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…
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…
Cleopatra’s Daughter
No woman from history is more famous than Cleopatra. Her love affairs with Julius Caesar and Marc Antony are the very definition of legendary. But ask anyone about her daughter…
Ancient Roman Pandemic
In the late 1700s, John Wilkes famously responded to an insult in Parliament to the effect that he would die either “of the pox or on the gallows” by saying…
Wonder and Awe
I begin this book review with a quote from Rachel Carson, the great marine biologist and conservationist. What is the value of preserving and strengthening this sense of awe and…