Notebooks

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A paean to the Paris Métro

Unveiled 125 years ago, the Métropolitan marked Paris’s leap into modernity, with Guimard’s once-controversial station entrances now enduring emblems of the city’s spirit.

Agnès Poirier July 18, 2025

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A window into Hitler’s soul

Reading Mein Kampf, 100 years on from its first appearance, can help us better understand a historical moment which still so profoundly structures our world, as it fades into the d..

Samuel Rubinstein July 18, 2025

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The art of least resistance

Russian musicians' responses to the full-scale invasion of Ukraine raise a vital question: when should artists be expected to denounce the actions of their governments?

Elisabeth Braw July 17, 2025

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Iran’s forever crisis is far from over

As a result of Israeli and American attacks, the Islamic Republic’s problems have only intensified. Its next steps could prove definitive for both the country and its ruling establ..

Afshon Ostovar July 17, 2025

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Pierre Boulez created the music of the future

The composer-conductor Pierre Boulez felt that the established musical forms of the West had been exhausted. His aim was to build them up again from scratch.

Benjamin Poore July 15, 2025

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The West in the age of Westlessness

What does it mean to defend Western values in a less Western-dominated age?

Samir Puri July 15, 2025

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How Brazil avoided disaster in Vietnam

In the mid-1960s, Brazil's leaders were on the verge of joining the United States' war in Vietnam. The power of public opinion forced them to back down.

Ryan A. Musto July 14, 2025

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An attack on US intelligence

President Trump’s willingness to manipulate assessments of Iran's nuclear programme suggests that he prioritises his public narrative over the effectiveness of America's intelligen..

Matthew Hefler July 10, 2025

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The first butterfly collectors

The Society of Aurelians, the first entomological society established in Britain, brought butterflies out of their undeserved obscurity, lavishly illustrated their beauty, and even..

Nigel Andrew July 8, 2025