Heroic Failure: Brexit and the Politics of Pain, by Fintan O’Toole

Send us Fan MailHeroic Failure: Brexit and the politics of pain, by Fintan O’TooleA review written and spoken by Tudor Rickards28 December, 2024Heroic Failure examines the nature of Brexit from the perspective of an Irish historian and political commentator. His central proposal contributes to a wider concept often described as English exceptionism parodied gently in the Flanders and Swann ballad, A song of Patriotic Prejudice, and which still rings round my memory banks  "The English, the English, the English are best, I wouldn't give tuppence for all of the rest"The Heroic Failure of the title is taken from Stephanie Barczewski’s book Heroic Failure and the British which deals with the ill-fated quest by John Franklin to find the North West Passage a century earlier. His first expedition ended in failure with the ship abandoned and many crew lost. He was lauded for his heroism, and made a further ill judged attempt which resulted in a further conclusion with loss of the ship and all its crew including Franklin. There followed a classic case of history repeating itself as tragedy then as farce. Numerous attempts were made to the North West in search of the passage but the story had become merged with a sacred search of the lost hero Franklin. When the passage was eventually discovered it had lost the glamour of the earlier adventures. As O’Toole put it, ‘complicated realities are no match for heroic failure’ (p68). Stay up-to-date with all of Tudor's podcasts, blogs and current affairs commentary by signing up to our newsletter! Email [email protected] to sign up!Follow Tudor on Twitter @TudortweetFollow Tudor's blogs:everydaycreativity.ukleaderswedeserve.wordpress.com