Notebooks

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Epitaph on a mafioso’s grave

Prigozhin thought that his ‘hard drive’ of Putin’s murky network of contacts, conspiracies and deals might save him, following his mutiny. He was wrong. But his murder means Putin ..

Vladislav Zubok August 25, 2023

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Russia’s unbearable frontline burden

Military institutions do not cope well with long-term, large-scale deployments, especially when they are contested by a determined and capable adversary inflicting heavy casualties..

Jeffrey H. Michaels August 25, 2023

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Ancients abroad

The idea of 'the holiday' is a recent phenomenon – did the Ancient Greeks and Romans travel for pleasure?

Armand D'Angour August 22, 2023

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The limits of dictatorship

Despite the challenges facing liberal democracies, it is authoritarian regimes that remain most precarious.

Samuel Mace August 18, 2023

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The politician’s swift route to mockery

When Prime Minister Rishi Sunak declared his love for the music of Taylor Swift, he was opening himself up to a peculiarly British form of criticism. He is not the first senior pol..

Alexander Larman August 18, 2023

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Marion Dönhoff: the very best of Germany

One of West Germany's foremost public intellectuals, Marion Dönhoff confronted the complex subject of how to sustain an economically dynamic liberal democracy while ensuring nobody..

Elisabeth Braw August 17, 2023

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The first prime minister

A push for ideological purity can prove tempting for politicians in periods of upheaval, as they offer the possibility of complete victory. But they can also lead to crushing defea..

Eloise Davies August 16, 2023

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The mythical Burma of Maurice Collis

Like George Orwell, Maurice Collis served as a colonial policeman in interwar Burma. Unlike Orwell, he is now little known, but his conservative critique of empire – and his curiou..

James Snell August 15, 2023

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Robbie Robertson: presiding genius of the New Americana

Guitarist and lead songwriter of The Band died this week at the age of eighty, his greatness assured.

Bryan Appleyard August 11, 2023