Some watcher of the skies
A review of Galileo’s Telescope reveals how once it was considered the most dangerous instrument in the world
Early Christian alms race
In a review of Peter Brown’s The Ransom of the Soul A.N. Wilson finds that the afterlife of the early Christians was largely influenced by money
Daring to be a Daniel
Riots, unemployment, Sunday trading, Aids, apartheid, The Satanic Verses — in a review of God and Mrs Thatcher by Eliza Filby, Charles Moore reveals a whole sweep of subjects where the two coincided
Scabrous lyricism
In a review of A Decent Ride, James Walton finds that Irvine Welsh is not a writer who’s mellowing with age
The lure of fool’s gold
In a review of Gold Fever by Steve Boggan Sara Wheeler discovers that the search for gold is as addictive as crack cocaine
Even worms and vampire bats do it
Footballers and vampire bats have a touching amount in common, discovers William Leith in a review of Touch by David J. Linden
Attack of the night witches
In a review of Defending the Motherland by Lyuba Vinogradova, Charlotte Hobson celebrates the courage and stamina of Stalin’s ‘night witches’
Putting away the fear of childishness
Melanie McDonagh enjoys browsing Daniel Hahn’s new Oxford Companion to Children’s Literature, but wishes it had pictures
Too Many Poets
Too many poets pack a line with thought But melody refuses to take wing. It’s not that meaning has been…
The mask of death
Anthony Cummins finds breezy irony in Amir Tag Elsir’s disturbing novel about the first outbreak of Ebola 40 years ago
Just sign here…
Allan Massie finds that King John’s reputation goes from bad to worse - and that Richard III seems a paragon by comparison
What’s to become of Pedro Friedeberg’s letters?
Duncan Fallowell has delighted for many years in the letters of his Mexican friend Pedro Friedeberg, but wonders what on earth to do with them
The dreamer
As 8 1/2 returns to our screens, Ian Thomson explores how a period of creative limbo spawned one of the greatest, dreamiest films ever made
Light fantastic
The watercolours of this mid-20th century British painter/designer may be slight but it doesn’t stop them being delightful
End of the Rainbow
Marcus Berkmann hesitates to recommend the music of Chris Rainbow (RIP) mainly because you probably won’t like it
Crossing cultures
But Ismene Brown is still mightily impressed by Scottish Ballet’s Streetcar Named Desire
Ayckbourn again
Plus: Spend Spend Spend, a stylish musical revival that should get a West End transfer - but they need some celebs
All that glitters is not gold
It doesn’t come with one sentimental ending but several. Every character in fact seems gets their own
Comics’ trip
Dara and Ed drive across Central America, Richard Ayoade and Adam Hills visit Istanbul and Griff Rhys Jones trains it through Africa
James Bond
The Bond film franchise has run out of ideas and is pulling its punches for fear of offending foreign governments. Why 007's finest days are behind him
