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Atilla's description of the widespread potential for evil behaviour reminded me of Corruptible, and it's discussion of the exercise of power.

I inherited my copy from my father, who received it as part of the Sir Alfred Lewis Prize in 1952

I suspect the Tony Harker mentioned in the acknowledgements is the same one I knew in Theoretical Physics at Harwell in the UKAEA days.

The Excellent Women are those - in this context - who quietly get on, in a volunteer capacity, with the myriad of small jobs needed to keep an organisation like a church running. In the 1950s these would have been almost entirely women - but also those who were not unable to perform this role due to needs of employment or domestic duties.

This is another way of looking at Tennyson's Lady Clara Vere de Vere The Ggand old gardener and his wife, Smile at the claims of long descent.

Anthropologists are a theme, but put me in mind of Domenica MacDonald from the 44 Scotland Street series, though she, in that series, is a more major character. Inheritance: The Evolutionary Origins of the Modern World is a non-fiction examination of our culture by a contemporary anthropologist.

The Jumble Sale described in chapter 7 brought back memories of Scout Jumble Sales, where I remember the transformation of sweet old (as they seemed at the time) ladies into ruthless hunters snatching garments from each other and requiring the hapless scouts on the stall to adjudicate.

There are several places in the narrative where Laurie survives to continue, and eventually write about his adventures. This is an interesting example of Survivorship bias in that we do not get to hear the stories of those who try to walk during the day from Toro to Valladolid and do not complete the journey with the hospitality of strangers and a car ride.

Pre-war rural Cotswolds. The Lady Hardcastle books, although fictional, are also set in the Cotswolds from which Laurie departs. They are set shortly before the First, rather than Second, World War - but rural life was still similar.

Far from home - with a violin. Like Solomon Northup in Twelve years a slave Laurie benefits from the connections with strangers created through his violin.

The problem of Intelligence The Mismeasure of Man, discusses how difficult it can be to define what intelligence really means. There is not necessarily a correlation between measured IQ and 'book learning' and the ability to turn that into practical use.

Nature and Nurture. Throughout the book Charlie wants to learn, and to be a good person. Did this come from his nature, or was it imposed by his strict mother? Humankind argues for an inbuilt level of goodness. There are many examples of strict parenting not having the desired result.