Well, I have known him, off and on, for about 30-years. Perhaps 'known' is too strong a word but back in the day he used to write for 'The Speccie' and, like all my favourite columnists, I feel I really do 'know' him even if I have never met him. Anyway, my somewhat laboured joke in the title to this post refers to the opening chapter of his latest book - Full Circle: How the Classical World Came Back to Haunt Us. In this chapter, entitled The Bath, he provides us with a history of baths and bathing as a means of proving his central point in the book that far from following progressive notions in which Humankind has steadily advanced to ever greener pastures in an upland of civilisation (always led by Progressives, of course), in fact we have merely executed a complete circle and are now back where we started in Greco-Roman times.
Now, it really doesn't matter whether or not you agree with Mr. Mount who is, after all, a typical 'Speccie' writer in that he is highly intelligent, perceptive and able to cast a cool but good-humoured eye over all sort of ideas and then distill his conclusions into shrewd but witty words. However, having only read his opening chapter on the history of bathing I am convinced! And, what is more important, in the process of being convinced I have also been effortlessly educated and delighted with a seemingly unending wealth of details and personalities ranging from Sir Daniel Gooch who was Isambard Kingdom Brunel's chief engineer and the patron behind the building in Swindon of the huge bath-house provided for the benefit of his workers on the Great Western Railway, to the eras of Diocletian, Caracalla and Hadrian and their baths each covering some 25 acres which puts them amongst the biggest buildings we know of in the ancient world. I am tempted to quote that old catchphrase of an equally old Brit comedian whose name eludes me - "notta lotta people know that!"
I know I am always banging on about this book or that but really, truly and honestly and cross my heart and wish to die - this is a copper-bottomed, gen-u-ine, absolute CORKER! I know that one or two of my regular readers are tremendous brain-boxes (which makes me wonder why they slum it over here) but I bet even they will find things in this book which they never knew and which might, just, alter their perception of our world.
Have you read his "Cold Cream"? vg
Posted by: dearieme | Sunday, 26 August 2012 at 00:14
Look here, DM, you're costing me a fortune! I keep buying these books you recommend - I've just finished Shapiro's Contested Will, of which more later - and nudged by you and a confirmatory review in the Telegraph I will now have to go off and buy Cold Cream. Meanwhile, my pile of waiting-to-be-read books grows ever higher. A small contribution to Duff's Poor Children's Beer Fund would not be amiss!
Posted by: David Duff | Sunday, 26 August 2012 at 09:39