring dreams about Michael Gove, discover why your voice matters in this race against extinction.

www.perspectivemedia.com/save-our-swifts

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These birds who share our walls – our very closest wild neighbours – are the ones we can help save with a simple brick

Might is not right

Barrister Sam Fowles warns of a pivotal moment in international relations as Western powers undermine the very institutions they built. From Gaza to Ukraine, discover how the unravelling of the post-WWII order threatens global stability and why a return to “might is right” diplomacy could spell disaster in an interconnected world facing unprecedented challenges.

www.perspectivemedia.com/might-is-not-right

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The West has actively rejected the concept of the liberal order

Culture

Gangster wrap

Journey with Anne Billson through a century of cinema to discover why today’s film industry might be more decadent than the Roaring Twenties - but not in the way you’d expect. Is the real decay happening behind the cameras rather than on screen?

www.perspectivemedia.com/gangster-wrap

Get Back

From TikTok revivals to vinyl resurgence, Laura Barton explores why we’re stuck in a nostalgic groove. Discover how political shifts and global uncertainty fuel our appetite for familiar tunes, and why the next musical revolution might be just around the corner. Is it time to trade comfort listening for the discordant sounds of change?

www.perspectivemedia.com/get-back

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