More blood and mud
Just when you think you're impervious to the terrors of the first world war, Helen Dunmore's The Lie cuts through like a knife
His soul goes marching on
James McBride’s The Good Lord Bird is set in the mid 19th century, and is based on the real life…
Myths of the modern-day pharoahs
Why does the country always prefer the army to politicians? Hazem Kandil's compelling Soldiers, Spies and Statesmen traces 60 years of power struggle
Let the elves do the work
Boring, lazy people who eat filthy food — there's no such thing as the 'Nordic miracle', pooh-poohs Michael Booth in The Almost Nearly Perfect People
On Lambeth Bridge
I am halfway across a bridge and midway through my life, staring at the midday sun. How I love politics!…
Addicted to gambling and reform
Brooks's, the club in the middle of St James's Street, was the centre of Whiggery and the watering hole of Charles James Fox. A book of essays celebrates its 250th year
Trampling out the vintage
Carol and John Steinbeck put all their love and idealism into his most famous novels, shows Susan Shillinglaw in Portrait of a Marriage
Write what you know
Adam Foulds's new novel, In the Wolf's Mouth, suffers because it's about a war that's been tackled by so many writers who know the subject much better
Too sharp by half
Hanif Kureishi's The Last Word, about an unlovable biographer tracking an unlovable writer, is ultimately rather unlovable
The perils of partition
Can the conflicts in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh ever stop? In Midnight's Descendants, John Keay suggests they can — and the answer lies in India
Girls on film
Behind the successes of women filmmakers like Bell, Gerwig and Marling, lies the sobering truth presented by Bridesmaids
German double
A revival of Peter Konwitschny's 2005 production trumps the austere, uninvolving dourness of Barbara Frey's new version
Brush with boredom
The exhibition at Tate Britain is dull with obviousness — for some real painting go for The Elemental North at Messum's
Farewell, Claudio Abbado
The generous conductor gave us performances — such as Mahler's Ninth at the Proms — that attained the heights to which we all aspire
Art vs profit
Plus: The Gay Naked Play is about art versus profit, in a theatre where art triumphed over profit
Strong-minded women
Plus: The first black female chaplain to the Queen and to the Speaker, who shuttles between Westminster and Hackney
One for all
Plus: Nigella's chance to prove that the English can beat the French and the Americans at taste domination
High life
You've written a letter calling me a soppy geriatric Nancy-boy and vaunting your black-belt skills. But are you afraid to issue me a challenge?
Long life
Dennis McGuire took 25 minutes to die by a new drug via lethal injection. A pursuit for greater humanity has led to more inhumane ways of killing
Man with a plan
Graeme McPherson is a successful QC and a dedicated horse trainer. The only problem is when his cases mix with his races
Bridge
2014 has started with a bang! The second weekend of January saw TGR’s fifth Auction Pairs in which 71 pairs…
Nimzo style
As promised, this week a victory by chess aficionado Dominic Lawson, former editor of The Spectator. Dominic’s distinguished opponent was…
