Books
A jaunty romp of rape and pillage through the 16th century
The Brethren, by Robert Merle, who died at the age of 95 ten years ago, was originally published in 1977,…
Secretive, arrogant and reckless: the young T.E. Lawrence began life as he meant to go on
The Lawrence books are piling up, aren’t they? I don’t mean the author of The Rainbow, though as I write…
Title Stories: My Man Jeeves By P.G. Wodehouse
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Wave goodbye to the weight-gaining, drunk-driving Inspector Wallander
Some years ago I met the Swedish crime writer Henning Mankell at the Savoy Hotel in London, where he was…
Hercule Poirot returns – and yes, he’s as irritating as ever
First, a confession. I have never cared much for Hercule Poirot. In this I am not alone, for his creator…
The Guru of Late Antiquity speaks again
Nearly 50 years ago we made our way into an inner place, a semi-subterranean room, in a peculiar college. A…
James Ellroy’s latest attempt to unseat the Great American Novel
Aficionados of detective fiction have long known that the differences between the soft- and hard-boiled school are so profound that,…
Narrative history at its best – and bloodiest
Anyone thinking of bringing out a book on Waterloo at the moment must be very confident, very brave or just…
A compendium to match Radio 4: boring, but somehow gripping
When you think about it, Radio 4 is mostly a pile of old toss. Money Box qualifies as an anaesthetic,…
History Parade
We left the Scout hut shortly after dark, to ambush regulars acting as invaders. Later, there was to be a…
Books and arts
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In the big chair
Even those of us of a conservative bent hoped that the election of the Rudd government in 2007 would constitute…
History Parade
We left the Scout hut shortly after dark, to ambush regulars acting as invaders. Later, there was to be a…
Title Stories: My Man Jeeves By P.G. Wodehouse
The post Title Stories: My Man Jeeves By P.G. Wodehouse appeared first on The Spectator. Got something to add? Join…
History Parade
We left the Scout hut shortly after dark, to ambush regulars acting as invaders. Later, there was to be a…
Title Stories: My Man Jeeves By P.G. Wodehouse
Got something to add? Join the discussion and comment below.
If you want to admire Napoleon, it helps not to have met Gaddafi
Napoleon’s exploits may have captured the world’s imagination, but the great European drama, played out over 20 years, was ultimately tawdry and pointless, says David Crane
More derring dos and don’ts from Paddy Leigh Fermor
Recent years have seen the slim but splendid Patrick Leigh Fermor oeuvre swell considerably. In 2008 came In Tearing Haste,…
Title Stories: The Postman Always Rings Twice by James M Cain
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From Trot to Thatcher: the life of Kika Markham
In a varied career, the actress Kika Markham has regularly played real-life charcters, including, on television, Mrs Thatcher — piquant…
An unorthodox detective novel about Waitrose-country paedos
W.H. Auden was addicted to detective fiction. In his 1948 essay ‘The Guilty Vicarage’, he analysed the craving, which he…
Colm Toibin’s restraint – like his characters' – is quietly overwhelming
In Colm Tóibín’s much-loved 2009 novel Brooklyn, Eilis Lacy, somewhat to her own surprise, leaves 1950s Enniscorthy (Tóibín’s own home…
Geoffrey Boycott’s new book would be of more use to English cricketers than a regiment of shrinks
After 13 barren years Yorkshire is back at the top of county cricket, where Geoffrey Boycott believes it has a…
First ash dieback, then the world's scariest beetle
The ash tree may lack the solidity of oak, the magnificence of beech or the ancient mystique of yew. In…
The hell of being Michael Palin
In these diaries, which I found excellent in a very specific way, Michael Palin tells us about his life between…
