Notebooks

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

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How Europe can make Putin pay

Instead of ensnaring Trump in Alaska, Putin may have trapped himself. Now, European leaders must act quickly to convince the US President that he can tip the battlefield in Ukraine..

Peter Rough August 26, 2025

A mass protest in Tallinn, Estonia, against the 1939 Nazi-Soviet Pact, on 23 August 1989. Credit: Associated Press

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Black Ribbon Day’s new urgency

Black Ribbon Day, which commemorates the millions of victims who suffered under Nazism and Stalinism, could serve as a poignant reminder of the dangers of totalitarianism.

Keith Lowe August 23, 2025

Nicolas Poussin's A Dance to the Music of Time. Circa 1635.

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A true history of the festival

The festival spirit is deeply rooted in Western culture. Modern people ignore its power at their peril.

Zachary Hardman August 22, 2025

Edgar Degas' The Orchestra at the Opera.

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The end of the cult of the wunderkind

Just a few years ago, extremely young conductors were all the rage. No longer.

Elisabeth Braw August 21, 2025

The opening of the Estates General at Versailles, 5 May 1789.

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Statism is crushing France’s soul

France’s over-reliance on the state is stifling political innovation and civic vitality. Devolving power will require a reinvention of revolutionary and republican traditions.

Marc Le Chevallier August 20, 2025

US President Donald Trump the and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Washington, DC.

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Ukraine: Trump’s chance to be a statesman

President Trump now has a golden opportunity to bring peace to Europe. He will have to be uncharacteristically patient, offering wise concessions to Putin as well as credible secur..

Thomas Graham August 19, 2025

Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music (1965).

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Austria against The Sound of Music

Although the Sound of Music remains one of the most popular musicals ever made, few in Austria have seen it. Since its release in 1965, the film has served as a painful reminder to..

Katy Holland August 19, 2025

US President Donald Trump welcomes Russian President Vladimir Putin to Alaska.

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Rolling out the red carpet

It may appear to be a welcoming symbol, but history tells us a red carpet is often a trap.

Armand D'Angour August 18, 2025

The Japanese surrender at Tokyo Bay, September 1945.

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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