-
Archives
- October 2024
- July 2024
- February 2024
- November 2023
- October 2023
- September 2023
- May 2023
- April 2023
- March 2023
- December 2022
- November 2022
- April 2022
- August 2021
- July 2021
- April 2021
- March 2021
- November 2020
- October 2020
- August 2020
- May 2020
- February 2020
- November 2019
- July 2019
- April 2019
- March 2019
- February 2019
- November 2018
- October 2018
- September 2018
- June 2018
- May 2018
- April 2018
- March 2018
- February 2018
- January 2018
- December 2017
- October 2017
- August 2017
- July 2017
- June 2017
- May 2017
- April 2017
- March 2017
- February 2017
- January 2017
- December 2016
- October 2016
- August 2016
- June 2016
- May 2016
- April 2016
- March 2016
- February 2016
- December 2015
- November 2015
- October 2015
- September 2015
- August 2015
- July 2015
- June 2015
- May 2015
- March 2015
- February 2015
- January 2015
- December 2014
- November 2014
- October 2014
- September 2014
- August 2014
- July 2014
- June 2014
- May 2014
- April 2014
- March 2014
- February 2014
- January 2014
- December 2013
- November 2013
- October 2013
- September 2013
- August 2013
- July 2013
- June 2013
- May 2013
- April 2013
- March 2013
- February 2013
- January 2013
- December 2012
- November 2012
- October 2012
- September 2012
- August 2012
- July 2012
- June 2012
- May 2012
- April 2012
- March 2012
- February 2012
- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
- January 2011
- December 2010
- November 2010
- October 2010
- September 2010
- August 2010
- July 2010
- May 2010
- April 2010
- March 2010
- February 2010
- June 2009
- February 2009
-
Meta
Author Archives: Jimmy Burns
The wise Jesuit
I cannot recall ever having been present in a congregation that greeted a sermon by a Catholic priest with more deserving spontaneous applause, not in England at least. But applause was what Fr William Pearsall the Jesuit priest at the Church of the Immaculate Conception, Farm Street got this Sunday after speaking with sensitivity and wisdom about the upcoming Papal visit. Fr William began by telling us how a day earlier he had opened his office window and listened to the raucous song emanating from nearby Hyde Park. He heard …
Not in harmony with Catholic Voices
I’m listening withy difficulty I came away from last night’s debate at the Conway Hall on the upcoming Papal visit with an uneasy feeling I found myself quickly trying to dispel, drowning a pint with a sympathetic friend at a local pub. I write as a journalist, author and Catholic who found myself poorly represented by Austen Ivereigh and Fr Christopher Jamison OSB, coordinator and patron respectively of Catholic Voices before a packed audience, in which a majority appeared less than enamoured with our current Pope. Catholic Voices is a …
Barca: beware of The Transalator
A long season ahead Barca has got off to a good start this season, winning the Spanish SuperCup and beating Racing Santander 0-3 , but it would be foolish for cules to get over excited at this stage. It would be foolish in the extreme to write off Jose Mourinho on the basis of a somewhat lacklustre draw for Real Madrid in Mallorca. Mourinho has signed up an exciting crop of talented young players led by Mezut Ozila. He will be relying on the experience of Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo …
A tale of Ireland in Ramadam
A young woman graduate I had the pleasure to meet over supper last night spoke with an accent I quickly recognised from my days of reporting on the Troubles n Northern Ireland. Sarah was her name. She was impressed how I managed to pinpoint her roots to ‘north of Belfast’ and well beyond the city to another town with a name that I thought might define her. “Well, its Derry, or Londonderry, isn’t it, how do you call it? “ I asked teasingly. For decades Catholics, north and south of …
A Dark Book in August
This month’s online Book Review: Berlin at War by Roger Moorhouse (Bodley Head) 432 pages August in the northern hemisphere always has always struck me as having something of a tail-end feel about it, not least in the publishing industry. Long-past are the pre-Christmas heavy-hitters with ‘star’ authors or their ‘star’ topics hogging the front-desks. Gone too is the excitement of the new titles out in spring and early summer. Many readers have taken the few good hits, in paperback, off to the beach for the last glimpse of sun …
A very English Redemption
Sadly I was unable to be in Dublin to watch how Argentina is managing without Diego. I suspect life must be less entertaining down in the dressing room and on the touchline, but a little more ordered and strategic. I did however belatedly catch some highlights of the England vs. Hungary match. That the majority of fans did not greet the team with boos as many pundits had predicted did not surprise me. Ok England’s performance in South Africa was a disgrace, as is the fact that Capello survived as …
Ok, Let’s relive the dream
I held the World Cup for a whole thirty seconds last night. Ok, it was only a replica- (see news item elsewhere on this site) but it brought back good memories. So I write this today in deference to Carlos Oppe, one of my most loyal, persistent, and-just about-publishable commentators. (My Maradona CNN.com opinion piece has stimulated transatlantic abuse)I hope it will encourage others to join a civilised debate on this and other matters discussed on this site. The human wave rose in a town in South Africa, gathered force …
Maradona’s questionable exit
Don’t be fooled by the formal announcement from Buenos Aires that Maradona’s contract will not be renewed. There is nothing that Diego likes more than to be placed in a situation where he can rally his believers round a claim of martyrdom by sinister powers. He did so when he was busted for drugs back in the early 1990’s, he did it again when he tested positive in the US World Cup. He is likely to seize this moment as part of the latest round of an enduring struggle between …
Let me cry for Diego
Let me cry for Diego I watched Argentina being knocked out of the World Cup by Germany in a pub in Sheffield surrounded by bitter-drinking Yorkshiremen, and emerged shedding a tear or two. Why should Diego’s biographer choose Sheffield of all places to watch Diego Maradona meet his nemesis in Joachim Low? Well those of us with memories will remember that it was from here that just before Christmas 1978, Harry Haslam the manager of Sheffield United flew to Buenos Aires determined to strike a deal with Argentinos Juniors …
DID PHILBY MURDER JOURNALISTS IN SPAIN?
Did Philby murder journalists ? by Jimmy Burns The just published UK paperback edition of my latest book Papa Spy, subtitled A True Story of Love, Wartime Espionage in Madrid, and the Treachery of the Cambridge Spies will I hope provoke a fresh examination of Kim Philby’s alleged involvement in the murder of English and American journalists, ahead of the publication of an authorised and carefully vetted official history of MI6. My unauthorised book exposes for the first time the bitter and protracted personal battle to influence British policy towards …