Notebooks

notebook

Low power: how self-sufficient Sweden jeopardised its energy security

In the late 1990s, Sweden had a uniquely well-functioning electricity system. It was virtually 100 per cent fossil-free, reliable, and cost-efficient. What went wrong?

Magnus Henrekson September 14, 2022

notebook

How Elizabeth II created the role of the modern monarch

The Queen’s presence conveyed more eloquently than any words could that the ship of state had a firm anchor in her modern monarchy.

Richard Chartres September 14, 2022

notebook

Chemical weapons and war: the growing threat

Unconventional warfare helped Assad triumph in Syria and could be the deadly game changer for Putin in Ukraine.

Hamish de Bretton-Gordon September 13, 2022

notebook

Her Great Quality

Elizabeth II’s playful sense of humour brought us fleeting glimpses of her unguarded private side. No wonder we clung to them.

Daisy Dunn September 10, 2022

notebook

The two Elizabeths

Very few monarchs have been so widely adored as Elizabeth I and Elizabeth II. Perhaps it is because they placed love at the centre of their relationship with their subjects.

Estelle Paranque September 9, 2022

notebook

Elizabeth the Dutiful

If you were to attach one descriptive word to Queen Elizabeth, as in Alfred the Great or William the Conqueror, it would be dutiful.

Allan Massie September 9, 2022

notebook

Queen Elizabeth II — the end of a glorious reign

The Queen's life of service, duty and sacrifice is an example to Britain and to the world.

Bruce Anderson September 8, 2022

notebook

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

notebook

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