Notebooks

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

Fishing boat on a sandy beach near Krynica Morska, Poland.

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Strawberry buns at The End of the World Café: thoughts on the Polish-Russian border

The border between Poland and the Russian Oblast of Kaliningrad has an especially eerie resonance in these troubled times.

Juliette Bretan July 25, 2023

Qin Gang, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of China, now missing.

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The politics of China’s purges

It would be wrong to think of the disappearance and possible downfall of China’s foreign minister, Qin Gang, as an embarrassment for the Communist Party. Purges are an essential pa..

Michael Sheridan July 24, 2023

Lords and Gentlemen of Surrey and Kent playing cricket at Knole Park, Kent, 1775.

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Taking sport too seriously

The ubiquity of sport threatens to deprive it of its most valuable qualities.

Alastair Benn July 18, 2023

Carlos Alcaraz during the 2023 Wimbledon Championships.

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You can call me Al

The surname of the new Wimbledon champion, Carlos Alcaraz, is a reminder of the enduring Arabic influence on European languages.

Armand D'Angour July 18, 2023

A soldier from the 110th Territorial Defense Brigade seen controlling a drone for surveillance at an undisclosed position in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Ukraine.

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Ukraine’s long game

History suggests that Kyiv’s latest offensive requires patience as much as it needs bullets.

Ronan Mainprize July 17, 2023

French editions of Milan Kundera's work.

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Milan Kundera: Novelist of European nostalgia

The great Czech writer, who migrated from his native language to French, cast a cold eye on the slow erosion of Europe's illusions.

Agnès Poirier July 13, 2023

Cimon takes command of the Greek fleet of the Delian League of Athens before his expedition in 466 BC during the course of which he destroyed the Persian fleet and army at the Battle of the Eurymedon river.

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Lessons for NATO from Ancient Greece’s Delian League

Following NATO's critical summit in the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius, it is timely to reflect on parallels between the ancient Greek alliance against Persia and NATO’s response to..

Matthew Godwin July 13, 2023