Notebooks

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

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The perils of Russian stability under Putin

Europe has spent too long fearing the consequences of Russian instability. It is time to fear the consequences of the stability of Putin's regime.

Stephen G. F. Hall May 13, 2025

German woodcut depicting Frederick III 'the Wise', Elector of Saxony and Martin Luther (c. 1550).

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Martin Luther’s wise protector

Frederick III, 'the Wise', Elector of Saxony, did not set out to defend the Protestant Reformation, but by protecting Martin Luther he changed Christendom and the world.

Eliot Wilson May 13, 2025

A speech by Pope John Paul II in Krakow during his trip to Poland in 1979.

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How the Vatican does geopolitics

The new Pope will need courage in handling a fractured church and multiple geopolitical crises. One of his greatest challenges could be defusing tensions in the Korean peninsula.

Edward Howell May 9, 2025

A scene from The Jetsons, an American television cartoon originally aired int he 1960s.

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Why utopias still matter

The 21st century needs utopias. We have the ability to imagine more optimistic futures, where technology reduces suffering, and expands the sphere of human creativity and endeavour..

Jonathan Esty May 7, 2025

A print of George Washington's entry into New York.

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The quest for an American honours system

The United States has never developed a comprehensive system of awards for merit - why?

Elijah Granet May 2, 2025

Container ships off the coast of Singapore

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Southeast Asia – between Trump and China

As the trade war between the United States and China intensifies, Southeast Asian countries will encounter increasing pressure to align with either Washington or Beijing.

Imran Shamsunahar April 30, 2025

The Prussian Homage (1879-1882) by Jan Matejko

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The historical power of Jan Matejko’s painting

Prussian Homage captures a golden moment in Polish history. Matejko's painting was not just a powerful weapon in the fight to recover his nation's statehood, it was also a lesson i..

Mateusz Strozynski April 29, 2025

Alfred Glendening's Picking Wild Flowers in the Hedgerow.

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The art of the hedgerow

The hedgerow is never truly permanent. The hedge in art reflects the hedge in reality, a shifting entity, a feature that is sometimes lost and sometimes replaced.

Richard Negus April 28, 2025

The Catholic faithful pay their respects to Pope Francis lying-in-state inside St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican.

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The medieval origins of the Pope lying-in-state

The public display of a pope’s remains is at the heart of the funeral ritual. Its origins lie in the pomp and prestige expected of late medieval Europe's most powerful institutions..

Katherine Harvey April 25, 2025