Daniel Pipes’s quest to understand the English national character leaves him none the wiser

The polar cities of Arkhangelsk and Murmansk somehow attract a hardcore of visitors for whom winter isn’t a dirty word

While the authors of Francis Bacon’s latest biography deliver nothing new on the art, they do show how Bacon lived his life with a unique intensity

The rural pub is becoming increasingly under threat, and with it, a key part of our national identity

For all his success, Heaton remains surprisingly niche – which is probably just how he likes it

Dinah Casson’s book will inspire and galvanise anyone involved in British provincial museums

The Bee Gees have always been a target for mockery, but by force of talent and ambition, they managed to define the age around them

Damien Hirst’s work encapsulates the sterility, isolation and obsession with death of these times, says Alys Denby

The Story of Scottish Art is not a scholarly work of art history; it gives an easy-to-read account of artists’ lives with a faintly awestruck tone

Far from progressive, Russell T Davies’ recent remarks on the suitability of straight actors playing ‘gay’ roles are conservative and reactionary