The author of a new novel about the Mona Lisa explores the history of the world’s most famous painting

The self-justifying self-portrait of a journalist who never made it

Jack Kerouac’s reputation should rest on his whole oeuvre — not just his most famous novel

Done well, book reviews have never been more important

Owen Hatherley offers a vital but frequently flawed guide to post-war British architecture

Enough of reformers who want to turn schools upside-down without knowing which way is up

A new history of Byzantium reveals the inner workings of a late antique empire

It is her words and voice, not her purported identity, that matter to her fans

The brilliant story of a Francis Bacon exhibition in Moscow

Gal Beckerman’s history of how high-speed communication prevents social change