On The Arena Floor
Hello again. I would like to tell you about something that happened to me whilst on my travels. This was while I travelled across Europe, and insodoing, alighted upon the Eternal City itself. Yes, that's right, none other than Rome! I always remember that the book I hated most in the world was one I had been made to read in school. And this was Edward Gibbons' "Decline And Fall Of The Roman Empire". Nothing was more sure to anybody off a subject than this dewy-eyed piece of mental and verbal bromide! I have no doubt that it was written to instill in its readers a right-wing, reactionary mind-set. Trust me, The august and overtly prolific Mr. Gibbons' words fell on very stony ground in my case! I spent the rest of my formative years, and the early part of my adult years, for that matter, arguing, pamphleteering and generally disagreeing at every given opportunity with anything and anyone who crossed my path with the merest passing res...