Cultural

Vauxhall Gardens: Patriotism and Pleasure

In 1729 a young entrepreneur, Jonathan Tyers, took over the failing management of the pleasure gardens at Vauxhall. During his long tenure he was able to make it a resounding success, as David Coke  explains.

Calamity in Cairo

Jonathan Downs reports on the fire last December that caused extensive damage to one of Egypt’s most important collections of historical manuscripts.

Islamic Delights

Fundamentalism has become the face of Islam in the West. It was not always so and need not be in the future, says Tim Stanley.

Innovation in Classical Greece

Contemporary culture places a high premium on novelty. Armand D’Angour argues that we should consider the more balanced views about old and new found in classical Greece.

The Way the Ladies Ride

Richard Almond has trawled medieval and Renaissance sources for insights about ladies’ riding habits in the Middle Ages and what they reveal about a woman’s place in that society.