Essays

Long-form writing from leading scholars and commentators on history, statecraft, warfare, philosophy and culture.

Bucharest, Romania - April 05, 2017: Aleksandr Dugin, Russian political analyst, strategist, writer and philosopher, holds a press conference.
essays

A real Russian heart: Aleksandr Dugin, Vladimir Putin and the dangerous new Russian ideology

Wars are fought with bullets and missiles, but they are also fought to advance philosophies, and ways of life. Russia understands this – the West must, too.

Michael Lucchese August 3, 2023
The Colosseum, Rome by J M W Turner, 1820.
essays

The many worlds of Peter Brown

Arguably the greatest living historian, Peter Brown’s breathtaking achievements are marked by an embrace of chronological depth and geographical breadth.

Peter Sarris August 1, 2023
Scene from the Bonn Summit, 1978.
essays

The Bonn Summit and the road to globalisation

There is a direct line between the global vision of Jimmy Carter and Jim Callaghan and that of their successors and rivals, Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher.

Angus Reilly July 31, 2023
Hernando Cortez mounting an attack.
essays

Rewriting Spanish history, one song at a time

The popular appeal of Malinche, a musical that glorifies Hernán Cortés’ conquest of Mexico, is less a consequence of ideology than of nostalgia.

Duncan Wheeler July 25, 2023
Satellite dishes in South Africa.
essays

The new space race: Africa’s cosmic ambitions

Many African countries have embraced the high-tech space sector with gusto. As a result, innovation and inspiration is on the rise. Allowing organisations the chance to innovate – ..

Lukasz Bednarski July 24, 2023
Trench warfare in Russia during the First World War
essays

Russian fortifications present an old problem for Ukraine

Russian defensive capabilities are rooted in an old but effective twentieth century military strategy.

David J Betz July 20, 2023
The aircraft carrier USS Harry S Truman.
essays

An oceanic order for the 21st century

A global alignment of key maritime powers could help restore balance to an unstable world.

Andrew Ehrhardt July 19, 2023
Chinese President Xi Jinping, left, and French President Emmanuel Macron review a Chinese guard of honour during a welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.
essays

The special role that never was

French policy in China in the twenty-first century draws on a contradictory heritage. It does not lack intelligence and skill. Yet Macron is just the latest president to seek a spe..

Michael Sheridan July 14, 2023
Muslims offering namaaz in Mumbra, Mumbai.
essays

Islam, India and the question of class

The trials and tribulations of Muslims in Narendra Modi’s India offer instructive, if dispiriting, lessons for religious minorities everywhere.

Pratinav Anil July 6, 2023

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