London Review of Books Vol 30, 13 July 3rd 2008

This issue of the London Review of Books (Vol 30, 13 July 3rd 2008) has much of interest, including Neal Ascherson writing about Misha Glenny's McMafia, J.H.Elliott on the early modern discovery of other people and Clair Willis on R.F.Foster's Luck and the Irish. Stephen Burt catches up with re-issues of Philip K.Dick classics. And more, of course.

Articles that aren't book reviews include Ross McKibbin on Academies (although he takes up the 1997 book Class Act by Adonis and Pollard), Eliot Weinberger on Obama v. Clinton and Uri Avnery on 'Obama on Israel'. Avnery and Weinberger aren't available in full, which is a shame. einberger provides an acute analysis of the pro-Obama state of mind and some of the roots of his success - the role of a post-civil rights generation, the role of 'sincerity' and grassroots internet campaigning. The main weakness is the absence of any sense of Obama's shift right after his victory over Clinton. Some of these issues are taken up by Uri Avnery on the AIPAC conference where Obama pleadged loyalty to Israel. Avnery sees Mearsheimer and Walt's conclusions being confirmed.