Notebooks

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

A 1972 stamp printed in Iran shows Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi.

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The stakes of a Pahlavi restoration

Iran’s last Shah presided over rapid economic growth, social transformation, and expanding opportunity, particularly for women. Yet the unresolved political legacy of Pahlavi rule ..

Roham Alvandi January 29, 2026

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How the kitchen conquered the home

The contemporary kitchen is no longer just a place to cook but a symbol of taste, wealth and personal identity.

Zoe Strimpel January 28, 2026

The flags of the European Union and the United States of America flying next to each other.

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Why Europe and America need each other

European leaders must rebalance, rather than replace, the bonds that tie them to the United States. Even in the age of Trump, Washington remains an indispensable partner.

Lawrence Freedman January 28, 2026

A view of the wire perimeter fence at Auschwitz. Credit: Chronicle

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Primo Levi’s grey zone

The Auschwitz survivor insisted we suspend moral judgement on those concentration camp prisoners who, faced with impossible choices, abetted the Nazis’ project of annihilation.

Ian Thomson January 27, 2026

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After American exceptionalism

For decades, American power was underpinned by ideals that inspired allies and adversaries alike. But the 'City on the Hill' now shines less brightly.

Marc Polymeropoulos January 27, 2026

Government ministers, including Britain's Ernest Bevin, meet for talks on the Western European defence scheme.

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Bevin’s alternative European order

The Western European Union, conceived by Ernest Bevin, provided a crucial framework for European security. Its history illustrates how even the most useful security arrangements ca..

Peter Ricketts January 26, 2026

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The perils of a failed state in Iran

As the Islamic Republic continues to falter, the West should remain open to change from within the regime.

Rob Macaire January 26, 2026

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From Pericles to Davos

The Athenian statesman Pericles’ Funeral Oration is an organic unity, its authority derived from the speaker’s strength of vision. This stands in complete contrast to today’s polit..

Armand D'Angour January 23, 2026

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Scotland’s north country

The habits of speech and mind that shaped the history of Scotland’s north country still echo in the present.

Alastair Benn January 23, 2026