Notebooks

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How wars end

When the terms for ending a conflict are left undefined, a state can drift towards defeat, with the choice of peace arriving only when the power to shape it has gone.

Reyhan Silingar August 18, 2025

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The invasion of Japan that never was

The decision to drop the atomic bombs, rather than order an extended land invasion of Japan, was a moral choice between two tragedies.

Peter Caddick-Adams August 18, 2025

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The Yasukuni Shrine and the shadow of the past

The Yasukuni Shrine is more than just a memorial to Japan's war dead.

Keith Lowe August 15, 2025

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The real meaning of VJ Day

The lesson of the Allied victory over Japan in August 1945 is that war, though terrible, is sometimes a necessary instrument of justice.

Robert Lyman August 15, 2025

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Animal Farm, Orwell’s true masterpiece

Animal Farm works at a deeper level than politics. It is an allegory about human nature, and George Orwell's greatest work.

Jeremy Wikeley August 14, 2025

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A tale of two dynasties

The recent round of fighting between Thailand and Cambodia has its roots in a dramatic falling out between two of Southeast Asia’s most powerful families.

Imran Shamsunahar August 12, 2025

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Australia must confront the perils that lie ahead

Like America's allies in Europe, Australia cannot afford to be complacent about the demands of the Trump administration or the aggression of authoritarian powers.

Mick Ryan August 11, 2025

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Jerry Garcia’s American journey

The Grateful Dead's music is a form of Americana, an eclectic gathering of forms and style, a way of celebrating the whole of America through its native musical forms.

Bryan Appleyard August 8, 2025

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Stella Rimington, trailblazer in the Secret World

The late Dame Stella Rimington changed the history of MI5.

Helen Fry August 7, 2025