Books
When Hitler’s dream came true
In 1946, in the aftermath of a devastating war, the world seemed a very dark place indeed, says Sam Leith
What a saga!
Hugh Walpole, now almost forgotten, was a literary giant. Descended from the younger brother of the 18th-century prime minister Robert…
Walking the same walk
Mark Cocker is the naturalist writer of the moment, with birds his special subject. His previous book, Birds and People,…
Resurrection men
Ghostly doings are afoot in Edwardian London. Choking fog rolls over the treacle- black Thames. Braziers cast eerie shadows in…
Beyond Endurance
Polar explorers are often cast as mavericks, and this is hardly surprising. The profession requires a disdain for pseudo-orthodoxies and,…
A jaunty romp of rape and pillage
The Brethren, by Robert Merle, who died at the age of 95 ten years ago, was originally published in 1977,…
The seeds of Wisdom
The Lawrence books are piling up, aren’t they? I don’t mean the author of The Rainbow, though as I write…
Title Stories: My Man Jeeves By P.G. Wodehouse
Got something to add? Join the discussion and comment below.
One detective bows out…
Some years ago I met the Swedish crime writer Henning Mankell at the Savoy Hotel in London, where he was…
… and another is resurrected
First, a confession. I have never cared much for Hercule Poirot. In this I am not alone, for his creator…
We sat bewitched
Nearly 50 years ago we made our way into an inner place, a semi-subterranean room, in a peculiar college. A…
Back in the mean streets
Aficionados of detective fiction have long known that the differences between the soft- and hard-boiled school are so profound that,…
A terrible beauty
Anyone thinking of bringing out a book on Waterloo at the moment must be very confident, very brave or just…
Comforting sounds to cook to
When you think about it, Radio 4 is mostly a pile of old toss. Money Box qualifies as an anaesthetic,…
History Parade
We left the Scout hut shortly after dark, to ambush regulars acting as invaders. Later, there was to be a…
Books and arts
Got something to add? Join the discussion and comment below.
In the big chair
Even those of us of a conservative bent hoped that the election of the Rudd government in 2007 would constitute…
History Parade
We left the Scout hut shortly after dark, to ambush regulars acting as invaders. Later, there was to be a…
Title Stories: My Man Jeeves By P.G. Wodehouse
The post Title Stories: My Man Jeeves By P.G. Wodehouse appeared first on The Spectator. Got something to add? Join…
History Parade
We left the Scout hut shortly after dark, to ambush regulars acting as invaders. Later, there was to be a…
Title Stories: My Man Jeeves By P.G. Wodehouse
Got something to add? Join the discussion and comment below.
The Grand Disturber
Napoleon’s exploits may have captured the world’s imagination, but the great European drama, played out over 20 years, was ultimately tawdry and pointless, says David Crane
Derring dos and don’ts
Recent years have seen the slim but splendid Patrick Leigh Fermor oeuvre swell considerably. In 2008 came In Tearing Haste,…
Title Stories: The Postman Always Rings Twice by James M Cain
Got something to add? Join the discussion and comment below.
A memoir of love and loss
In a varied career, the actress Kika Markham has regularly played real-life charcters, including, on television, Mrs Thatcher — piquant…
