I will survive
Separated from her husband, Constance trains herself to be ‘indestructible’ while awaiting a ruling over custody of their son
A bird with one wing
James Runcie’s harrowing account of his wife’s last days during lockdown includes blackly comic descriptions of trying to follow nursing instructions on YouTube
Rage over ragù
Luca Cesari argues that pasta is a living thing, changing with the times, and has never been bound by tradition, as the vigilante nonnas insist
A mystifying miscellany
Most of the 66 songs he discusses in a collection of meditative essays date from the late 1940s to the advent of punk – a movement that evidently passed him by
Lord of the dance
Balanchine described himself as ‘a cloud in trousers’ – and Jennifer Homans perfectly captures the earthly man and his ethereal gift
Staying power
Authoritarian regimes that have emerged out of violent social revolutions have survived on average three times as long as their non-revolutionary counterparts
Doing good business
Ever since the societas publicanorum, corporations have been linked with the common good, carrying out projects for which the state is ill-equipped
A young woman in a hurry
Claire Harman discusses ten of Mansfield’s short stories in connection with her tragically short life
Malthusianism needs to die before it kills us
There’s always that one guy, standing on a street corner, raving about the ‘end times’. For the last fifty years,…
Why did Facebook reject The Spectator’s Joe Biden cover?
Earlier this week, I was asked to list the three biggest threats to the media. Aside from the general sales…
The Culture Wars need a touch of sincerity
When it comes to the Culture Wars in 2023, I have two simple resolutions: Assume they are sincere. Be sincere.…
Can booze break the gridlock in Congress?
Need a hit on Capitol Hill? Take your pick. Members and staffers alike are addicted to Twitter, where they log…
The Russian conscription adverts that show Putin is losing the plot
‘War is the realm of uncertainty’, said the Prussian military analyst Carl von Clausewitz, and this would seem to apply…
Henry Cavill rightly abandoned Woke Witcher
When I think about the state of modern entertainment, I often find myself referring to an old episode of Family…
Did Stonewall invent 300,000 non-existent trans people?
How many people in Britain are transgender? Until today, there hasn’t been an official answer to that question. New census…
Putin violates his own Christmas ceasefire in Ukraine
Vladimir Putin’s 36 hour ceasefire in Ukraine, which came into effect at noon today, didn’t last long: less than two…
Blame weak political parties for Kevin McCarthy’s mess
For the second consecutive time, the opening of a congressional session has been mired in chaos. In 2021, the certification…
Harry and Meghan’s popularity slumps post-Netflix
The Sussexes’ self-promotional tour is up and running: interviews with Tom Bradby and Anderson Cooper for Harry this weekend, ahead…
Isis and the ticking time bomb facing the West
You thought Isis was old news. The world celebrated its territorial defeat nearly four years ago. The group that once controlled…
Prince Harry’s book is a gift to the world
And still it keeps on coming. We had barely absorbed the first wave of revelations – jewellery mashed, dog bowls…
Simon Pegg’s anti-Tory rant is embarrassing
If you haven’t seen Simon Pegg’s viral video about Rishi Sunak yet, you’re in for a real treat. It’s a…
Rishi Sunak will fail his migrant mission – but it’s not his fault
Suella Braverman sparked a backlash last November when she described the number of small boats crossing the Channel as an…
Harry’s mission to save the royal family
In his new memoir, Prince Harry claims that he regarded the 25 Taliban fighters he killed as ‘chess pieces’ not…
Where have all of Denmark’s bank robbers gone?
Asked why he robbed banks for a living, the legendary American bank robber Willie Sutton allegedly replied, ‘because that’s where…
Range anxiety: Tesla’s $2.2 million fine
Since the first electric car silently rolled onto the street, ‘range anxiety’ has been a primary concern for customers –…
