Ronald Reagan
Who started the Cold War?
It was America, with its decision to build a global liberal order – not the Soviet Union, with plans to spread communism in Europe, argues Vladislav Zubok
The Reagan effect on wine lists
Let us indulge in a slight paraphrase. What rough beast slouches towards the White House to be reborn? The inauguration…
When will Ronald Reagan get the recognition he deserves?
Max Boot’s contention that Reagan was a lightweight pragmatist who played little part in reviving America or winning the Cold War is absurdly revisionist
‘Liz Truss hasn’t understood a word I wrote’, says PM’s favourite author
As I reported this summer, Liz Truss’s favourite historian is Rick Perlstein, the great chronicler of the rise of the…
The threat from within
According to Vladimir Putin, liberalism is an ‘obsolete’ doctrine, a worn-out political philosophy no longer fit for purpose. In this…
The Spectator’s Notes
Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands 40 years ago. I had joined the Daily Telegraph as a reporter in 1979 and…
Republican resurrection
When Donald Trump took his famous escalator ride, the Republican party was too attached to abstract principles at the expense of the material interests of…
Can’t stand free speech? You’re fired!
Since the whole world is in crisis, a crisis in the world of publishing might seem like a niche issue.…
Neocons come home to roost
Dolphins returned to the canals of Venice during the COVID-19 lockdown, and neoconservatives are returning to the Democratic party. Bill…
How government can learn from disasters
Soon enough, Congress will hold hearings to investigate the federal response to the Wuhan virus pandemic. It is almost a…
Notes on a scandal
Kevin Katke was quite a man. He had no military training, no political background and no espionage experience. Nonetheless, his…
A vintage tale of Thatcher, Reagan and some truly great wines
Poor Old Girl. The final act may not have been sanglante, but as the third volume of Charles Moore’s life…
Will Trump enter the hypersonic nuclear arms race?
The Pentagon is urgently reviewing just how and when the president might launch nuclear missiles as a dangerous new nuclear…
The spying game: when has espionage changed the course of history?
Espionage, Christopher Andrew reminds us, is the second oldest profession. The two converged when Moses’s successor Joshua sent a couple…
Long life
When Robert Peston, the economics editor of the BBC, interviewed George Osborne on television in an open-necked shirt with collar…
The American tradition
Making up traditions
Long life
I went last week to see the justly praised production of Wagner’s The Mastersingers at English National Opera, and I…
Gagging order
Why has politics turned into stand-up?
Eight presidents
Encounters with leaders of the free world – as a journalist, as a friend, and as a boy running in the hallway
A vote for real politics
Whatever the outcome of the referendum, Scotland will be better for having had the debate
Long life
For a politician to draw attention to his own deficiencies is a desperate attempt to curry favour with the electorate…
