Notebooks

Notebooks are snapshots from our writers, reflecting on current affairs and underappreciated aspects of culture and history.

John Wilkes returns to London in triumph.

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People versus Parliament: a warning from the 18th century

The radical John Wilkes was expelled from the Commons and returned by his constituents again and again. The appeal over Parliament's head to the people is a very old manoeuvre.

Ioannes Chountis de Fabbri July 9, 2026

'The Monroe Doctrine, 1823' by Allyn Cox (1973), a large oil mural in the US Capitol. Credit: Wikimedia/ US Capitol

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The good, the bad, and the ugly of the Monroe Doctrine

For over three quarters of the nation's lifespan, the Monroe Doctrine has uniquely captured the American mind, for better or worse.

Joseph Ledford July 9, 2026

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A lost world of perfect diction

A 1970 documentary on Virginia Woolf gathers a cast of talking heads, Elizabeth Bowen among them, who speak with an eloquence and clarity that have almost disappeared.

Paul Lay July 8, 2026

John Horne Tooke, far left, in a contemporary cartoon satirising radical opinion.

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Hans Aarsleff and the uses of error

The intellectual legacy of the Danish-born scholar shows that 'error' is a good word in the historian's lexicon.

Samuel Rubinstein July 6, 2026

A crowd cheers at the nomination of US Senator George McGovern for US President at the Democratic National Convention.

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The Democrats’ narrow path back to power

The president's party almost always loses the midterms. The interesting question is what comes next. Can the Democrats resist the leftward lurch that cost them in 1972?

Luke A. Nichter July 6, 2026

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Ivy Compton-Burnett’s forgotten genius

Ivy Compton-Burnett's unique novels have slipped out of the canon, but this true one-off deserves a place alongside contemporaries such as Evelyn Waugh.

Nigel Andrew July 3, 2026

Australian Premier John Curtin talks with Flight Sergeant Harry Tickle, responsible for maintaining Lancaster bomber G for George, 1944, RAF. Credit: piemags/ww2archive

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Australia needs a tragic statesman

Throughout Australian history, few leaders have understood geopolitical tragedy. The optimism-bias of the 'lucky country' leaves it ill-equipped to deal with an increasingly volati..

Iain MacGillivray July 2, 2026

Rinus Michels after his team triumph in Europe.

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A World Cup in Rinus Michels’ image

The Dutch master's revolution has conquered football so completely that almost every major footballing nation aspires to play in his style.

Paul Lay July 1, 2026

An Italian drone dog moves across the field during NATO exercise Steadfast Dart 26.

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Drone warfare with a moral code

Recent innovations in artificial intelligence may make it possible to train autonomous weapons systems to act with a moral compass on the battlefield, but human oversight must be m..

David Omand June 30, 2026