Notebooks

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Tom Lehrer dared you to laugh

Clear-sightedness and the absence of self-regard made Tom Lehrer's art unique, exposing the pieties of middle-class America with dash and daring.

Mathew Lyons July 29, 2025

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The global phenomenon of Black Sabbath

Ozzy Osbourne and his bandmates were a global symbol of liberty, whether inspiring freedom behind the Iron Curtain, or the struggle against the influence of the Catholic Church in ..

Duncan Wheeler July 29, 2025

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What does regime change in Iran look like?

Following the Islamic Republic’s 12-Day War with Israel, there may be a genuine opportunity for the Iranian people to reclaim their future from the regime's grasp.

Kasra Aarabi and Saeid Golkar July 28, 2025

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Jung’s map of the soul

Born 150 years ago, Carl Jung drew on mythology and personal experience to create a visionary body of work, resonant in a disenchanted age.

Garima Garg July 25, 2025

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The UK and Sweden, two tales of Afghan withdrawal

Britain was not alone in mishandling its withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Johan Wennström July 24, 2025

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The Syrian state is unravelling

If the Syrian government cannot impose order on disparate sectarian militias, the country could lapse into a destructive new civil war.

James Snell July 22, 2025

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The Druze, no friends but the mountains

Syria’s Druze have often been caught between their commitment to national independence and a wariness of Sunni domination.

Jack Dickens July 21, 2025

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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