The northern powerhouses of ancient Turkey
If George Osborne and the northern cities want a model of how to interact, they should read inscriptions about Antiochus III
A new coalition
From ‘The National Government’, The Spectator, 29 May 1915: We do not suppose that the war, or the need for patriotic effort,…
Cameron’s EU rollercoaster
Renegotiation with Europe is going to be a delicate task – especially given the Tory party’s delicate nerves
The Spectator’s Notes
Also: will gay marriage eventually go the same way as asbestos, Esperanto and communism?
Benefits for people who don’t live here? Great idea
Another couple of wonderful Islamic discoveries really have me thinking
In today’s church, it seems, God can be outvoted
What’s the point of a religious tradition unless you believe that the majority can be wrong?
Does anyone really expect the EU referendum to resolve anything?
After Scotland, does anyone really expect this will answer the Europe question for once and for all?
Which behaved worse: callous Thomas Cook or cynical Barclays?
Plus: My pick for the next Greek PM, London property madness, and a path not taken
How to defeat a caliphate
Private military contractors have a bad name, but a great record against the Islamist insurgency in Nigeria
The will to fight
Airy talk of sending in troops distracts us from the hard work and tough thinking necessary to secure the international order
Smash Isis now
We must assassinate its leadership and destroy its sense of destiny. US hesitation endangers the entire Middle East
The farm that went wild
At Knepp Castle, where once there was a modern, unprofitable dairy farm, something very special is happening
Cameron’s friend in Brussels
The controversial Hungarian prime minister is perfectly placed to be a bridge between Britain and Germany in EU negotiations
Striking Middle Sea
Two new histories of the Mediterranean emphasise its central importance to European history from ancient times to the present
The elite who tried to save Russia
The best way to govern a country is through an educated aristocracy: Dominic Lieven’s provocatively old-fashioned view, applied to the end of Tsarist Russia
In the name of the father
Stuart Evers’s 12 short stories on the theme of fathers and sons are full of good ideas — not always well executed
A 50-year infatuation
Meades takes issue with some of Barnes's speculations on the art that will and won't survive - but both agree conceptual art is dead in the water
Romance of the old kitchen garden
Rose Prince welcomes the return of knobbly tomatoes in all sizes and colours that taste of her childhood
The strangest objects we know of
The idea of black holes sounds modern — but it’s been around since 1784, says Pippa Goldschmidt
Funny things happen on the way to the Scillies
Simon Armitage’s self-deprecation makes for a charming, funny account of plodding through too many combes on the South West Coast Path
Kultural icon
You’ll know Kim Kardashian’s body better than your own lover’s after gawping at this collection of selfies
Pursuing the perfect scoop
Reading Paradise City reminds Laura Freeman of her own stressful experiences working for a newspaper on Kensington High Street
