A crackling piece from 2000, recounting the author’s experience attending the birthday party of a “global pariah”. Sample guest – a Bulgarian MP who has brought him a sniper rifle as a present. The 17 subsequent years of Iraq’s history make for a dark prism through which to read the story.
When he wasn’t satisfied with the answers to his questions about his son’s death in police custody, a preacher in Louisiana decided to investigate himself.
The Paris Review interviews a master of political biography, whose epic work on President Lyndon Johnson has only reached the start of his Presidency after four volumes. Caro eloquently described his philosophy on biography at a round table with Kurt Vonnegut in 1999 – “I realized that what I wanted to do was to use biography as a means of illuminating the times and the great forces that shape the times – particularly political power.”
A look at the illegal trade in exotic animals.
An insight into the odd existence of former presidents, viewed through the prism of Bill Clinton’s current role in Hillary’s campaign and his potential part in any future administration.
A piece examining the growing insect farming industry, with around 1,900 species worldwide already part of human diets.
A sobering but essential read on the NHS. The story dives deep on the successive policies Whitehall and Westminster have implemented to effect change, interspersed with the experiences of individual patients and staff in the system.
This powerful and moving piece tells the story of Henry Worsley’s expeditions to the South Pole. They were inspired by Ernest Shackleton, a mentor he never met, and were each a study in human endurance and fortitude.
We’ve collected together pieces reviewing the best of 2017, covering journalism, music, cinema, podcasts and more. We’ve also picked one piece from each collection that we particularly liked. We’ll keep updating the post for the next week.