Notebooks

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What pushed Sweden away from socialism?

Sweden's radical economic policies during the Cold War decades inspired socialists worldwide. However, its wage earner funds found little support and instead generated a new visio..

Rikard Westerberg September 7, 2022

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Missing the swallowtail butterflies of Ukraine

In the teeth of Russian assault, we think of Ukraine as the borderland, the bloodlands, Europe’s cursed killing ground. But no-one mentions Ukraine’s extraordinary natural beauty.

Catherine Merridale September 5, 2022

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Bruegel had a Worldview

The prolific paintings of Pieter Bruegel the Elder may be familiar, but a closer look at the artist’s philosophy reveals he remains defiantly counter-cultural.

Gavin Plumley September 2, 2022

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Gorbachev did not end the Cold War alone — the West won

Gorbachev decided to fold up the Soviet Union without a military confrontation, for which he certainly deserves praise, but to present him as a man who ended the evil of European C..

Andrew Roberts August 31, 2022

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A brief history of the fatwa

The role of fatwas provides a dark insight into the relationship between Iranian religion and politics over the past century.

Ali Ansari August 24, 2022

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Mirrors and myths: the role of public perception in shaping covert operations

Entering the world of covert interference is like walking into a funfair world of mirrors. When so little is truly known of the murky world of secret statecraft, our understanding ..

Rory Cormac August 18, 2022

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Beppe Fenoglio: A Complex Centenary

The Italian writer came into his own during the Second World War– but his ideas about the English-speaking world don’t necessarily connect to Western realities – or audiences – t..

Tobias Jones August 15, 2022

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Working From Anywhere — the holiday never stops

The Covid pandemic turned Working From Home into a lifestyle and a talking point — but Working From Anywhere has become popular too and has meant that working life has melded with ..

Agnès Poirier August 12, 2022

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Conducting is Finland’s soft superpower

Since the 1800s, Finns have turned to music as an expression of national identity and defiance — today that expression has come full circle.

Elisabeth Braw August 10, 2022