Lead book review
The greater glory of Roy
Stephen Bayley recalls his (mainly enjoyable) encounters with the flamboyant former museum director
A study in realpolitik
Barack Obama was famous for his rhetoric, but his achievements show just what a steely political operator he was too, says Sam Leith
Classic misconceptions
Harold Bloom devoted his life to literature – but he had little feeling for words, says Philip Hensher
Books of the year II
David Crane If nothing else, this has been a good time for catch-up. Theodor Fontane’s Effi Briest (translated by Walter…
Books of the year I
Reviewers choose the books they have most enjoyed in 2020 – and a few that have disappointed them
From hard tack to trifle
Prue Leith traces the biscuit’s surprisingly colourful history
Battered old bear
The Prime Minister may have lost his bounce –but perhaps that’s no bad thing, says Lynn Barber
Top-level intelligence
The brilliance of GCHQ can now be recognised – and about time too, says Sinclair McKay
A walk on the Wilde side
Philip Hensher admires a witty account of the horrors of modern film-making
Spells and bindings
Dennis Duncan enjoys some of the world’s most bizarre books
A playwright at play
Tom Stoppard is a non-stop genius of jokes – but many of them make his latest biographer uneasy, says Craig Raine
Days of glory
Ian Thomson describes Ravenna’s golden age, when classical Rome, Byzantium and Christianity met
Beyond Bayreuth
Wagner gripped the communal mind for decades after his death. Philip Hensher examines his enduring influence
The man who hunted himself
Graham Greene was constantly searching for peace of mind along with escapist thrills, says Nicholas Shakespeare
From slave to freedom fighter
Toussaint Louverture’s ‘crazy dream’ for Haiti has still to be realised, says Amy Wilentz
John Bull at play
The history of English sport reflects a defiant people determined to protect their ancient prerogatives, says Alex Massie
The new world rulers
Cory Doctorow on the vast, impersonal forces manipulating our lives
Love and courage
Philippe Sands on the heroic couple who defied Hitler and paid the ultimate price
Cosmic cataclysm
Alexander Masters speculates on how the universe will end
In cold blood
Sharks may inspire fear and loathing, but we are the crueller predators, says Philip Hoare
In bad odour
Michael Bywater wonders why the existence of smell still seems such a guilty secret
Bad science exposed
Research has always been susceptible to fraud, but regulations are now much tighter than they were, says David Wootton
Driving force
Alan Johnson pays tribute to Ernest Bevin, a towering political figure too often forgotten
Everyday exchanges
Conversation is a fascinating subject, says Philip Hensher – but very few people get it right
Models and bottles
The spectacular extravagance of the VIP nightclub ‘experience’ could be the last bonfire of the vanities, says Lynn Barber
