Dune, an enduring monument to cultural appropriation
How Frank Herbert borrowed from the Chechens and elsewhere
Books
Saturday
Friday
What Really Happens in Vegas doesn’t tell you what really happens in Vegas
James Patterson and Mark Seal attempt to reveal the ‘magic’ of Vegas
Sunday
Pat Yale follows her hero across Turkey
Following Miss Bell has a homely tone one doesn’t associate with the majestic Gertrude Bell
Wednesday
Woody Allen pens new short story for the New Criterion
‘Breakfast Special’ is a tale of a meet-cute gone wrong
Tuesday
The notorious feud between John Ruskin and James Whistler
The trial at Falling Rocket ’s center stands for something larger than a critic’s dislike of a painting
Relive Lou Reed’s wild, contradictory life
In Lou Reed: The King of New York , Will Hermes seems unusually well attuned to his subject, while resisting any temptation to soft-pedal
In praise of George Gissing, the born exile
The writer was one of the great underrated chroniclers of ’the valley of the shadow of books’
Cahokia Jazz is enormous fun
Francis Spufford’s latest is a gorgeously rich and multilayered story, packed with gunfire, music and superstition
The peculiar American attitude toward death
Taking our mortality too seriously has been an increasing problem in our country. Thank heavens for the satirists who refuse to do so
Wednesday
Books to look forward to in 2024
There are a couple of examples of major authors returning this year, even from beyond the grave
Wednesday
The marvelous Montalbano
The translation of the Montalbano novels from page to screen ranks as an artistic triumph
The heart of Maria Callas’s genius
Daisy Goodwin’s Diva is unequivocal in presenting Callas as a heroine struggling to choose between art and love
A vigorous and persuasive defense of capitalism
Johan Norberg’s A Capitalist Manifesto has much to commend it
A definitive biography of Liz and Dick, Hollywood’s most controversial and glamorous couple
Roger Lewis answers what it is about Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor that still hooks us in
Wolves of Winter focuses on the brutality of the past
Dan Jones confidently evokes the whorehouses, the illnesses, the death and depravity
Thursday
Barnes & Noble and me
Is the books giant making a comeback?
Monday
Blake Butler: ‘I don’t want this story to end as “Molly killed herself”’
The author was criticized for his revealing memoir about his late wife
Thursday
The royal lust of Hampton Court
The history of the magnificent Thames-side palace is vividly brought to life by Gareth Russell
Saturday
The life of the revolutionary Albrecht Dürer
In his new book, Philip Hoare moves beyond his own hand to make something reckless, marvelous and unforgettable
Tuesday
The Spectator’s 2023 Books of the Year
Our writers weigh in
