Diary
Days ago, I’d have bet that even the most bitterly partisan Congress in generations would jib at humiliating their commander-in-chief.…
Vegetius vs Obama
So the USA must launch its onslaught against Syria without the Brits. Well, if Obama will make public announcements of…
Barometer
Shining examples The ‘Walkie Talkie’, a new tower block in Fenchurch Street, was blamed for partially melting the interior of…
Letters
Syrian matters Sir: Though Syria (Leading article, 31 August) is certainly no laughing matter, the turmoil prevailing over a ‘punitive…
After his Syria defeat, Cameron faces a battle to win over his MPs
The political conference season may be lacking in party activists nowadays, but it has lost none of its importance to…
The Spectator’s Notes
David Cameron says that he will not come back to the House of Commons again about the question of Syria…
What are we supposed to say when a grooming ring comes to light?
It is a tragedy that some of us are born in the wrong times. According to that increasingly gobby conduit…
The awkward truth about democracy in action
You can’t demand democracy in #Syria but ignore it at home, says @MatthewParris3
What Vodafone should do with its huge windfall: invest it in the next Vodafone
Vodafone, which has just collected an £84 billion windfall from the sale of its 45 per cent stake in Verizon…
Obama’s wobbly warpath
The West does have a dog in the Syria fight. But it’s on the losing side of the losing side
Italians for Maggie
The Circolo Culturale Margaret Thatcher, which wants to institute an Anglo-Saxon Tory party in Italy, has a plan
The revenge of Parliament
Today’s MPs are no longer scared of the whips. Instead, they are scared of their constituents. That’s a good thing
Hard to swallow
The list of options is ever longer. But good luck finding something you’d want to eat
Notes on…Sicily
It could be, in Sicily, there comes a time when you’ve had your fill of seaside calamari and cheap white…
Madness and mayhem
The inbred Habsburg monarchs, who for centuries ruled without method over a vast, ramshackle empire, managed to leave an indelible mark on modern Europe, says Sam Leith
No Hungarian rhapsody
Novels about growing up have two great themes: loss of innocence and the forging of identity. With this sparky, sharp-eyed…
The traffic in falsehood
The term ‘419’ is drawn from the article in the Nigerian penal code that addresses fraud. However, it has transcended…
National hero
Philip Ziegler is best known for his biographies, often official, of politicians, royalty and soldiers. They include Harold Wilson, Edward…
Overnight trillionaires
In Germany in 1923 money was losing its value so fast that the state printing works could not keep up.…
Of ants and men
His publishers describe this ‘ground-breaking book on evolution’ by ‘the most celebrated living heir to Darwin’ as ‘the summa work…
Indecent exposure
This biography has somewhat more news value than most literary biographies. Its subject worked hard to ensure that. After 1965,…
The last hurrah
Sound the trumpets. Let rip the Byzantine chorus of clattering bells and gongs, the thunder of cannons, drums and flashing…
