The Spirit Level of Libya
Sophie McBain, Spear’s new staff writer, lived in Libya for two and a half years. Recently returned, she writes about…
ByArt & Culture
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How Manhattan Defined American Sophistication – from the Algonquin Round Table to Truman Capote’s Ball Ethan Mordden St Martin’s Press,…
BySisters of Fortune
The First American Heiresses to Take Europe by Storm Jehanne Wake Chatto & Windus, 416pp Review by Peter York After…
ByWe’re All Friends Here
Sure, Facebook is huge — a global phenomenon. But will it be the next Microsoft? Will its great wall be…
ByWe're All Friends Here
Sure, Facebook is huge a global phenomenon. But will it be the next Microsoft? Will its great wall be visible…
ByLaugh, Actually
What do sucker-fish, romantic comedies and nouveaux riches ski resorts have in common? Not a lot, though they all make…
ByPlease Your Shelf
Bibliophiles beware. Reading books is addictive enough — collecting them can take you to a whole new level of madness,…
ByGift of the Gabr
As Egypt enters a turbulent new period in its history, the role of smart, charismatic, outward-looking business leaders such as…
BySnap Judgement
Collectors have learned to love it, but others continue to argue about whether or not photography can ever really be…
ByAn Injection of Colour
Once monuments to functionalism and economy, hospitals are now a showcase for the best in contemporary art — and philanthropists…
ByOwn The Art Stock Exchange
Spear’s and Adam Dant, Spear’s cover artist and the winner of the Jerwood Prize, are offering a limited edition, hand-coloured…
ByI’m a Masterpiece, Get Me out of Here!
Should we worry when works by homegrown artists are whisked away by foreign buyers? Relax — it’s what their creators…
ByThe Fall of the House of Walworth
The Fall of the House of Walworth: A tale of madness and murder in Gilded Age America Geoffrey O’Brien Henry…
ByWhy Not Say What Happened?
Why Not Say What Happened? A memoir Ivana Lowell Bloomsbury, 304pp Review by Peter York A girl raised in a…
ByHard Times in Herculaneum
Taking your school-age kids to inspect Roman ruins is edifying, educational and enjoyable. Just be prepared for lots of snickering…
ByLife in the Flask Lane
Wowee — a hunt ball in upstate New York that’s a match for its booze-sodden English counterparts. Bottoms up, says…
ByIdle Thoughts
Ah, there’s nothing like a massive traffic jam on a stretch of the M4 to liberate one’s most tender, wistful…
ByWhen Worlds Collide
Art, architecture and design have always been seen as distant relatives, but now they are kissing cousins, says Anthony Haden-Guest…
ByGo Figure
Aesthetes may sniff at the very notion of buying art as an investment, but there’s no denying its potential. Just…
ByCold Snap
Is it the timing, the unfamiliar faces, or the dreadful waffle these people talk? Whatever it is, something about Frieze…
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