Istanbul is a history of the people who lived in and around the city walls. Madden’s narrative is driven by conquests and construction. It is punctuated by earthquakes, fires, and plagues, and shot through with religious fervor and political intrigue. Continue Reading »
When Kenneth Clark devoted an episode to the Middle Ages in his magisterial BBC series, Civilisation, he celebrated the chivalry, courtesy, and romance of the French and Burgundian courts—the Gothic world of “imaginative fancy” that coexisted with a “sharp sense of reality.” Clark no doubt . . . . Continue Reading »
Despite its title, Tom Wolfe’s The Kingdom of Speech isn’t mainly about language. It’s about evolution, feckless intellectuals, and leftist politics. Continue Reading »
The first Elizabeth was a genius and a monster. Elizabeth II is neither, and that could be the formula for banality. But it may be its own kind of power—in life and onscreen. Continue Reading »
Christmas comes even in the midst of rubble. Continue Reading »
In dark days near the beginning of World War II, Bonhoeffer, the famed Protestant theologian, found himself living in a Catholic community. Bonhoeffer found spiritual nourishment at Ettal in the daily rhythms of Scripture, prayer, silence, and song. Continue Reading »
Tony Esolen's love of poetry reminds me of my own love of history, and of why both are important. Continue Reading »
“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Advent isn’t supposed to soothe us. Continue Reading »
Solidarity showed the world the link between the Polish nation and Catholicism. However, few outside Poland know the history of this bond. Continue Reading »
If there is one concept that’s taken a massive hit from Donald Trump’s election, it is the idea that secular history can be predicted with certainty by “experts.” Continue Reading »
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