United States
The death of royalty
The cohorts of Hamas have invaded my neighbourhood. I was walking my dog, Maxi, in the afterglow of a shower…
The glory of Paris has long past
Gstaad A reader’s inquiry as to why I think Paris belongs to yesterday (12 August) has me remembering times past.…
Will Lula’s Brazil turn away from the West?
Joe Biden has promised to bring Brazil and America closer together. ‘Both of our democracies have been tested of late’,…
The curse of the jet-ski
An F. Scott Fitzgerald biographer by the name of David S. Brown refers to America’s promotion of deviancy (my words)…
The healing power of the Hamptons
Southampton, Long Island These are peripatetic times for the poor little Greek boy, up to the Hamptons for some sun-seeking…
The folly of Nato enlargement
If western universities were not brimming with leftist professors, the present situation in Ukraine would surprise no one. History would…
The crazy, corrupt world of the Beijing Olympics
Gstaad OK sport fans, have you been enjoying the concentration camp Olympics? I’m sure the Uighurs in the Chinese gulag…
The Kushner conundrum
Gstaad I have two special girlfriends, Lynne and Fiona, the ladies who guard The Spectator’s entrance against the outraged #MeToo…
Boris is a mini-Biden
It’s been said far too many times that Boris Johnson and Donald Trump have a lot in common. Trump himself…
The real reason France was excluded from Aukus
The fallout from Australia’s cancellation of its submarine contract with France and the new trilateral Indo-Pacific security pact between Australia,…
I loved prison
Memories for me are like beautifully edited copy: all cleaned up and retaining only the good parts. The wife tells…
Australia and the new special relationship
The awkwardly-named AUKUS agreement reflects Washington’s escalating concern about China’s dominance in the Indo-Pacific. It signals London’s determination to be…
The folly of American imperialism
Gstaad Mercedes Benz heir Mick Flick and I have been friends for more than half a century. We both married…
How the fight against terror in Afghanistan will change
In the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, the West entered a new age: it was the era of the ‘shadow…
Was Hurricane Ida really caused by climate change?
It’s climate change, innit? No sooner had Hurricane Ida smashed into the coast of Louisiana with winds of around 150…
Iran is an immediate winner of the Taliban takeover
A staple of observing politics is watching rhetoric curdle into reality. Operation Enduring Freedom, thought up and slapped together in…
New York’s vaccine passport scheme could have a nasty side effect
The latest French export to the United States is a requirement that people show proof of vaccination to visit indoor bars,…
Why Haiti's president was assassinated
There was a time when Haiti was at the centre of the New World. It was one of the richest…
The school that made an American century
New York With the Karamazovian hangover now only a weekly occurrence, the healthy life rules supreme. Well, most of the…
The dark history of dance marathons
Stuart Jeffries on the dark history of dance marathons
Is it time to cancel Sophocles?
Gstaad The sun has returned, the snow is so-so, and exercise has replaced everything, including romance. What a way to…
The lost magic of Palm Beach
Gstaad Good old Helvetia. I’m quitting her for the rainy but pleasant land of England. The cows are beginning to…
In praise of femininity
New York Who was it that first coined the expression ‘It ain’t over until the fat lady sings’? The great…
