My Fifty Years of Social Science

Extract

IN STRICT TRUTH, THE FIRST TWENTY OF THE FIFTY ADULT years of my life were spent either in practice at the Bar, or in military intelligence. The latter, and especially in wartime, is, of course, geared to the overriding practical objective of winning a war, though, since I was involved with assessment of the Soviet Union's military strength and achievement, my work provided me with some kind of an introduction to the study of the Soviet Union to which, after the mid-fifties, I was to devote most of my time. But the Bar is far too egocentric an occupation to leave much time for interest in political issues, at most permitting time for the narrow practical pursuit of domestic party politics. For party politics I have never had much appetite – though I did campaign for the Conservative Party in one election.