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.
Bill’s Big Moment
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.
Tesla, software and disruption
Benedict Evans is a partner at Andreessen Horowitz, a leading venture capital firm based in Silicon Valley. This piece is a deep dive into the automotive industry, comparing the incumbents (Ford, GM, et al) with the disruptor (Tesla), and searching for insights in other industries that have already seen disruption (mobile phones, desktop and laptop computers).
A Spymaster Steps Out of the Shadows
John Brennan was CIA Director under President Obama, and as such privy to the highest echelons of state secrets and directly involved in the most contentious aspects of America’s war on terror. Since the beginning of the year, he has also been engaged in a public feud with Donald Trump.
The Tinkerings of Robert Noyce
Tom Wolfe’s final piece for Esquire, written in 1983, and one of his most famous stories, looking at the mythical early days of Silicon Valley and the co-founder of Intel.
The Bloody Family History of the Guillotine
This piece examines the history of the guillotine and of France’s hereditary role of executioner – both inextricably entwined with the events of the French Revolution.
Has Anyone Seen the President?
The Moneyball and Liar’s Poker author Michael Lewis goes to Washington to ask a question, and ends up watching the State of the Union at Steve Bannon’s house.
Journal’s Best of the Best 2017
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.