By Review by Dominic Green
‘The New Roman Empire’
‘Julian’
‘Justinian’
‘Becoming Ella Fitzgerald’ Review: How the Queen of Jazz Won Her Crown
Review by Eric Felten
Cannily switching gears from a sweet-voiced ‘thrush’ to a swinging bandleader, Fitzgerald battled the doubts of her peers and her own stage fright.
‘The Other Great Game’ Review: The First Korean War
Review by Stephen R. Platt
At the dawn of the 20th century, Korea was caught in the middle of the struggle for the balance of power in Asia.
‘Miracles and Machines’ Review: Mystery of the Clockwork Man
Review by Edward Rothstein
A 16th-century automaton in the shape of a friar is a reminder of the craft of Renaissance inventors. But who devised it?
‘The Last Tycoon’ Review: F. Scott Fitzgerald vs. Hollywood
Review by Sam Sacks
‘The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien’ Review: Notes From Middle-Earth
Review by Joseph Loconte
The correspondence of the writer highlights his thinking about conflict, evil and courage during Britain’s war years.
‘The Life and Lies of Charles Dickens’ Review: Boz in the Dock
The first biography of Dickens was written by one of the novelist’s friends. It drew a polite veil over the complexities and frailties of his life.
‘A Most Delicious Poison’ Review: Flowers of Good and Evil
Sought-after substances like nicotine and caffeine evolved in plants as part of the long war for survival. So did many toxins.
‘Gardening Can Be Murder’ Review: Where Death Blooms
For mystery writers, the garden is often the perfect place to cultivate dread or plant a clue.
Unpacking My Father’s Library
A departed loved one’s book collection — whether a single shelf or a capacious library — can be a beautiful legacy, a heartrending burden or both.
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