A new history of movie directors is full of insight, felicitous phrases and subtle put-downs

A beautiful and unusual book can lift the spirits of even the most jaded reviewer

Steve Morris argues that this new book about Pontius Pilate helps us understand the limits of state and law

Placing the poems of Pre-Raphaelite muse Elizabeth Siddal in context

James Stevens Curl reveals how this new release provides amazing insight into the household of a well-heeled, cultured European in late eighteenth-century India

Independent bookstores are often no more ethical than the big chains

J. C. D. Clark reveals how Alan Dershowitz’s book is a nostalgic defence of the ‘American dream’ and of American exceptionalism

For his eighth novel, Anthony Quinn continues his noble tradition of producing a thumping good read

Michael Coren talks to his friend, Rev Richard Coles, about Coles’ forthcoming memoir on love, loss and grief

From the golden age of crime fiction to the modern day, Jeremy Black recommends seven books to see you through April