This book sets out to rebalance ahistorical narratives of how museum collections were constructed

Dry-ish, spare, clear-eyed — rare in a world of literary bloat, sentiment and overstatement

A distinct lack of charity when evaluating the motivations and goals of others

An interesting if unappealingly illustrated reassessment of a neglected style

A depressing, inarticulate complaint of a generation too paralysed even to make art

The hazy treatment of what “music” even entails falls flat

Did the English Revolution go full circle, replacing one overmighty king with another? 

A defensive concern under the right conditions can morph into a warrant for brutal expansionism

The detours, if at times distracting, are worth the price of this historical journey

A new book on care is filled with empirical insights but short on rhetorical power