Enemy of the Disaster: Selected Political Writings of Renaud Camus

Renaud Camus' culture is as extensive as it is refined, qualities that are scarcely found (or maybe not allowed) in contemporary writing anymore; his intellectual courage and curiosity and breadth of knowledge are rare and remarkable traits; M.Camus is above all an intellectually gifted and culturally refined writer.This excellent anthology of his essays requires both reflection and contemplation because, like all great writing, it is always intellectually, and often emotionally, challenging. And best of all the challenges are worth it, for they leave one with a greater understanding and appreciation of the social, historical and experiential landscapes of our time.Because Renaud Camus is a writer who dares to seek out the blind spots of our society and of all societies, our no man’s lands, our forbidden zones, our Bermuda Triangles and reveal them to thus in a just and truthful way. And none of this passion is lost in this translation.

Camus is typical of so many French writers -- lots and lots of pompous waffle, virtually no analysis or data. It's no wonder that this book has had so little impact.If someone wants a more factual analysis of what's happening to Western Europe they'd be better served by Walter Laqueur's "Last Days of Europe" (2007) or Christopher Caldwell's "Reflections on the Revolution in Europe" (2010).The people of Europe have been so badly served by their "thought leaders".

This is not a bad book but really its a lot of pages to convey a simple message: of course we are being made strangers in our own land by the influx of foreigners, who have no wish to participate in our ways and customs and traditions. What would have been more useful is some analysis of why the political class in most western countries are such fans of immigration; why, at some point, has not the penny dropped that even if - big 'if' - immigration does generate 'growth', is a bit more growth a good return for destroying the nature of a country?