TY - BOOK AU - Beard,Richard TI - Sad little men: private schools and the ruin of England SN - 9781787302938 U1 - 373.2220941 PY - 2021/// CY - London PB - Harvill Secker KW - Beard, Richard, KW - Elite (Social sciences) KW - Education KW - Great Britain KW - Private schools KW - Boarding schools KW - Social aspects KW - Upper class men KW - Politicians KW - Psychology N2 - "In 1975, as a child, Richard Beard was sent away from his home to sleep in a dormitory. So were David Cameron and Boris Johnson. In those days a private boys' boarding school education was largely the same experience as it had been for generations: a training for the challenges of Empire. He didn't enjoy it. But the first and most important lesson was to not let that show. Being separated from the people who love you is traumatic. How did that feel at the time, and what sort of adult does it mould? This is a story about England, and a portrait of a type of boy, trained to lead, who becomes a certain type of man. As clearly as an X-ray, it reveals the make-up of those who seek power - what makes them tick, and why. Sad Little Men adresses debates about privilege head-on; clearly and unforgettably, it shows the problem with putting a succession of men from boarding schools into positions of influence, including at 10 Downing Street. Is this who we want in charge, especially at a time of crisis?"-- ER -