Volume 62 Issue 2 February 2012

Who's That Gal?

The actress behind the Spirit of Ecstasy, the mascot on every Rolls-Royce, and other women who have inspired famous emblems.

Good King John

For centuries King John has been regarded as the embodiment of an evil ruler. But, says Graham E. Seel, this image is largely the creation of monastic chroniclers with an axe to grind. A close examination of contemporary records reveals a more nuanced character.

Fixing Broken Societies

As the debate continues on the causes of last summer’s English Riots, Michael Roberts examines previous attempts by reformers to address moral malaise and social breakdown.

Signposts: Italy in the 19th and 20th Centuries

With Italy on the brink of financial collapse and in deep political crisis, the country’s 150th anniversary has been a dramatic one. It is especially timely, then, to take stock of new research into this most contradictory and enigmatic of countries.

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.