To be fair to the Inquisition, they only used confessions extracted after the torture had ended, which let them claim that admissions had been freely given; the fact that the torture would have started again if they hadn't confessed was… — Simon Hoggart Copy Share Image
If you read the 'Daily Mail,' you would imagine that the British middle classes lead lives of unremitting misery. — Simon Hoggart Copy Share
What puzzles me is the way that some of the smaller, unknown chateaux imagine that because Chinese millionaires pay ludicrous sums for the great… — Simon Hoggart Copy Share
I'm often amazed at the way politicians, who spend hours poring over opinion poll results in a desperate attempt to discover what the public… — Simon Hoggart Copy Share
America loves the representation of its heroes to be not just larger than life, but stupendously, awesomely bigger than anything else. If blue whales… — Simon Hoggart Copy Share
I know of no wars started by anyone to impose lack of religion on someone else. We have lethal Sunni v Shia, Catholic against… — Simon Hoggart Copy Share
Poor Harper Seven Beckham, having to live with that name all her life. It's the Boy Named Sue syndrome; at the very least it… — Simon Hoggart Copy Share
It's sad that the BBC is toning down Dennis the Menace for a cartoon series. He is losing his weapons, catapult and peashooter, will… — Simon Hoggart Copy Share
While it is entirely untrue that Canadians lack a sense of humour, the funniest ones tend to head south: Dan Aykroyd, Jim Carrey, Michael… — Simon Hoggart Copy Share
Reagan is the only man to take the presidency as a part-time job, a means of filling up the otherwise empty hours of retirement. — Simon Hoggart Copy Share
I think Tony Blair has to come down on one side or the other. You can't be a half-hearted supporter of the possible attack… — Simon Hoggart Copy Share
Reagan was a flesh and blood version of any other mute national emblem, say the Statue of Liberty. Everyone knows what she represents, but… — Simon Hoggart Copy Share
Every time humanists try to get a slot on 'Thought For the Day' on Radio 4, they are told it's reserved for 'the faith… — Simon Hoggart Copy Share
Americans are fascinated by their own love of shopping. This does not make them unique. It's just that they have more to buy than… — Simon Hoggart Copy Share
