Hereward

Tough to choose. My favourite is probably Catastrophe by Max Hastings. It also covers the first few months of the fighting, before the trenches became permanent. The other contender would be The Sleepwalkers by Christopher Clark. It’s excellent but not as focussed on the British perspective.

Well, that’s the first time I’ve ever seen that happen.

I think that assumes Rooney can a) recognise that opportunity and b) explain it. I’m guessing not.

Look on the bright side. Surely Rooney will never get another job which will definitely boost the “entertainment” sector’s financial prospects.

Much as I am constitutionally required to hate the French, not least for being the primary reason you rebels and traitors are even independent in the first place, given recent events it might be time to retire this particular meme.

I am highly dubious, given recent events, that that high a percentage of the population is capable of such intricate, if immoral, reasoning.

Nadine Dorries is a Cabinet minster? Nadine Dorries? I mean… Nadine Dorries, that can’t possibly be true, can it? Nadine. Dorries. I could cry.

It was a scissor tackle. His leg was bending the wrong way and he still tried to get up and run.

That was horrible, hope he makes a full recovery.

Sorry and absolutely.

To clarify, I don’t really blame the players, and their mental health is paramount. I cannot imagine Kohli, for one, wanting to tarnish their victory, and I’m pretty sure it would have been a 3-1. As Pax said, the schedule is stupid, but I do blame the BCCI. They never wanted this match, because the IPL cash cow is more important. If the IPL wasn’t about to resume, this match would have gone ahead, I believe. I worry for the future of Test matches, especially after such a brilliant, seesaw series could not even be concluded, and I would hope that most of you would recognise that doesn’t make me racist, sociopathic, immature or stupid.

Your knee jerk nationalism is wearing. No longer going to bother with your hypocrisy.

As always on this subject, I agree about the awfulness of the film depiction and my admiration for Denethor. I don’t think, up to the pyre, I would have done differently.

In that case, what has changed? They were too mentally exhausted after being stuck in a bubble in England to play, despite previous reports that they enjoyed being on tour in England because they could go out without being constantly recognised, so they are moving to another bubble, also with their families, but that’s OK? Please.

I’d have more empathy if their mental exhaustion led them to go home to their families rather than to yet another bubble in Dubai.