Essays

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

The Lawrence legend continues to win new devotees while his pragmatic contribution to warfare is neglected.

Late Antiquity was not just a story of Decline and Fall - Roman elites thrived in a changing world.

The Covid-19 pandemic signals a long period of global instability.

Social upheaval has often been a catalyst for artistic change - the Renaissance was no exception.

The influenza pandemic behaved much like the conflict itself - picking out the young and fit before their time.

Ghost town London had its harbingers in literature and history. How will it emerge from its isolation?

Engelsberg Ideas is a new home for great writing and podcasts on history and culture, featuring leading writers and thinkers.

The Covid-19 crisis has accentuated all the geopolitical fault lines of the past decade.

Crises of knowledge precipitate drives towards specialisation. In our digital age we still need polymaths.