Notebooks

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Is Latin America’s pink tide ebbing in Brazil?

The Brazilian election is being viewed as a referendum on Donald Trump’s ability to reel in Latin America’s largest economy and last major left-wing holdout.

Stephen G. Bloom October 2, 2026

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Watching Steve Reich watch Steve Reich

As Steve Reich turns 90, a chance encounter with the composer shows why his genre-hopping music holds such enduring appeal.

James Hardie October 2, 2026

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Losing faith in New Atheism: ‘The God Delusion’ 20 years on

Richard Dawkins’s bestseller defined New Atheism, an intellectual fashion whose conclusions look increasingly irrelevant.

Guy Stagg October 1, 2026

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Vasily Grossman’s account of humanity’s darkest hours

Grossman’s wartime reporting offers a searing account of the depths to which mankind fell in the middle of the last century.

Paul Lay September 30, 2026

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Ergun Çağatay, bridge to the vast Turkic world

In capturing the threads of shared culture and profound differences among a far-flung people, the photojournalist Ergun Çağatay shed light on what it means to be Turkic.

Caroline Eden September 29, 2026

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Britain’s information war against Nazi Germany

During the Second World War, Britain learnt that a propaganda campaign can only be won with accurate and credible reporting.

Steven Casey September 29, 2026

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Japan and South Korea must master transactional diplomacy

The United States is reviewing its military commitments in East Asia. Seoul and Tokyo must learn to compete for Washington's support.

Edward Howell September 28, 2026

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What if the Baltic states had resisted Stalin?

Finland's Winter War has become a national legend, while the Baltic states' surrender to Stalin in 1940 is remembered as a humiliation. But the story of Baltic submission is a myth..

Gordon F. Sander September 24, 2026

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The rise and fall of Rome’s first family

Fifty years on, 'I, Claudius' remains a startling account of power, lust and statecraft.

Paul Lay September 23, 2026