Russia
Armenian Underdog
Tigran Petrosian’s prophylactic prowess
Estonian Elegance
The career of the genius Paul Keres was tragically interrupted by war
Russia’s Moment: How Putin Has Seized The Day
In both Ukraine and Syria, the Russian President has exploited the West’s weakness to divide Nato and halt the advance of democracy
What Putin Wants
Alarmingly, there are credible Western voices advocating a grand bargain with Russia
The Real Life of Nabokov
The book is beautifully done, but it is long and feels uneven
Churchill’s commandment
Would a more Churchillian prime minister have reacted more robustly to Russia going rogue?
Two Generations Lost to Communism
50 years of Communism have left Cuba poorer than ever
Maidan is a Reminder of our Forgotten Values
In toppling Yanukovych, Ukrainians risked their lives to tell the West that true freedom means more than just individualism
The Russians Are Coming
‘Like everyone else in Kiev my friend has been having nightmares’
As America Retreats, the World Goes to Hell
The Ukraine crisis has revealed the incoherence of the Obama doctrine. Until the US reasserts itself, liberal democracy is in danger
Why Remoaners should back Boris
“Boris, ironically, now offers Remoaners the best chance of a soft Brexit, or at least a sensible one. And to those who want a second referendum—’the people’s vote’—there may even be a chance of that too.”
On the road
“In the summer of 1980, in the grip of some Kerouac-ish fantasy, I opted to hitch-hike from Laredo to New York”
Discovering the Great War of China
A third of a million Chinese labourers helped the Allies defeat the Kaiser, but their huge unsung contribution ended in betrayal