Books
Constitutionally deformed
Robert Peston and Kishan Koria would make our democracy far more dysfunctional
Life versus learning: a battle of the titans
In their lives we find fiercely opposed poles of a culture that has profoundly shaped our world
Spilling the beans on the great spymasters
Fantasy is an essential part of what we are pleased to call reality
Restless zeal of the insomniac emperor
There is something uncanny about the story of Justinian
The Critic books of the year
Reading highlights from our editors and contributors
In praise of people’s parks
A civilising tradition has been sadly neglected
Chapter and verse on the unknowable Bard
The striking thing about Sir Stanley’s Shakespeare is how unsexy he is
The meaning of laughs
In praise of Douglas Adams, a comedy legend
From the Trojan War to conflict in Ukraine
Rich insights into eras of incessant bloodletting
Time to ask “But what about the children?”
Not talking about the facts is counterproductive
A night of spectacle and special effects
Stranger Things: The First Shadow designers aren’t afraid to raid the treasure trove
Ridiculous research and irate academics (w/ Charlotte Gill)
Do we have the right to debate where our taxes are going?
The Foreign Office should be rooted in the past
Who and what is it for, if not the British people, and our history and culture?
Killing the golden goose
International student numbers must be capped, and candidates held to the same academic standards
A “lost” novel better left unfound
We’re a long way from touchstones One Hundred Years of Solitude and Love in the Time of Cholera
Playing the victim
A new book satirises the bizarre dynamics of social justice activism
Alcohol and Islam
An English novelist travels the Muslim world in search of a drink
In memory of Lord Cormack
Britain has lost a wise and dedicated public servant
The greats’ Dane
The story of Burton and Gielgud’s famed Broadway production of Hamlet has been turned into a West End play
When youth becomes period drama
The stakes feel very high when our younger years become the stuff of popular entertainment
Women MPs should be representing women’s interests
It was ludicrous to talk about microaggressions in the aftermath of an alkaline attack
