Did Jared Kushner punish Qatar because of a building on Fifth Avenue?
New York Talk about high life this is not. I smelled a rat long ago, but then the scent got…
The rise – and rise – of Trump Derangement Syndrome
New York ‘What do we do with these men?’ thundered a New York Times headline. It was followed by a…
Fascism isn’t rising, but bien-pensant hysteria certainly is
Benito lives! The Blackshirts are here. Fascism is on the march — at least according to Madeleine Albright, secretary of…
It is a sin to die in the Land of the Depraved
New York Remember when the internet, Twitter, Facebook and other such useless gimmicks were supposed to usher in an era…
Circe has been recast as the girl next door – it’s a sign of the times
When poor old battered Odysseus landed on Circe’s island having lost all his ships (except his flagship) when he tangled…
In The US of A, it’s a woman’s, woman’s, woman’s world!
New York If Albanian television had shown the programme CBS did last week — with a woman who has sex…
The truth about Prince Charles
Gstaad At dinner the other night a friend wondered what came first, social climbing or name-dropping? It’s obviously a very…
I’ll never again set foot in the Eagle Club
Gstaad A couple of columns ago I wrote about an incident that took place at the Eagle Club here in…
Virtual currencies will be our salvation
Gstaad I never made it to Zurich but met up with Steve Bannon through the miracle of technology, thanks to…
My date with Steve Bannon
Gstaad The muffled sound of falling snow is ever-present. It makes the dreary beautiful and turns the bleak into magic.…
Taki’s guide to style
Gstaad They have busy eyes and the set of their mouths is that of a hungry carnivore. Their hands are…
I dream of my perfect state: Sparta
Gstaad It was nostalgia time at Prince Victor Emmanuel’s birthday party here, with many old friends reminiscing about our youthful…
How Lucky Lucan begged me for money shortly before mistakenly murdering the nanny
A Moment in Time reminded me of the sort of British expatriate women I used to meet in the south…
Taki: My #MeToo moment
#MeToo! It happened right here, in Gstaad, last week. A man in his mid-fifties, about six foot tall and 165lb,…
Taki: Where’s Norman Mailer when you need him?
Gstaad For some strange reason there have been no #MeToo complaints around these parts. Some locals have grumbled about yours…
Why I am hanging up my crystal ball
Gstaad I caught a whiff of it as it rolled in from the east, the smell of hypocrisy being different…
Taki: What I learned when I tried to join the CIA
Before his untimely death last year, David Tang had attended a Pug’s club luncheon with the proviso that no one…
Taki: In praise of French women
I spent the better part of two sunny days indoors writing about authenticity for a Greek magazine, a strange subject…
Taki: How I learned to write
Gstaad What I miss most up here in the Alps are the literary lunches conducted on the fly with writers…
Taki: The truth about Ernest Hemingway
Gstaad When the snow finally stopped, the sublime, silent stars above made for dramatic viewing. Against silhouetted Alpine peaks, starry…
Taki: The forgotten heroes of Christmas
It’s that time of year again. Yippee! And get your wallets out. Scrooges are no longer tolerated at Christmas, although…
This time last year I was radiating optimism; what a difference a year makes
As the song almost says, what a difference a year makes: 2017 is not over yet, but it’s been a…
Hollywood is the new Spanish inquistion
There’s fear and loathing in this town and in El Lay it’s even worse. Torquemada and Savonarola are in charge,…
Everyone’s doing a mea culpa these days — except me
The faux Leonardo that sold for 400 million greenbacks — plus a 50 million fee for Christie’s — was a…
Despite everything, America is beautiful — especially at West Point
What is left to say after the church shooting in the Home of the Depraved? Those killed in Texas included…
