Books
Pine by Laura Mason; Lily, by Marcia Reiss - review
After the success of their animal series of monographs, Reaktion Books have had the clever idea of doing something similar…
Hanns and Rudolf, by Thomas Harding - review
Confronted by this lavishly endorsed book — ‘compelling’ (David Lodge), ‘gripping’(John le Carré),‘thrilling’ (Jonathan Freedland) — I felt depressed. Two…
An Appetite for Wonder, by Richard Dawkins - review
It is peculiarly apt that the author of this autobiography should be the man who coined that now fashionable term…
Poker
To Dad You wonder if it’s worth the gamble getting up out of your armchair onto your bad leg, to…
Expo 58, by Jonathan Coe - review
In 1958 a vast international trade fair was held just outside Brussels. As well as being a showcase for industry,…
Why does Max Hastings have such a hatred for the British military?
David Crane is taken aback by the particular contempt Max Hastings appears to reserve for the British at the outbreak of the first world war
The Prince of medicine, by Susan P. Mattern - review
In the first draft of the screenplay for the film Gladiator, the character to be played by Russell Crowe (‘father…
The Windsor Faction, by D.J. Taylor - review
In both his novels and non-fiction, D. J. Taylor has long been fascinated by the period between the wars. Now…
Noble Endeavours, by Miranda Seymour - review
Like Miranda Seymour, the author of this considerable work on Anglo-German relations, I was raised in a Germanophile home. I…
Building a Bridge
I didn’t even have to say: No need to explain, I understand. It was in his look — Look after…
Narcoland, by Anabel Hernandez - review
It is by now surely beyond doubt that those governments committed to fighting the war on drugs — and on…
The Tragedy of Liberation, by Frank Dikötter - review
The historian of China Frank Dikötter has taken a sledgehammer to demolish perhaps the last remaining shibboleth of modern Chinese…
Multiples, edited by Adam Thirlwell - review
There is a hoary Cold War joke about a newly invented translating machine. On a test run, the CIA scientists…
The World According to Karl, edited by Jean-Christophe Napias - review
Every fashion era has its monster and in ours it’s Karl Lagerfeld, a man who has so emptied himself on…
Uncle Bill, by Russell Miller - review
Given the outcome of recent military campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan, it is pertinent to look for one particular quality…
Signifying Rappers, by David Foster Wallace - review
Since his suicide, David Foster Wallace has made the transition from major writer to major industry. Hence this UK issue…
Mr Loverman, by Bernardine Evaristo - review
In 1998, the Jamaican singer Bounty Killer released a single, ‘Can’t Believe Mi Eyes’, which expressed incredulity that men should…
The Mitford Girls’ Guide to Life, by Lyndsy Spence - review
For some reason you don’t expect people to be fans of the Mitford sisters, as others are fans of Doctor…
Books and Arts
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Helpful hints for Holloway
For some reason you don’t expect people to be fans of the Mitford sisters, as others are fans of Doctor…
Helpful hints for Holloway
For some reason you don’t expect people to be fans of the Mitford sisters, as others are fans of Doctor…
Danubia, by Simon Winder - review
The inbred Habsburg monarchs, who for centuries ruled without method over a vast, ramshackle empire, managed to leave an indelible mark on modern Europe, says Sam Leith
Almost English, by Charlotte Mendelson - review
Novels about growing up have two great themes: loss of innocence and the forging of identity. With this sparky, sharp-eyed…
419 by Will Ferguson - review
The term ‘419’ is drawn from the article in the Nigerian penal code that addresses fraud. However, it has transcended…
Olivier, by Philip Ziegler - review
Philip Ziegler is best known for his biographies, often official, of politicians, royalty and soldiers. They include Harold Wilson, Edward…
