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Fidel & Che: A Revolutionary Friendship by Simon Reid-Henry
Politics, Ideas and the Arts
Who Are the Masters Now?
Two Paris exhibitions leave Mantegna's reputation enhanced but Picasso's diminished
Our Reading’s Bad – But Not That Bad
Literacy teaching has undergone massive changes, but more are needed in the modern world
Caracas: Chávez’s Secret Fan Club
‘In his decade as president, Chávez has parlayed socioeconomic resentment into near-invincibility. But Venezuela’s decay, and the chinks in his armour, are there for all to see’ GETTY IMAGES And there it
Classic Teller of Painful Truths
The Polish poet Zbigniew Herbert, whose collected work is now available in English for the first time, crystallised the ravages of invasion and communist rule in his quest to tell the truth
More Popular than Jesus: The Hubris of the Music Industry
The tenor Ian Bostridge and the historian Tim Blanning discuss popular and classical music with Standpoint editor Daniel Johnson
A Foreign Affair: David Bowie in Berlin
Haunted by Isherwood's shade, the British musician flirted with fascism, then became a hero to the youth of the communist East
From Baubles to Babel
The year the contemporary art juggernaut ground to a halt
New York: A Cousin in the White House
US Election Week diary: New Yorkers and their attitudes towards the new president “I don’t want to live in a country that will elect Sarah Palin.” Fragments of a conversation between two
Box of Tricks
100 Essential Things You Didn't Know You Didn't Know by John D. Barrow
A Norwegian Thatcher?
The leader of Norway's Progress Party, Siv Jensen, has a good chance of winning next year's election. In an interview with Standpoint editor Daniel Johnson, she explains her views; Bruce Bawer explains
Africa Has a Dream: Obama
The new president will be welcomed by most ordinary Africans, if not by their rulers