NHS SOS
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.
The White Darkness
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.
The town that disappeared
A story looking at Russian “monotowns” – places that were often built and populated decades ago to exploit a single resource (such as coal or ore) and are now in decline as those resources are exhausted or the economyÕs needs have moved on.
How Martin Luther Changed the World
A profile of the Augustinian friar who five hundred years ago significantly altered the course of history, when at the age of thirty-three he initiated the eventual split in the Catholic Church.
Carl Icahn’s Failed Raid on Washington
An eye-opening piece on the billionaire financier’s pugilistic approach, and his political machinations during the Trump presidency.
Will I Get A Ticket?
A very frank interview with Lucinda Chambers, the Fashion Director of British Vogue for over twenty-five years, until her recent dismissal from the role.
Saddam’s cake
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.
The Preacher and the Sheriff
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 Art of Biography
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 Fish So Coveted People Have Smuggled, Kidnapped, and Killed For It
A look at the illegal trade in exotic animals.