Reviews

Review

Tennyson was young once

A new biography of the formative years of the Victorian poet illuminates an unparalleled historical moment of vulnerability and wonder.

Mathew Lyons October 6, 2025

Review

Werner Herzog’s truth

All Werner Herzog's works are mysterious; they never quite resolve into a simple idea or conclusion. His latest book explains why.

Bryan Appleyard October 3, 2025

Review

The fight for the Arctic’s future

The melting of polar sea-ice is opening up a new and uncertain sphere for geopolitical competition.

Caroline Eden October 1, 2025

Review

The Assassins’ and Templars’ shared fate

Against a backdrop of shifting empires and fragile alliances, two brotherhoods — the Assassins and the Knights Templar — carved out reputations steeped in violence and myth.

Nicholas Morton September 30, 2025

Review

A voyage around Virgil’s world

By making the Aeneid accessible to the epic’s readers in English, Christopher Tanfield's companion to the text in translation is no less useful to students who are more deeply enga..

Armand D'Angour September 26, 2025

Review

Blitz, the victory of style over substance

The Blitz club’s influence on eighties fashion proved to be far greater than its influence on music.

Paul Lay September 25, 2025

Review

An unflinching Tosca

The controversial Anna Netrebko has staged a breathtaking comeback. Each note of her ‘Vissi d’arte’ pulsates with emotion.

Alexandra Wilson September 24, 2025

Review

The genius of King James

Although he is often remembered for his defence of witch-hunting and divinely sanctioned monarchy, James Stuart was also a shrewd statesman, a prolific writer and a flawed – but fa..

Gareth Russell September 23, 2025

Review

Trouble in Königsberg

A scandal that took place in Königsberg in the 1830s tells a grander story of Europe and religion, and the battle between reason and imagination.

Peter Hoskin September 22, 2025