Essays

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

The statue of Raja Rammohan Roy in front of Bristol Cathedral.

The death of Bengali liberalism

Bengal's 200-year-old tradition of cosmopolitan liberalism – shaped by British imperialism – is coming to an end, giving way to a reactionary political imagination.

Sumantra Maitra May 19, 2026

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Roy Strong, the man for all seasons

The Laskett in Herefordshire is a testament to Strong’s almost Proustian devotion to memory, a highly personalised landscape full of ideas and follies that evoke sentiments or plac..

Clive Aslet May 15, 2026

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The quixotic quest for an a priori language

Dreamers and philosophers have long been seduced by the idea of a universal symbolic system capable of expressing all human thought.

Jared Marcel Pollen May 14, 2026

A poster advertising the Canadian Pacific Railway

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Canada’s story and the art of middle-power politics

At the heart of John A. Macdonald’s vision for Canada was the realisation that national power depended on productive capacity, a lesson European leaders would do well to remember.

David Cowan May 13, 2026

Ukrainian servicemen of the aerial reconnaissance unit in Zaporizhzhia, southeastern Ukraine. Credit: Ukrinform

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Ukraine is mastering 21st-century warfare

With Ukraine adapting faster than its invader, several early indicators suggest that the war's trajectory is shifting in Kyiv's favour.

Mick Ryan May 6, 2026

The Burning of the House of Lords and Commons, by JMW Turner.

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Elegy for the hereditary peers

Expelling hereditary peers comes at a cost to Britain's constitutional and cultural fabric.

Gerald Warner May 1, 2026

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From America First to America Alone

Trump's erratic use of tariffs may ultimately undermine the alliances that have allowed the United States to project its power around the globe.

Samuel Gregg May 1, 2026

George Washington crossing the Delaware.

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The unintended consequences of the American Revolution

Despite the United States' resplendent origin myths, the motivations for the complex and confused events of 1775-83 now appear as diverse as their participants.

J.C.D. Clark April 29, 2026

Flags of various European countries members of a NATO force integration unit in Vilnius, Lithuania, 29 March 2022.

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Europe’s geopolitical awakening has begun

Longstanding scepticism towards US foreign policy has forced Europe to prepare for a new world order without America at its centre.

Marina E. Henke April 27, 2026