Hitler’s legacy: two books examine different aspects of the horror that was Germany, 1945
Two new books offer very different takes on the utter ruination of Germany in 1945. Each in its own way…
The untold story of Judy Garland
Judy Garland is now a myth, a paradigm and a warning: don’t let your daughter on the stage! It’s the…
Simon Rattle’s Messiaen is improving with age
Two flutes, a clarinet and a bassoon breathe a chord on the edge of silence. As they fade, the sound…
How refreshing to see a show about prejudice that barely mentions white people
Lynette Linton opens her stewardship of the Bush with a drama about racial and sexual bigotry. Four British women decide…
What’s the point of the Today programme?
What else is there to write about in the week that John Humphrys, that titan of the BBC airwaves, retires…
The rare gifts of Peter Doig
‘My basic intention,’ the late Patrick Caulfield once told me, ‘is to create some attractive place to be, maybe even…
Abba, Twitter vs Instagram, and papal selfies: the modern face of the Catholic Church
As a lifelong Catholic, I’ve often thought that two of the Church’s chief characteristics are a) how weird it is…
An eight-year-old’s dream: Muse at the O2 reviewed
‘Butterflies and Hurricanes’ by Muse was on heavy rotation on MTV at a time, 15 years ago, when my infant…
Is it time to give up on the Ibsen adaptations?
Pub quiz question: what do John Osborne, Brian Friel and Patrick Marber have in common? The answer is they’ve all…
Painful, funny — and with a brilliant twist: The Farewell reviewed
The Farewell is a quiet film that builds and builds and builds into a wonderful exploration of belonging, loss, family…
Why I prefer cows to humans
![[Photo: by-studio]](https://www.spectator.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/21SeptHighlife.jpg?w=410&h=275&crop=1)
Gstaad The cows are coming down, the cows are coming down, and I’m off to the Bagel. My Swiss…
Semi-recluse (me) seeks dilapidated cottage on Dartmoor to rent
![[Photo: Lovattpics]](https://www.spectator.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/21Septlowlife.jpg?w=410&h=275&crop=1)
So now I must find somewhere else to put my books and live sometimes. Dartmoor, I thought: one of the…
What Brexiteers can teach Remoaners about good manners
![Do I need planning permission to fly a Union Flag on my house? [Photo: coldsnowstorm]](https://www.spectator.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/21Septreallife.jpg?w=410&h=275&crop=1)
‘If we are going to Westminster to riot,’ I told my Brexit-voting friends over dinner at the Thai restaurant at…
Bridge
The bridge world championships are underway in Wuhan in China, and I’m obsessively following the action online. Fortunately it’s taking…
Adopt a hero
I am often asked which players I admire most and which grandmasters, writers and champions exerted the most influence on…
No. 572
White to play. This is from Nguyen-Alekseenko, Khanty-Mansiysk 2019. White’s queen and rook are both attacked. How does he maintain…
Moggisms
In Competition No. 3116 you were invited to submit an extract from a government memo whose language would meet with…
2426: Her love
The unclued lights (including one of three words, two of two words, and a pair) are names for or are…
to 2423: Redheads
The unclued lights were all leaders of the USSR. First prize Wendy Atkin, Sleaford, LincsRunners-up Robert Burgon, North Berwick, East…
David Cameron is more authentic than Boris Johnson
I don’t recall exactly when I first met David Cameron, but it must have been in Oxford in 1985 shortly…
Farewell, Garry Richardson. We’ll miss you
A day of sporting shocks this Sunday past. As if the news of Tracey Horrobin’s bewitching performance with the ball…
Dear Mary: Can I ask my vegan friend to buy eggs and bacon when I stay with her?
Q. The other day a dear friend rang from her car with all the time in the world to burn…
It’s so easy to go mad in Oxford: Chiang Mai Kitchen reviewed
Oxford is a pile of medieval buildings filled with maniacs, and is therefore one of the most interesting places on…
The link between politics, moisturiser and your air conditioning unit
I asked my husband if I should spend £59 on 20 millilitres of Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Intense Reset…
