The rise and fall of Johnny Depp
Now that Depp has lost his libel case, it is now widely believed that his career is all but over
Sean Connery: the man beyond Bond
Who was the “real” Sean Connery?
Shrunken heads, shrinking horizons
Alexander Larman talks to the controversial director of Oxford’s Pitt Rivers Museum
Can political biographies ever be any good?
Political memoirs can be essential, eye-popping reading if the subject is handled in the right way
The end of the old school tie
Private education is under threat from Oxbridge quotas and soaring fees, to the detriment of bright scholarship pupils
Tom Stoppard: A private man now on parade
This biography is a testament to detailed analysis and intelligent insight, says Alexander Larman
The death of the DVD commentary
How the rise of streaming platforms has killed home entertainment
Are fictional politicians as interesting as the real thing?
Sir David Hare’s new BBC drama feels small-scale when we are surrounded by far more impressive real-life spectacles
In defence of knowledge
Richard Ovenden’s new book is a passionate defence of the sanctity of knowledge expressed through literature
The enduring appeal of Jeeves and Wooster
Ben Schott’s new novel is hugely welcome, but thankfully it will never threaten to obscure the genius of the canon
Woo-woo wins out
I’ve succeeded in keeping Will in London… for now
In praise of post-liberalism
Michaela Community School is unique in its robust defence of tradition, truth, belonging and other conservative instincts
Memoir of a troubled woman
Friends and Enemies by Barbara Amiel is an extraordinary work of self-revelation
Books to look forward to this year
There is a great deal to look forward to this year, and hopefully not that much to dread
History wars roll on
In Britain, contentious historical issues receive attention to an unprecedented degree
Happy Holidays?
View from Oxford: a year in woke
Decaying delights
Tom Chessyre on the glory of obscure railway museums
A spoonful of Brexit helps the medicine go down
No one left to Boris to
Trick nor Treat: the hounding of Halloween
Dressing up for Halloween has been cancelled by the culture police
Do MPs understand what Sunak admitted today?
If MPs felt the cut to foreign aid was today’s worst news then they were not listening