Notebooks

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What is the British Army for?

Recent debates over the British Army tend to fixate on equipment – from procurement headaches to its state of readiness after donating tanks to Ukraine – but the real matter to res..

William D. James March 8, 2023

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Fanfare for Ukraine

Aaron Copland’s 'Fanfare for the Common Man', composed in 1942, was dedicated to ordinary Americans' contribution to the fight against fascism. On the eightieth anniversary of its ..

Elisabeth Braw March 7, 2023

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The Rhinegold, Wagner’s other comedy 

The ENO's new production of the prelude to the Ring shows British opera houses can raise a chuckle, but they can do serious, too.

Paul Lay March 2, 2023

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Pulling at the threads of astrology

The idea that the microcosm of human lives is connected to the macrocosm of the heavens is one of the most persistent throughout history, and is represented in countless ways in sc..

Garima Garg March 2, 2023

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Putin’s cult of commemoration keeps Russians enslaved

Russians killed in war have long been a state resource, exploited by politicians through the ages – including Vladimir Putin. The opposite is also true; when it is expedient, lead..

Catherine Merridale February 24, 2023

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The metamorphosis of Volodymyr Zelensky

An actor and comedian who once played a president on TV is now the world’s most eminent contemporary wartime leader, with almost universal support for his fight for a free, unified..

David R. Marples February 23, 2023

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When the Samurai came to America

The Tokugawa shogun's 1860 embassy to the United States offers tantalising hints of a road not travelled in the story of Japan’s relationship with the West.

Christopher Harding February 22, 2023

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NATO is back

As it looks to the future the essential intergovernmental security alliance should draw inspiration from its founding.

Luke Coffey February 17, 2023

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How early EVs were overtaken by macho petrol heads

The first electric vehicles were cheaper, simpler, more reliable and cleaner than their petrol-powered rivals. Electricity should have been the winner in the early twentieth centur..

Bryan Appleyard February 17, 2023