Treason of the Heart: From Thomas Paine to Kim Philby

Treason of the Heart: From Thomas Paine to Kim Philby

by David Pryce-Jones
Treason of the Heart: From Thomas Paine to Kim Philby

Treason of the Heart: From Thomas Paine to Kim Philby

by David Pryce-Jones

Hardcover

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Overview

Treason of the Heart is an account of British people who took up foreign causes. Not mercenaries, then, but ideologues. Almost all were what today we would call radicals or activists, who thought they knew better than whichever bunch of backward or oppressed people it was that they had come to save. Usually they were applying to others what they saw as the benefits of their culture, and so obviously meritorious was their culture that they were prepared to be violent in imposing it. Some genuinely hated their own country, however, and saw themselves promoting abroad the values their own retrograde government was blocking.

The book deals with those like Thomas Paine who saw American independence as the surest means to hurt England; the many who hoped to spread the French revolution and then have Napoleon conquer England; historic characters like Lord Byron and Lawrence of Arabia who fought for the causes that brought them glory; finally those who took up Communism or Nazism. Treason of the Heart is nothing less than the tale of intellectuals deluded about the effect of what they are doing – and therefore with immediate reference to today’s world.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781594035289
Publisher: Encounter Books
Publication date: 05/17/2011
Pages: 224
Product dimensions: 9.10(w) x 6.34(h) x 0.96(d)

About the Author

David Pryce-Jones is the author of ten novels and thirteen books of non-fiction, including the best—selling The Closed Circle and The Strange Death of the Soviet Union. He is a Senior Editor of National Review.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

Chapter 1 The Revolution of the World 5

Chapter 2 The Mighty Projects of the Times 15

Chapter 3 "The God of My Idolatry" 33

Chapter 4 "We Are All Greeks" 43

Chapter 5 That Sound That Crashes in the Tyrant's Ear 55

Chapter 6 Imperishable and International Poetry 61

Chapter 7 Pasha Inglesi 77

Chapter 8 "Those Poor Armenians" 95

Chapter 9 "To Heal This Ancient Nation" 103

Chapter 10 "Every Englishman's Idea of Nature's Gentleman" 117

Chapter 11 Germany Calling 153

Chapter 12 There Are Many Wicked Men in the World 179

Epilogue 215

Acknowledgments 221

Notes 223

Index 237

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