Humboldt’s gift
Andrea Wulf has brilliantly resurrected the gifted naturalist and geographer who was once (bar Napoleon) the most famous man in Europe
Escaping the Slough of despond
Mick Herron’s novel explodes like a firecracker in all directions when an MI5 misfit is kidnapped
Location
Old friends, we scarcely speak of death or dying. As ever, the displacements continue, just as when we used to…
No end to the Final Solution
Avoiding German-language sources doesn't help when you're arguing about the Holocaust
Public offence
Dashi Namdakov’s 'grotesque' She Guardian is a worthy first winner of our new annual award
Unforgettable fire
Plus: a fascinating snapshot of home-grown styling versus bought-in from the Royal Ballet in Rhapsody
It’s doomed!
The casting is a dream but the script lacks nuance and is painfully padded out, and the only decent moment is an outtake played over the end credits
Being and nothingness
Plus: a new play about bulgy-eyed comedian Marty Feldman at Leicester Square Theatre directed with subtlety and quietness by Terry Jones
‘So quick and chancy’
Plus: A delightful new display of early Tom Wesselmann collages at David Zwirner that shows a more subtle and complex artist than at first appears
Straight talking
Plus: a second way not to do French operetta at St John’s Smith Square from Opera Danube who took on Offenbach’s Orpheus in the Underworld
Terry’s all gold
Plus: a solo voice singing ‘Amazing Grace’ from inside a British prison stops Kate Chisholm dead in her tracks
Weekend world
Plus: the woman who agreed to have sex with Axl Rose as part of the Guns N’ Roses track ‘Rocket Queen’
High life
These gripping memoirs of a king, coup-maker and exile are looking for an English-language publisher
Low life
Denis may have been a Cambridge-educated former Special Branch officer but he couldn’t convince me to believe in ghosts
Real life
It was so informative and entertaining I might have to break the speed limit so that I can go on another one
Bridge
The Brits have done brilliantly in Icelandair’s annual bridge festival in Reykjavik and this year was no different. The winners…
Irresistible force
Alexander Alekhine was one of the immortals of the chessboard — world champion from 1927, when in an epic war…
No. 394
White to play. This position is from Alekhine-Flohr, Bled 1931. White has a positional advantage but can you spot the…
Woe is me
In Competition No. 2933 you were invited to submit a blurb for a misery memoir. Thanks to Tom Dulake for…
2246: Where’s Maggie?
Unclued lights (including one of two words and three pairs, 37 doing double duty) are characters in a play. A…
To 2243: Obit III
WARREN MITCHELL (42/43), STAR (39) of stage and screen, died on 14th November 2015. He won an Olivier Award as…
Don’t cry for John Terry
One day soon he’ll be off to China for big money. He just has some public contract negotiation to do first
