Notebooks

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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

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The timely return of Henry Clay

With the collapse of the post-Reagan consensus, US politics is finding renewed inspiration in the Hamiltonian, interventionist creed of the ‘American System’.

David Cowan August 10, 2023

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Armenia, Azerbaijan on the brink – again

Conflict in the South Caucasus could break out for the third time in as many decades. But a compromise may still be possible.

Thomas de Waal August 9, 2023

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Sakharov and Oppenheimer: twin triumphs and tragedies

The Soviet dissident and the radical American were both scientific geniuses of independent thought who shared deep anxieties about the consequences of their work. Both lives are wo..

Paul Josephson August 8, 2023

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Democracy is no longer a ‘hurray-word’ in West Africa

What does the military takeover in Niger mean for the wider region?

Olayinka Ajala August 7, 2023

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The wit of Wes Anderson

The distinctive visual aesthetic of film director Wes Anderson easily lends itself to parody, but deeper qualities can be found at the heart of his work.

Alexander Larman August 2, 2023