The Bank Holiday List - 10 books you should read before you die

As we are now doing the top ten tweets in Barnet on a Saturday, I've been neglecting my lists. So as it's bank holiday here is my list.

1. The New Testament - Various
2. Behold the Man - Michael Moorcock
3. The Rise and Fall of the British Empire - Lawrence James
4. It's dicey flying Wimpeys over Italian skies - Maurice Lihou OBE
5. Shoulder to Shoulder - Midge MacKenzie
6. Pete Frames Rock Family Trees
7. Vulcan 607 - Rowland White
8. Anti cancer a new way of life - David Servan-Schreiber
9. The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer - Siddhartha Mukherjee
10. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep - Phillip K. Dick

 And here's why

1. The New Testament - Various

So much of our culture has been influenced by this book. Whether you are an Atheist seeking to understand the world we live in, a member of a non Christian religion or simply someone with a curiosity as to why Western Civilisation has taken its current form, the contents of this book explains many of the reasons for the way our customs and traditions have formed. One aspect of the new testament that is much overlooked is that it is perhaps the only book from that period, explaining the views, superstitions and customs of ordinary people, living in an outpost of the brutal Roman Empire under a vicious religious regime. Whether or not you believe any of it, I happen to think that it is interesting to understand the motivations of the Jewish people at the time, waiting for a Messiah to deliver them from the oppressive Roman military machine. It is also interesting to note the collaboration between the local religious leaders and the Roman military government. In effect the book tells how a bunch of fishermen from Gallilee were influenced by a charismatic leader. Depending on your beliefs it all has either a very happy ending and we're all saved or a very tragic ending, which has had rather strange consequences for the world ever since.


2. Behold the Man - Michael Moorcock

This thought provoking science fiction novel takes a different slant on the story of the New Testament. The hero is a man who builds a time machine and goes back to biblical times. He is a committed Christian and he wants to meet Jesus. On arrival he finds that Jesus is not what he expected, so he takes on his role. He realises that without the character of Jesus, the world he lived in would never come to be. As he knows all the bible stories, he is ab;e to convince his followers that his reality is the truth. Considered by many Christians at the time of its release to be blasphemous, I found it a hugely entertaining and thought provoking read. To the blasphemy brigade, I say this. If your faith can't survive reading a sci fi book or watching the Life of Brian, you probably didn't have much faith in the first place.

3. The Rise and Fall of the British Empire - Lawrence James

This book is the definitive history of the British Empire. As we head toward Euro elections, where UKIP, an isolationist party look likely to win, I think we should remind ourselves just why Great Britain is such a wealthy country, and how we came to have such fabulous wealth. We should also seek to understand why London has become such a cosmopolitan city. The main reason why a damp, cold island off the European mainland has evolved into this fantastic place is largely explained in this book. Sadly my friends, the main reason is because we spent a couple of hundred years exploiting those far less well off. This book tells the story of little international crime spree (although not in those terms). Whatever you think of Imperialism, a great book.

4. It's dicey flying Wimpeys over Italian skies - Maurice Lihou OBE

Maurice Lihou OBE was a pilot in the RAF, based at Foggia Main airbase in Italy in 1944. This book tells the story of how these brave pilots flew obsolete aircraft to bring the end of fascism and nazism. This book details the privations of living under canvass, the pain of seeing colleagues not come back and the sheer bravery and commitment of the pilots. Perhaps the most interesting thing I learned was how the mining of the Danube by 39 & 40 Squadron brought the German war machine to an almost grinding halt, as this was the main freight channel. I spoke several times to Maurice Lihou before he passed away. A truly magmificent man and an inspiring read, if you can get hold of it.  It was disgusting that Maurice Lihou died without a campaign medal from Bomber Command.

5. Shoulder to Shoulder - Midge MacKenzie

Midge MacKenzie directed a TV series for the BBC in the 1970's called Shoulder to Shoulder, about the Suffragette campaign. These brave women brought the vote to over 50% of the British population who were disenfranchised. This book tells the story. If you care about justice, then you should read this book.

6. Pete Frames Rock Family Trees

If you love rock and roll, this book tells the story of all the most significant bands in a unique way. Absolutely fascinating. This is the definitive chronicle of the rise of Rock and Roll music.

7. Vulcan 607 - Rowland White

The story of how the RAF bombed Port Stanley airfield during the Falklands war. A magnificent and true tale. This operation was without precedent and made me feel very proud to be British. 

8. Anti cancer a new way of life - Dr David Servan-Schreiber

This book could  change your life and could save your life. Since beiong diagnosed with prostate cancer in November 2011, I have tried to adhere to the lifestyle recommended. My PSA count was lower last time I had a test than when I first read this book. Sadly, by the time you get Cancer, you have already left it too late, read this toady, regardless of your cancer status.

9. The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer - Siddhartha Mukherjee

This book explains what cancer is, what causes it and how the treatment of the disease has evolved. I would make every school child in the world study this book. It is a fascinating read.

10. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep - Phillip K. Dick

This book was turned into a film called Blade Runner with Harrison Ford. It is an eerie bleak book, which in some ways is a warning of just how badly things could go wrong for us, unless we start behaving as responsible citizens of Planet Earth. It is also a damn fine read

Does Mike Freer dream of Electric Sheep?

Empathy with our fellow human beings.

If you've seen the classic Sci Fi film Blade Runner, based on the classic novel "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?", by Phillip K.Dick, you will know that the only way to tell a human from a top of the range Android is the Voigt-Kampff test, which distinguishes humans from androids based on their empathetic response.

I was reminded of this when I watched the Barnet Cabinet debate the catastrophic policy of abolishing residential wardens at Whetstone on Monday. It would be reassuring to find that Freer's total lack of empathy with his fellow man could be so easily explained. Did he not feel ashamed and embarrassed at the sight of a couple of hundred pensioners protesting outside his office at his headline policy? Didn't he see the old dears in wheelchairs, painfully sitting through the long meeting. As he proclaimed "Well if you don't like our policies you can vote us out in 2010" didn't he just feel a little bit ashamed?

The cabinet of Barnet Council voted unanimously to ditch the wardens, well not quite. Matthew Offord didn't vote, he'd found some excuse not to show up. I suspect that Matthew's rather cowardly non appearance had more to do with the fact that he can now honestly tell voters "I didn't vote for it" than anything else. A rather typical human response that - Cowardice.

I have a theory about Barnet Council and the way it's run. The one way to ensure that people are loyal is to pay them more than they are worth. That way they have to protect you to protect themselves. If you ensure that they have cushy jobs with tellies on their desks, top salaries and generous allowances, they will protect you. If you throw in jollies travelling first class to the USA and the South of France, people know they have much to lose if you are ousted and a more austere regime takes over. Barnet Councillors have rejected an independent scheme of deciding the level of renumeration. One Councillor, Brian Coleman gets over £100,000 in allowances for a string of part time posts. Cabinet jobs in Barnet are well paid. These are in the gift of the man at the top, Mike Freer. If you are a cabinet member, standing up to Mike Freer could cost you very dear.

It's all about looking after those people who can be useful. How do you pay for this generosity? By shafting the weakest and most vulnerable members of society. Those least able to organise themselves and fight back. I suspect that some in Barnet Council know they are wrong. After the meeting a pensioner told me that they had spoken with Councillor Andrew Harper who admitted this to them. Councillor Harper told them that he was working quietly behind the scenes to scupper the proposal and that things were going to happen over the next few months which would allay their fears. I have to tell you that the pensioner in question told me that having heard the "staged debate", they would no longer believe a word any Tory told them. This person was previously a life long Tory. I asked if I could use their name, but they replied "They run the place I live in, I'm worried that they'll have it in for me if I go public"

Is Councillor Harper working behind the scenes to sort the mess out? Duncan MacDonald says in his blog that the two Tory councillors in High Barnet don't support the policy. Vicki Morris of the Barnet Community Campaign emailed all of the Tory Councillors to ask their opinion of the policy. Not one responded. Does this sound as if they really want it to happen?

I've no idea whether Mike Freer dreams of Electric Sheep. I'm pretty sure he dreams of being an MP. I'm also pretty sure he's only doing this to show that he's a "tough leader". Thing is, I don't think that beating up the elderly is a sign of toughness, it's a sign of a cowardly bully. If he was tough, he could save the same amount of money, if not more by cutting the allowances of Councillors, sacking political advisors and getting rid of the expensive consultants working on future shape. He could get rid of the tellies from the senior offices desks and give them to the sheltered accomodation tenants. He could cut the waste and the jollys.

Mike Freer is not a rogue andriod, like the villains in Blade runner. He's something far more dangerous, at least he is if you are a frail resident of Barnet Council's sheltered accomodation.