The Broader Meaning of the Ukraine War
Image: Peter the Great As Ukraine is in the process this week of launching a full-scale ground attack 300km into Russian territory, it is clear this is going to be…
Battle of Pavia Tapestries in Ft. Worth
The Kimbell Art Museum has a very special Italian treat in store this summer, and it’s not gelato. Seven of the most gigantic tapestries ever created are on loan from…
The Airy Lightness of Champagne
Image: Voltaire by La Tour “Throughout the eighteenth century,” we are told in this book by Oliver Wunsch (professor of Art History at Boston College), “delicacy structured debates over morality,…
The Politics of Grace
While the concept of grace is usually thought to be a purely theological one, this book looks specifically at “The Politics of Grace.” The time period under study by author…
How Civilisation Recovered after 1177 BCE
Ten years ago, Dr. Eric Cline wrote a book entitled 1177 B.C.: The Year Civilization Collapsed. Now, a decade on, he has released as sequel. This one tells how civilization…
Tyrants in the Ancient Greek World
Yes, there have been tyrants for all human history. The likes of Putin are nothing new. Sadly, human nature has not advanced one iota in thousands of years. Thus, a…
Emily Dickinson & Charles Darwin
The famed literary critic Harold Bloom infamously said that he did not understand the poetry of Emily Dickinson. It is unfortunate he did not live long enough to read this…
A Cultural History of Western Music
Bloomsbury has been publishing its Cultural History series for a few years now. One recent example is the Cultural History of Music, under review here. If you are looking for…
EMMA: Love has its own agenda
The subtitle of my review headline is a line spoken by an old, old friend of Emma, who is the female lead of this Jane Austen-inspired comedy of matchmaking. While…
George M. Cohan on Olympus
In ancient Greek plays, the chorus would dance, sing, and interact with the actors who were on the stage. The chief character in George M. Cohan’s 1920 play The Tavern…