Back to the presents

I got five books yesterday with more to follow when I spend my book tokens. (Thanks to Mrs F&W and my sisters.)

At long last I've got a copy of Radicals for Capitalism by Brian Doherty. Published earlier this year, Doherty has written a "Freewheeling History of the Modern American Libertarian Movement." He gives special attention to the "Big Five" - Mises, Hayek, Rand, Rothbard and Friedman. I met numbers two, four and five. Indeed, I photographed Hayek at Buckingham Palace, chauffeured Rothbard in my car and first met Mrs F&W at a dinner addressed by Friedman. Doherty's book will be one to savour and in the latest issue of Economic Affairs it was highly praised by Dr Tim Evans, President of the Libertarian Alliance.

Next is The Triumph of the Political Class by Peter Oborne. I started this book last night and it is a cracker. Oborne makes the essential libertarian point. The ruling class doesn't consist of capitalist free marketers but of their opposite - a group of exploitative individuals who live by the state and in a just world would die by the market.

Scotland the Best is, well, the best guidebook to Scotland. Every two years Peter Irvine's book is updated with essential information on where to find the best ice cream, the best Indian restaurant, the best scenic drive, the best old-fashioned pub, wherever you are in the country. Don't worry - it also covers the likes of Loch Lomond and Edinburgh Castle...

I also now have a copy of Iain Dale's Guide to Political Blogging in the UK featuring yours truly.

The name R A Saville-Sneath conjures up an impression of a World War II RAF fighter pilot. Close. In fact, he wrote a book about aircraft recognition and it's been reissued by Penguin. Spitfires and Hurricanes, Dorniers and Heinkels - they're all here. The original book wasn't aimed at hobbyists. It was to make sure that we shot down the right planes!