The Isles are Full of Big Noises
The Orkney islanders have their doubts about Scottish independence
Politics, Ideas and the Arts
Nadine Gordimer: ‘Comrade Madam’
A personal reminiscence of the Nobel laureate, whose anti-apartheid novels masked her own ruthless ideology
Grandmaster of the Global Chessboard
Henry Kissinger's latest book is a reminder of the timeless question of international relations
Not for the Love of God
Karen Armstrong's Fields of Blood offers a magisterial debunking of the secularist tale
Eminent Post-Victorians
W Sydney Robinson's account of four prominent inter-war figures is an enjoyable read but his view that they clung to Victorian values is unconvincing
Puffery, letters and lucre
Richard Salmon's is good on nuance but his book on the Victorian Literary Profession is in need of a grand narrative
He Will Remember Them
Adam Nicolson's book on Homer, and why he matters, overflows with power, confidence and the joy of self-discovery
Down But Not Out
Peter Oborne recounts cricket's progress in Pakistan with the meticulousness and dedication such a rich and unlikely story deserves
Piecing it together
Although Howard Jacobson's latest novel is vastly unlike his previous comic works, it just may be his masterpiece
The Prime Numbers Have It
New mathematics prizes show the public that the subject is constantly renewing itself with new ideas
Zero Sum Game
Is an aptitude for mathematics really an advantage?
A Saga with Staying Power
Revisiting the unsurpassed TV glories of The Forsyte Saga