Iconic Films

Economical with the truthiness

In our Wiki-world, first-hand knowledge seems unnecessary and the story more important

Why do it? Because it's there

One type of explorer (like the man who crossed Britain free by bus) is peculiarly English

Chipping away at world's mysteries

Stonehenge is one of those historical artefacts whose beauty and inspiration lie in their mystery

Online raiders stole my book

Ben Macintyre found an entire digitised copy his book on the internet. Someone had simply fed the book into a scanner

Nietzsche and his Nazi sister

The philosopher's work - and his grave - was hijacked by his viciously anti-Semitic sister

Arthur C. Clarke's gift to science

Science fiction has always been well read by scientists as it provides inspiration

Coming home: the second front

British troops face death on the battlefield – and apathy or even hostility back on civvy street

Whatever next: a map of Utopia?

Thanks to the internet we are living in a golden age of cartography

Eric Clapton is a musical diplomat

Music can be a handy weapon when war and diplomacy fails

The thief and the collector

Art is our new secular religion. Just look at the motives of the criminal and the benefactor

Diana: I blame the French

If only there had been an open, transparent and speedy investigation in 1997

E-books will never be our friends

Traditional books are here to stay. Some things are worth cutting down a tree for

Politics with rhythm? Could be verse

Barack Obama's creditable poems are in an erratic tradition of political versifying

Sorry, we're out of excuses

The British have come to expect, and accept, excuses as part of the culture

Young lives snuffed out

Heath Ledger should be mourned for his great unplayed roles, not celebrated for his death

Don't mess with our madrigals

The British Council is a superb propagandist for our way of life and culture

Sarko and Carla: un peu naff

The French don't mind their presidents having affairs. But they must be done with style

A fatally rose-tinted view

The disaster in Kenya was all too predictable if we had ignored our long-held romanticised attitude

The queen is dead. Long live the cause

Assassins may change history but rarely achieve their goal as they are blinded by anger and revenge

The allure of the tiny red plastic hotel

It's at this time of year that we witness a burst of collective capitalism — on the Monopoly board