History (Blunt, WW1, defunct royals), historical thrillers (The Strangler Vine) and TV recs. currently writing a book about feminism and princesses
London, England
Joined December 2013
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A thread: I have only read this article and NOT the book from which it derives, but as the author of the standard biography of Anthony Blunt, I feel inclined to comment. The main contention is that not only was Blunt spying for the Soviets, but that he was/
Well, well, well. So it was Anthony Blunt who is likely to have been the spy who foiled Operation Market Garden, led to 17,000 Allied deaths and left Berlin & Eastern Germany to fall to Russia. Can we have no more romanticising of the Cambridge spies pls?
thetimes.co.uk/article/392db…
Miranda (MJ) Carter retweeted
We’re obsessed with billionaires, but the owners of Main Street businesses are, collectively, many times richer than the Forbes 400. newyorker.com/magazine/2026/…
Miranda (MJ) Carter retweeted
Why don't heritage attractions have historically themed prices, so e.g. all Bayeux Tapestry merchandise at the British Museum costs £10.66, £106.6 or £1066? The price then becomes an amusing novelty in its own right, inducing positive feelings in customers
Miranda (MJ) Carter retweeted
What makes the Wilhelm story feel contemporary is the governance failure.
Carter’s point is that an ego-driven leader, surrounded by flatterers, can mistake provocation for statecraft and impulse for “instinct.”
A serious country does not rely on personality to be stable. It builds stability into the system.
- Professionals who can deliver bad news without being punished
- Transparent decision-making that can be challenged in public
- Real legislative oversight over major strategic shifts
That is not “weakness.”
That is how a democracy keeps its power from becoming a personal hobby.
Miranda (MJ) Carter retweeted
Kaiser Wilhelm II, who ruled Germany from 1888 to 1918, had a talent for causing outrage. He believed he was brilliant at diplomacy, despite all evidence to the contrary, and had a limited understanding of cause and effect. Read about the lessons of Kaiser Wilhelm II: newyorkermag.visitlink.me/lM…
Miranda (MJ) Carter retweeted
1).
Kaiser Wilhelm II Hohenzollern (1859–1941) [1] [2] as the @realDonaldTrump archetype
Article [3] by Miranda Carter (@MJCarter10) [4] [5] [6] of June 6, 2018
Kaiser Wilhelm II, who ruled Germany from 1888 to 1918, had a talent for causing outrage. He believed he was brilliant at diplomacy, despite all evidence to the contrary, and had a limited understanding of cause and effect. Read about the lessons of Kaiser Wilhelm II: newyorkermag.visitlink.me/lM…
Miranda (MJ) Carter retweeted
George, Nicholas and Wilhem
Three Royal Cousins and the Road to World War I
Miranda Carter
Knopf, 2010
500 Pages
Rp. 200.000
Huge congratulations to@Tonisenior on her marvellously reviewed new book about #TheCambridgeSpies—I am not a bit surprised that it’s so good
Miranda (MJ) Carter retweeted
I’ve just finished Miranda Carter’s biography of Anthony Blunt - fascinating and well-written. I’ve gone from not that interested to gripped. What should I read next? I’m curious about the idea that there was an Oxford spy ring too. #spies
Miranda (MJ) Carter retweeted
Just finished Miranda Carter's gripping Anthony Blunt: His Lives. Her Blunt is stoic, aloof, vain and bewildered. You'd quite like him. ***** @MJCarter10
Miranda (MJ) Carter retweeted
John Lanchester: ‘My father just dropped dead’ - The Times and The Sunday Times apple.news/AI4eeuQsbTre98zXB…
John Lanchester: ‘My father just dropped dead’ - The Times and The Sunday Times apple.news/AI4eeuQsbTre98zXB…
Miranda (MJ) Carter retweeted
The guy who blamed Rob Reiner for his own death says the BBC damaged his reputation
huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/d…
Will Marks and Spencer Clapham High St NEVER open? @MandSnews you are crushing my dreams
Gives me no pleasure to say that #KingAndConqueror is a dreadful disappointment. 2025 cgi equivalent of shonky cardboard sets, desperate lack of extras, but most of all shockingly bad script & unforgivably boring.
Lord Dannatt urged ministers to crack down on Palestine Action at request of US firm | Richard Dannatt | The Guardian theguardian.com/uk-news/2025…
Miranda (MJ) Carter retweeted
Almost 200 years ago, George Cruikshank published this savage print of the Royal Family. It features the recently disgraced Duke of York, and the strained relationship between the Prince of Wales and his brother the Duke of Sussex.
Almost unimaginable today, isn't it?
I’m sure someone will explain why it’s SO awful that London property prices are falling & all the foreign billionaires are off, poor darlings, but it seems to me it’s about time prices got more affordable for the young who actually live & work here apple.news/Abn0DPmQ0TtW_IV5h…
