Essays

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

A 'World Island' map by Richard Edes Harrison, showing the geopolitical positions of the Allies and Axis powers in 1943.
essays

The perils of perpetual geopolitics

In Europe, America and Russia, an unhealthy obsession with grand geopolitical schemes has often clouded the judgement of statesmen and scholars alike, a powerful reminder that stra..

Vladislav Zubok March 18, 2026
German philosopher Jürgen Habermas in the auditorium of the philosophical faculty of Frankfurt University.
essays

Jürgen Habermas’ lost world: the coffee-house and the public sphere

Jürgen Habermas' enduring work began in the coffee-houses of Georgian London. His deepest insight was, in the end, a conservative one.

Ioannes Chountis de Fabbri March 16, 2026
President Donald Trump at the Salute to America Celebration, held at the Iowa State Fairgrounds, Thursday, 3 July 2025.
essays

What drives Trump 2.0?

President Trump seeks to build a reorganised international system in which America's global security commitments are leveraged for maximum commercial advantage.

Brendan Simms March 13, 2026
Caspar David Friedrich's 'Wanderer above the Sea of Fog'.
essays

Why powerful individuals are dominating politics

From Xi Jinping in China to Narendra Modi in India and Donald Trump in the US, powerful leaders are reshaping the rules of the global great game.

Nicholas Wright March 12, 2026
One of the last photographs of Adolf Hitler before his death.
essays

Hitler’s last days: the first draft of history

The bitter end of Hitler’s life was reconstructed almost immediately by the historian Hugh Trevor-Roper. It remains a classic account.

Antony Beevor March 11, 2026
The Panama Canal. Credit: Chris North
essays

Trump and Xi gamble on Latin America

The United States and China are locked in an intensifying battle for Latin America. Yet both superpowers may be disappointed with the results.

Marc Levinson March 5, 2026
Robert Peel presents the repeal of the Corn Laws to the Commons.
essays

The history of conservatism is a history of crisis

In every era, conservatives face a choice: what to preserve, what to change, and who decides.

Gwion Wyn Jones March 4, 2026
The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket streaks across the night sky.
essays

Space and AI – the final frontier

The convergence of AI, robotics, quantum systems and synthetic biology is transforming space exploration, raising profound civilisational questions about the nature of humanity.

Nayef Al-Rodhan March 4, 2026
William McKinley's victory in the 1896 election boosts the case for protective tariffs .
essays

A deep history of America’s tariff wars

The challenge to Trump’s tariff strategy is part of a much longer story. Controversy over trade policy has shaped American politics since the US Constitution was ratified in 1788.

Samuel Gregg March 2, 2026

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