James Buchan
James Buchan
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Full Name and Common Aliases
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James Buchan is a Scottish novelist and travel writer known by his pen name James Buchan.
Birth and Death Dates
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Born: 1954 in Scotland
Still alive
Nationality and Profession(s)
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Nationality: Scottish
Profession: Novelist, Travel Writer
Early Life and Background
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James Buchan was born in 1954 in Scotland. Growing up in a family that valued literature and travel, he developed an early passion for writing and exploration. Buchan's interest in the Middle East and Islamic culture began at a young age, which would later become a central theme in his work.
Major Accomplishments
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Buchan is best known for his novel _Crowded with Extras_, which was shortlisted for the 1981 Booker Prize. His other notable works include _The Collector of Secrets_ and _AfterNazaré_. Buchan's travel writing has also been widely praised, particularly in regards to his portrayals of Middle Eastern cultures.
Notable Works or Actions
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In addition to his novels and non-fiction books, Buchan has written for various publications, including The New York Review of Books and The Times Literary Supplement. He is a frequent contributor to BBC Radio 4's _The Essay_ series. His travel writing often focuses on the complexities and nuances of Middle Eastern cultures.
Impact and Legacy
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Buchan's work has had a significant impact on readers' understanding of Middle Eastern cultures. His travel writings offer a unique perspective on the region, one that is both nuanced and thought-provoking. As a novelist, Buchan's stories often explore themes of identity, culture, and the human condition.
Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
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James Buchan is widely quoted and remembered for his insightful portrayals of Middle Eastern cultures. His travel writing has been praised for its depth and nuance, offering readers a unique perspective on the complexities of the region. As a novelist, Buchan's work continues to be celebrated for its thought-provoking exploration of human experience.
James Buchan's legacy is one of thoughtful observation and insightful storytelling. Through his work, he invites readers to engage with the rich cultural heritage of the Middle East in all its complexity.
Quotes by James Buchan
The prevailing ideology of the modern west – which is political economy – is in the doghouse. Having failed to notice atmospheric pollution, the economists then frightened themselves with the sort of financial crisis they said they had abolished.
Because bankers measure their self-worth in money, and pay themselves a lot of it, they think they’re fine fellows and don’t need to explain themselves.
To make a love story, you need a couple of young people, but to reflect on the nature of love, you’re better off with old ones. That is a fact of life and literature – and of the novel ever since it fell in love with love in the 18th century.
Ever since the destruction of Baghdad by the Mongols in 1258, the Muslim world has been in slow decline relative to the west. With Napoleon’s invasion of Egypt and the creeping British annexation of Muslim India, that decline took on a malign aspect.
Bulls don’t read. Bears read financial history. As markets fall to bits, the bears dust off the Dutch tulip mania of 1637, the Banque Royale of 1719-20, the railway speculation of the 1840s, the great crash of 1929.
The great disadvantage of getting older is to be obliged to relive the salient economic events of one's youth, with nothing learned and nothing forgotten.
Nature is not simply a technical or economical resource, and human beings are not mere numbers. To suggest that one can somehow align all the squabbling institutions of science, environmental management, government and diplomacy in an alliance of convenience to regulate the global climate seems to me optimistic.
Even before he came to power in 1997, Gordon Brown promised to change the accounts to parliament from simple litanies of cash in and cash out, to a more commercial system that took notice of the public property the departments were using. This system is known as resource accounting.
If good history is dispassionate history, it must naturally wait until the passions of the period subside.