A shortage of Nigels and other calamities: humorous stocking-fillers
Ysenda Maxtone Graham, Stuart Heritage and Rob Orchard, among others, explore the mysteries and frustrations of modern life
Will there ever be another cricket captain like Richie Benaud?
The thrilling fourth Test of 1961 at Old Trafford showed Benaud at his enigmatic best, in sharp contrast to his English counterpart, the uninspiring Peter May
A choice of this year’s gift books
Sporting trivia, the language of cats and the comic genius of Barry Cryer feature among the best of the year’s stocking-fillers
The Queen Mother’s tipsy bons mots and other stocking fillers
The standard complaint of anyone doing a Christmas gift books guide is that the books aren’t up to much. I…
Elephants walk on tiptoes — but can they dance? This year’s stocking-fillers explore such puzzles
It’s almost a shock to admit it, but this year’s gift books aren’t bad at all. It’s even possible that,…
A load of oddballs: the eccentricities of past cricketing heroes
For reasons I can’t seem to remember, I have read an awful lot of cricketing histories. The dullest, by a…
Has the vaccine cured my long Covid?
Has the vaccine cured my long Covid?
The magnificence of the Covid ‘business lunch’ loophole
The absurdity of Covid pub rules
Gift books for Christmas — reviewed by Marcus Berkmann
We have a fine crop of Christmas gift books this year, so good that some of them actually qualify as…
We’ve been told not to go to pubs – so why are they full?
Pubs are fascinating at the moment. On the day that the Prime Minister advised us not to attend them, I…
The unwritten rules of sending Christmas cards
No one sends Christmas cards any more. Except that I do, and you might, and a few other people do…
Children’s questions about death are consistently good fun
What strikes me most about the Christmas gift-book industry — for industry it surely is, as I can confirm, having…
The lessons I learned at my Oxford gaudy
I went to a gaudy last weekend. Several British universities now host these splendid events; mine was at Worcester College,…
The elegance and humour of Neville Cardus
As a fully paid-up, old-school cricket tragic, I astound myself that I have read almost no Neville Cardus. How can…
The secret to one of the nerdiest – and longest-running – quizzes around
Last year was a bit of a year for Radio 4 anniversaries; maybe most notably, Desert Island Discs celebrated 70…
Christmas quiz books galore
There can be few challenges more daunting for the assiduous reviewer than a pile of Christmas ‘gift’ books sitting on…
Bowie realised there was more to life than art
The DJ and sage Mark Radcliffe once said that he didn’t think he could ever like anyone who didn’t love…
The top loo books of 2015
There is not, sadly, a dedicated Trivia Books section in your local Waterstones, although at this time of year there…
Why I’m stepping down after 28 years as The Spectator pop critic
Pop's place in culture has changed drastically. Marcus Berkmann explains why, after 27 years, it is time to step down as The Spectator's pop critic
In praise of cheap box sets
This column does like a bargain. Indeed, it not only esteems and relishes a bargain, it has also worked long…
From ragtime to the X Factor: the epic story of popular music
As pop music drifts away from many people’s lives, so its literature grows ever more serious and weighty, as though…
Four of the best albums to write books by
I have been writing a book this summer, in the usual mad tearing hurry. (Much as I admire those who…
Anyone for eel-pulling?
Scholarship for its own sake has rather gone out of fashion, although I’m sure Spectator readers would be the last…
Why do we always beat up on drummers?
It’s rare that I see a piece about music that makes me want to cheer from the rafters and shake…
Three tiny cheers for Mumford & Sons’ new album
Like a lot of essentially cautious people, I like my music to take some risks, play with fire and damn…
