The titans who shaped Test cricket
Cricket histories are a dangerous genre both for writers and readers. They can be incredibly boring, the dullest of all…
A shortage of Nigels and other calamities: humorous stocking-fillers
Ysenda Maxtone Graham, Stuart Heritage and Rob Orchard, among others, explore the mysteries and frustrations of modern life
Will there ever be another cricket captain like Richie Benaud?
The thrilling fourth Test of 1961 at Old Trafford showed Benaud at his enigmatic best, in sharp contrast to his English counterpart, the uninspiring Peter May
A choice of this year’s gift books
Sporting trivia, the language of cats and the comic genius of Barry Cryer feature among the best of the year’s stocking-fillers
Wacky words and ideas
The standard complaint of anyone doing a Christmas gift books guide is that the books aren’t up to much. I…
Do elephants dance?
It’s almost a shock to admit it, but this year’s gift books aren’t bad at all. It’s even possible that,…
A load of oddballs
For reasons I can’t seem to remember, I have read an awful lot of cricketing histories. The dullest, by a…
Resurrected
Has the vaccine cured my long Covid?
Making a meal of it
The absurdity of Covid pub rules
Return of the Christmas Elves
We have a fine crop of Christmas gift books this year, so good that some of them actually qualify as…
Pub lockdowns
Pubs are fascinating at the moment. On the day that the Prime Minister advised us not to attend them, I…
The unwritten rules of sending Christmas cards
No one sends Christmas cards any more. Except that I do, and you might, and a few other people do…
Children’s questions about death are consistently good fun
What strikes me most about the Christmas gift-book industry — for industry it surely is, as I can confirm, having…
The lessons I learned at my Oxford gaudy
I went to a gaudy last weekend. Several British universities now host these splendid events; mine was at Worcester College,…
The elegance and humour of Neville Cardus
As a fully paid-up, old-school cricket tragic, I astound myself that I have read almost no Neville Cardus. How can…
The secret to one of the nerdiest – and longest-running – quizzes around
Last year was a bit of a year for Radio 4 anniversaries; maybe most notably, Desert Island Discs celebrated 70…
Christmas quiz books galore
There can be few challenges more daunting for the assiduous reviewer than a pile of Christmas ‘gift’ books sitting on…
Starman
The DJ and sage Mark Radcliffe once said that he didn’t think he could ever like anyone who didn’t love…
Curiosities for Christmas
There is not, sadly, a dedicated Trivia Books section in your local Waterstones, although at this time of year there…
Why I’m stepping down after 28 years as The Spectator pop critic
Pop's place in culture has changed drastically. Marcus Berkmann explains why, after 27 years, it is time to step down as The Spectator's pop critic
Going for a song
This column does like a bargain. Indeed, it not only esteems and relishes a bargain, it has also worked long…
Music for the masses
As pop music drifts away from many people’s lives, so its literature grows ever more serious and weighty, as though…
Music to write books by
I have been writing a book this summer, in the usual mad tearing hurry. (Much as I admire those who…
Anyone for ice tennis?
Scholarship for its own sake has rather gone out of fashion, although I’m sure Spectator readers would be the last…
The beat goes on
It’s rare that I see a piece about music that makes me want to cheer from the rafters and shake…
