Notebooks

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Putin needs ‘General Frost’ on his side to win in Ukraine

In 1812, the brutally cold Russian winter helped defend Moscow and defeat Napoleon’s army. In 2022, Vladimir Putin will be hoping the ground freezes to allow his conventional force..

Tim Marshall January 18, 2022

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‘Make it New’ — the rewards of novelty in ancient literature

Classical and novel appear antithetical but a search for the new is evident in some of the oldest literary works.

Armand D'Angour January 16, 2022

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The things gained in translation

Untangling abstract words from one language to another is a subjective task – and translations often reveal as much about their translator as their original text

Eve Webster January 14, 2022

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In defence of Denethor

For all his qualities as a filmmaker, Peter Jackson's representation of Denethor shows how he is unable to fuse the genius of Tolkien and the rich sensibility he brought to bear in..

Alastair Benn January 14, 2022

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On the medicalisation of the mind

Modern attempts to categorise phenomena as varied as mental illness should be reevaluated. Wittgenstein's family resemblance concept points to the folly of labelling any number of ..

Arif Ahmed January 7, 2022

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On beards

Santa Claus is famous for his; today’s hipsters accessorise them – but the fashion for facial hair can be traced all the way back to Ancient Rome.

Daisy Dunn December 22, 2021

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Learning in Italy

The patrician nature of Italian education takes students on a one-way journey of factual regurgitation – but sometimes cracks in the system let a little light in.

Tobias Jones December 21, 2021

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On ostracism

In Ancient Athens, ostracism, a mechanism for exiling citizens written into its laws, was thought to play a pivotal role in preserving the health of the city-state. But how did it ..

Edward Thicknesse December 17, 2021

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Olympism: magic, myths and mega-events

The forthcoming Winter Games in Beijing are already proving controversial – but from their modern inception, the Olympic Games have always been ambiguous, contradictory, and often ..

Lincoln Allison December 16, 2021