The determination by many in the media, even among conservatives, to hasten the demise of Tony Abbott’s prime ministership is…

The remarkable thing about Tony Abbott’s speech to the National Press Club was how unremarkable it was. There were no…

The American Republic has always been characterized by great political families. From earliest days, from the Adams and the Harrisons…

The usual suspects in the commentariat have peddled myths, untruths and lies about the knighting of Prince Philip

Plenty of Tony Abbott’s critics have accepted foreign Knighthoods of their own

The little known story of our own code-breaking star, Eric Nave, who did as much as anyone to break the Japanese naval codes

David Walsh sees fear of death and access to sex as integral to old and new art

I hoped that the British sense of the ridiculous, our relish in piss-taking, would keep us safe. Now I’m not so sure

From appropriation to zero tolerance, everything you need to keep an eye on while checking your privilege

When I started visiting Wormwood Scrubs, it was pinched but peaceful. Now our prisons are pits of despair

In my London neighbourhood, an argument about wildlife is turning very nasty indeed

Martin Luther wasn’t trying to create a more liberal political order. It’s time to talk about what really happened

Nasa’s missing hyphen; the extra ‘s’ that could cost £8.8 million; and recipes for disaster

The islands of Burano and Murano, famous for lace and glass, are the best bet for a quiet lunch and cappuccino

Fifty new free schools prove that Nicky Morgan is ready to continue what Michael Gove began

Home MPs voted by 382 to 128 to make Britain the only country to allow genetic modification of embryos to…

Plus: why William Rees-Mogg would turn in his grave to see the Times today

Plus: Who’s serving a whole-life sentence, and how British Muslims feel about halal meat

The Greeks and Romans got there first, obviously

From ‘News of the Week’, The Spectator, 6 February 1915: Germany proclaims a paper blockade of all the British coast,…

Plus: Vinyl, commas, historical sources

The referendum campaign brought a moment of unprecedented cross-party co-operation. Those days are long gone

They want a gender-neutral pronoun? What the hell’s wrong with them?

We need a populist argument — one that will appeal to the masses — for charging some people for access

Alex Brooker’s Channel 4 encounter with Nick Clegg was a model of how to talk normally to a politician – and make them talk normally back

Plus: Speak up, Stefano Pessina; and a bouquet for Ocado

A review of Gods and Kings by Dana Thomas suggests that John Galliano and Alexander McQueen were largely irrelevant to the couture houses they headed

A review of Forging Capitalism by Ian Klaus covers 200 years of theft and fraud in the City

A review of Roman Splendour, English Arcadia by Simon Swynfen Jervis and Dudley Dodd celebrates one of the great achievements of Renaissance craftsmanship

A review of Went the Day Well? by David Crane singles it out as the best book so far to mark the bicentenary of Waterloo

A review of Tony Judt’s collection of essays, When the Facts Change, reveals a historian of rare subtlety and foresight

A review of Red Notice: How I Became Putin’s No. 1 Enemy describes Bill Browder’s thorough disenchantment with Russia’s president

A review of Art in History by Martin Kemp finds this 200-page potted outline absurdly sketchy

A review of The Italians by John Hooper warns that unless the birthrate in Italy rises the country is doomed

A review of In the Kingdom of Ice by Hampton Sides describes the gruesome story of the USS Jeanette in 1879

A review of Sleep in Peace Tonight by James MacManus describes how Winston Churchill charmed the Americans into joining the second world war

Stephen Bayley celebrates the 100th birthday of the Coca-Cola 'contour' bottle - the most successful manufactured artefact ever

But you have to persevere with the show to get the most out of it

Why you wouldn’t wish pop stardom on your worst enemy, whether he went to a good school or not

Wave goodbye to the ENO, redistribute its millions, and you will see an encumbered art form bloom

Plus: at the Haymarket, Taken by Midnight feeds the Hitler myth, while trying to debunk it

And it contains the best performance of the year that’s not been nominated for an Oscar - and Oprah’s not bad either

Its audience is up by 15 per cent year on year. Here’s why it’s essential that its nuanced approach survives

Worryingly, every soldier this American-turned-Libyan-rebel meets thinks he’s in a war movie

Readers already know from this column something of the forthcoming Perth International Festival (13 Feb-7 Mar) with its huge Journey…

If Syriza follows my advice Greece will be the Switzerland of the south in five years’ time (and I’ll have a sex change)

Things got off to a frosty start but by the seventh sampling the spirit was moving

It led me to a 26-minute call that cost £134.08, including VAT. Great balls of fire.

Like old-time washerwomen floodwater is sousing trees and shrubs out on the drainage. Floating wrack dribbles seaward from their labour.…

The horse’s-eye view of the fastest two-year-old in history works surprisingly well

There is something decidedly Groundhog Day about the international bridge calendar. The second weekend of January is TGR’s Auction Pairs…

The veteran world championship contender, Victor Korchnoi, has accused the reigning world champion Magnus Carlsen of hypnotising his opponents. Plainly unimpressed by…

White to play. This position is a variation from Nakamura-Topalov, Gibraltar 2015. Topalov has already resigned this game as he…

In Competition No. 2883 you were invited to cast a well-known writer, living or dead, in the role of agony…

Chambers 2014 is certainly not recommended this week theme-wise! But Chambers 2011 is.   Across   1    Cuckoo born…

The unclued lights (including 10/1A) are operas by Giuseppe Verdi (whose name in translation is Joe Green).   First prize…

I’m trying to control my feelings about Harry, but the timing of his departure from QPR makes it difficult

Cherish one of the greatest British sports people ever – and our No. 1 Wag

Plus: What to do when you don’t get a thank-you letter

With the super-rich I can never tell whether the joke is on us or on them

Compression has encouraged wit