‘The Life & Death of States’ and ‘Vienna’ reviews
New books by Natasha Wheatley and Richard Cockett explain how for all its apparent anachronism the Hapsburg empire, and its capital, shaped the modern world.
Cultural
The Clown that Went out of Fashion
The age of Shakespeare, and its changing notions of what was funny, gave birth to modern comedy.
Are You Not Entertained?
Hollywood’s golden age was born of the popularity of swords and sandals on the Victorian stage.
When the World Came to Shanghai
In the 1930s several prominent Black intellectuals visited Shanghai, bringing politics, culture and anti-colonial fervour with them.
Sheppard’s Warning
A thief who had been dead for more than a century caused a moral panic in the theatres of Victorian London.
Protest, Power, Play
Not since the Middle Ages have the ancient traditions of fancy dress been so potent.
All By Myself
Solitude was treated with suspicion in the Middle Ages. For most people it has only been a possibility in recent times.
Madam Butterfly and the Forging of Japanese Identity
Puccini’s opera revealed misunderstandings and stereotypes on both sides of the East-West divide.
Colonial Projections
Studying African history through the lens of cinema.
That Terrible Thing Called Jealousy
Love and possession during the Italian economic miracle.