This new biography of John Donne brings the centuries-dead poet to life

Sweet dreams are made of this

Not reactionary, just drawn that way

The delicate process of writing the biography of a wary Sir Ronald Harwood

Louis-Ferdinand Céline was a flawed man, but he should be allowed to be condemned by his words

How the facts of Hannah Arendt’s life read like fiction

Robert Maxwell’s last two days are covered in great detail in this new book

Anne Sebba’s book on Ethel Rosenberg is a towering memorial

Blake Bailey has become the latest figure to allegedly fall foul of the uncompromising moral standards of American publishing

Christopher Silvester reveals how this biography of Robert Maxwell is a skilfully constructed page-turner