Notebooks

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The risks and rewards of Vietnam’s strongman era

While Vietnam's political system appears to be moving closer to a Chinese model, the country has also exploited opportunities to build stronger economic ties with the United States..

Imran Shamsunahar May 29, 2026

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The new bibliomaniacs

Rare book collecting is booming. Young people raised in the digital age are seeking tangible connections to the past.

Kristine Roome May 28, 2026

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Has Iran won the war by not losing?

Iran's survival strategy has leveraged a form of warfare grounded in geo-economic calculation.

Ibrahim Al-Marashi and Tanya Goudsouzian May 27, 2026

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Cannes and the language of exile

The 2026 edition of the Cannes film festival suggests that Europe’s defining cultural figure may no longer be a rooted national artist but a divided intellectual speaking in severa..

Agnès Poirier May 23, 2026

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Putin at the court of the Celestial Emperor

The two great land empires of Asia have long had a relationship based on asymmetric dependency and rivalry. Putin's homage to Xi Jinping's court is a reversion to an ancient type.

Owen Matthews May 22, 2026

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The politics of provocative opera

Discarding canonical operas because they might discomfort modern audiences does a disservice to the complexities of art.

Alexandra Wilson May 22, 2026

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Surviving Russia’s surveillance state

Russia's sophisticated system of repression in occupied Ukraine must force resistance to adapt.

Jade McGlynn May 21, 2026

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The peculiar magic of the English garden

The Chelsea Flower Show, with its blend of horticultural excellence and barely controlled chaos, captures something eccentric and loveable about the English garden.

Daisy Dunn May 19, 2026

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The Bayeux Tapestry and the quest for Europe

From Napoleon to the Nazis, Europe's would-be masters have sought to harness the power of the medieval masterpiece.

Caitlin Allen May 18, 2026