Books
Answers to ‘Spot the Play Title’
1. Cat Honour Hot Tin Roof 2. Frank Hen Stein 3. Ark A Deer 4. Hammer Day S 5. Hiss…
Powerful punch lines
Vernon Scannell was a thief, a liar, a deserter, a bigamist, a fraud, an alcoholic, a woman-beater and a coward.…
A Yorkshire Christmas Eve
His nearby town wore annual evening-dress, cheap jewellery of lights, white fur and bright drapes of Santa red which might…
A dogged opportunist
Of a dashing political rival, François Mitterrand once remarked: He was more intelligent than I was, he thought faster than…
Strands of Scottish history
A couple of years ago, while tracking down paintings for the Public Catalogue Foundation in the far north of Scotland,…
Always keep a-hold of Nurse…
Soon after moving to London at the age of 20, Nina Stibbe wrote to her sister Vic saying, ‘Being a…
The President and the muckrakers
Theodore Roosevelt and the Progressive Era are well-worn subjects for both professional and amateur historians, so it’s pertinent to ask…
A Herculean achievement
Early on in this dazzling new biography, Martin Gayford compares Michelangelo, with his daunting artistic tasks, to Hercules, the subject…
The Price of Fame
Try not to meet us in the flesh We’ll disappoint you if you do, Our dandruff and our garlic breath…
Dutch courage in the trenches
‘You have no idea,’ wrote the publisher Ralph Hodder-Williams in 1929 to one of his authors, what terrible offence Journey’s…
The making of the myth
Writing about Napoleon is a risky business. It exposes the author to the brickbats of the blind worshippers for whom…
Ho, ho, oh no
In January 1976 New York’s late-lamented National Lampoon produced a bicentennial calendar as a contribution to the general rejoicing. For…
Beginning at the end
For much of its history the Danube has been a disappointment. It looks so tempting on the map but, far…
As grand as the Grand Canyon itself
This book begins with Simon Winchester becoming a US citizen two years ago: ‘I swore a solemn oath before a…
The Pleasure’s All Mine, by Julie Peakman – review
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Bringing Bond to book
Matthew Woodcock reminds us that 007 was a man of letters too
Books of the Year
We asked friends to tell us what they enjoyed reading in 2013
Answers to ‘Spot the Play Title’
1. Cat Honour Hot Tin Roof 2. Frank Hen Stein 3. Ark A Deer 4. Hammer Day S 5. Hiss…
Spot the play title
The post Spot the play title appeared first on The Spectator. Got something to add? Join the discussion and comment…
The Pleasure’s All Mine, by Julie Peakman – review
The post The Pleasure’s All Mine, by Julie Peakman – review appeared first on The Spectator. Got something to add?…
Answers to ‘Spot the Play Title’
1. Cat Honour Hot Tin Roof 2. Frank Hen Stein 3. Ark A Deer 4. Hammer Day S 5. Hiss…
Spot the play title
Got something to add? Join the discussion and comment below.
The Pleasure’s All Mine, by Julie Peakman – review
Got something to add? Join the discussion and comment below.
Books and Arts
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Not dynamite, more blancmange
Debunking reputations is now out of fashion, says Philip Hensher, and Craig Raine should give it up — especially as he always misses the point
