The song of the bearded seal and other marvels
Amorina Kingdon explores the extraordinary range of sounds beneath the sea, from the fluting calls of the larger mammals to the hums and moans of fish
A romantic obsession: Precipice, by Robert Harris, reviewed
In the build-up to the Great War another drama unfolds, as the Prime Minister H.H. Asquith is seen to be distracted from politics by his infatuation with the beautiful Venetia Stanley
More curious canine incidents: Dogs and Monsters, by Mark Haddon, reviewed
Mesmerising accounts of dogs feature in these latest stories, including Actaeon’s tragic hounds, St Antony’s comforting mutt and Laika, the husky hurled into space
A choice of thrillers for end of summer escapism
Charlotte Philby’s appropriately titled The End of Summer skilfully explores the strains of a double life. Also reviewed: Ajay Close, Charlotte Vassell and Giuseppe Miale di Mauro
How weird was Oliver Cromwell?
The pious people’s champion was not only a sadist and ruthless self-promoter; he could also indulge in infantile horseplay during the pressurised period leading up to the regicide
Can W.H. Auden be called a war poet?
Though Auden maintained that the Great War had little effect on him, its catastrophe haunts his early poetry and shaped his anxiety about what it meant to be English
Two young men in flight: Partita and A Winter in Zürau, by Gabriel Josipovici reviewed
Kafka, spitting blood, escapes Prague to join his sister in Bohemia, and a fictional lover flees the wrath of an outraged husband in Josipovici’s delightful two-in-one trick
Iris Apfel’s talent to amaze
Instantly recognisable with her cascades of necklaces and startling colours (‘pastels make me nervous’), the interior decorator would achieve real fame with a Met exhibition in 2005
Celebrating Sequoyah and his Cherokee alphabet
The writing system the Native American devised for his people was soon followed by a printing press, a newspaper and a far higher literacy rate than that of their oppressors
Introducing Tchaikovsky the merry scamp
Rescuing the composer from his tortured image, Simon Morrison presents him as a sort of Till Eulenspiegel character, laughing and pranking his way through life
Has RFK just started the NeverHarris movement?
As recently as July, Robert F. Kennedy Jr was still winning up to 15 per cent support as an independent…
Tugendhat’s non-existent Scottish backer
Oh dear. Tory leadership candidate Tom Tugendhat has been rather excited about all the support he’s received from his counterparts…
How long can our prison system carry on like this?
Can the Ministry of Justice carry on without our failing prison system seizing up altogether? Today we learned that Magistrates…
Pro-indy paper clashes with BBC over ‘propaganda’ claims
The Beeb is no stranger to controversy, and now pro-independence Scottish newspaper the National is on the warpath. The editor…
Greens face yet more climate hypocrisy charges
The eco-zealots never do manage to stay quiet for long. After Levelling-Up Secretary Angela Rayner approved the expansion of operations…
When will Rachel Reeves take responsibility for the economy?
Is Britain finally heading for growth? This week, the Treasury released its collection of short-term forecasts for the economy. The…
To ensure support of key allies, Australia must get serious about defence
Amidst the bluster of Paul Keating’s recent intervention into the security debate by declaring Australia’s the Aukus pact risks turning…
