Everyone’s talking about Michael Gove and Sarah Vine’s bookshelves – 5 favourite responses

John Plunkett. Updated May 4th, 2020

Today’s Twitterstorm™ concerns the bookshelves belonging to cabinet minister Michael Gove and his wife, Daily Mail columnist Sarah Vine.

It all began when Vine tweeted a picture of her husband on the telly …

Surreal pic.twitter.com/BxhQjlu8YA

— Sarah Vine (@WestminsterWAG) May 3, 2020

… and people noticed something about the books on the shelves behind.

Mussolini, Hitler, Stalin, Thatcher – full set https://t.co/pQrGwoYeWX

— Nooruddean (@BeardedGenius) May 3, 2020

https://twitter.com/supermathskid/status/1257236042048045056?s=20

Also having Hitler Rommel and Napoleon next to Maggie is not a good look.

— ALASTAIR CAMPBELL (@campbellclaret) May 3, 2020

Here’s what Vine had to say to that.

Don’t be so absurd. They are books. You should try them sometimes – you can learn a lot from them. You will note there is also a peter mandelson.

— Sarah Vine (@WestminsterWAG) May 3, 2020

And then she doubled down with a whole load more.

As a very special treat for my trolls and ⁦@campbellclaret⁩ here is another bookshelf. There are about 20 more. Enjoy! pic.twitter.com/FgrUiczeV0

— Sarah Vine (@WestminsterWAG) May 3, 2020

Here are our 5 favourite responses.

Everybody staring at Michael Gove's bookshelf:
These are a few too many books about Hitler than is ideal for a cabinet minister.

Sarah Vine:
… Can I interest you in The Bell Curve – a book that ties intelligence to race – and one by prominent Holocaust-denier David Irving? https://t.co/z6iR6JmBFA

— James Felton (@JimMFelton) May 4, 2020

David Irving, the Bell Curve, Atlas Shrugged… if this had been on ‘Through the Keyhole’ I’d have guessed Anders Breivik

— Hicham Yezza (@HichamYezza) May 3, 2020

Yet another famous person exposing their reading habits by appearing on TV in front of their bookshelf. pic.twitter.com/4hodVemrEK

— Amanda (@Pandamoanimum) May 4, 2020

Oh, come on now. This is all getting silly. Just because someone has books about certain people it doesn’t mean that… holy moly that’s a lot of books about vicious, short dictators to keep above the telly. pic.twitter.com/3JNwCaHd4l

— Steve Bullock (@GuitarMoog) May 3, 2020

Why are people surprised Islamophobe supreme Sarah Vine (and presumably Michael Gove) reads Holocaust-denier David Irving and white-supremacist Charles Murray? I mean, those Daily Mail columns need research! https://t.co/nGN7LVbRFg

— Joana Ramiro (@JoanaRamiroUK) May 3, 2020

And just in case you didn’t spot this.

Is that your weed stash in the glass jar?

— Steve Rolles (@SteveTransform) May 4, 2020

😂 no.

— Sarah Vine (@WestminsterWAG) May 4, 2020

Here’s what Vine said at the end of it all.

Extraordinary how many people on here seem to be so censorious of books and the idea of knowledge. In common with the Nazis, the Spanish Inquisition, Communist Russia – and pretty much every despotic, brutal regime you can think of. Says it all, really.

— Sarah Vine (@WestminsterWAG) May 4, 2020

And finally, this!

Curating my bookshelves ahead of an interview on the BBC News At One. pic.twitter.com/qXYhVVc0LB

— Simon Blackwell (@simonblackwell) May 4, 2020