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That’s girt by sea, as in the national anthem. As a title, it fits the overall tone of the book,…
Books and Arts
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How honest was Bernard Berenson?
Sam Leith suspects that even such a distinguished connoisseur as Bernard Berenson did not always play a straight bat
Secrets of the Kremlin
A building bearing testimony to the power of eternal Russia; a timeless symbol of the Russian state; a monument to…
In defence of Herodotus
How many writers would give their eye teeth to have a book reissued 2,500 years after their death? It certainly…
Spot the play title
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Answers to ‘Spot the Play Title’
1. Cat Honour Hot Tin Roof 2. Frank Hen Stein 3. Ark A Deer 4. Hammer Day S 5. Hiss…
Deserter, wifebeater, great poet: the shame and glory of Vernon Scannell
Vernon Scannell was a thief, a liar, a deserter, a bigamist, a fraud, an alcoholic, a woman-beater and a coward.…
A Yorkshire Christmas Eve
His nearby town wore annual evening-dress, cheap jewellery of lights, white fur and bright drapes of Santa red which might…
What took Francis Mitterrand to the top?
Of a dashing political rival, François Mitterrand once remarked: He was more intelligent than I was, he thought faster than…
Weaving Scotland's history
A couple of years ago, while tracking down paintings for the Public Catalogue Foundation in the far north of Scotland,…
What nannies know
Soon after moving to London at the age of 20, Nina Stibbe wrote to her sister Vic saying, ‘Being a…
Why is Doris Kearns Goodwin raking up old muck?
Theodore Roosevelt and the Progressive Era are well-worn subjects for both professional and amateur historians, so it’s pertinent to ask…
A life of Michelangelo on the grand scale
Early on in this dazzling new biography, Martin Gayford compares Michelangelo, with his daunting artistic tasks, to Hercules, the subject…
The Price of Fame
Try not to meet us in the flesh We’ll disappoint you if you do, Our dandruff and our garlic breath…
To see how good Journey's End is, just look at who it's offended
‘You have no idea,’ wrote the publisher Ralph Hodder-Williams in 1929 to one of his authors, what terrible offence Journey’s…
The men who invented Napoleon
Writing about Napoleon is a risky business. It exposes the author to the brickbats of the blind worshippers for whom…
When we dropped the Bomb by mistake
In January 1976 New York’s late-lamented National Lampoon produced a bicentennial calendar as a contribution to the general rejoicing. For…
The long and winding story of the Danube
For much of its history the Danube has been a disappointment. It looks so tempting on the map but, far…
Simon Winchester slides off the map
This book begins with Simon Winchester becoming a US citizen two years ago: ‘I swore a solemn oath before a…
The Pleasure’s All Mine, by Julie Peakman – review
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James Bond, author
Matthew Woodcock reminds us that 007 was a man of letters too
Books of the Year
We asked friends to tell us what they enjoyed reading in 2013
Answers to ‘Spot the Play Title’
1. Cat Honour Hot Tin Roof 2. Frank Hen Stein 3. Ark A Deer 4. Hammer Day S 5. Hiss…
Spot the play title
The post Spot the play title appeared first on The Spectator. Got something to add? Join the discussion and comment…
