Short List
Books to read this week, from a history of extinct countries to fresh looks at Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood and New York City’s most eccentric street names
The See-and-Be-Seen Hotel
London’s Savoy hotel welcomed glamorous Hollywood actors, top-brass politicians, and its fair share of intrigue. Who was behind it all?
The Name Game
Sometimes, musicians make it personal. Herewith, tracks from Joni Mitchell, Elton John, Dave Edmunds, Chuck Berry, and more
Sophie Cookson
The British actress got her start in Kingsman when she was just 22. Her latest is a Mark Wahlberg–produced thriller
“Have You Seen the House Whip?” D.C.’s Kinky Side
In a town that loves a sex scandal, so much happens underground. Way underground
Pippa Latour de Force
She tricked Nazis into spilling their secrets by posing as a chatty teenage soap saleswoman and just celebrated her 100th birthday
Every Trick in the Book
The magician, professional gambler, and sometime fraudster Steve Forte is spilling his secrets
The Not-So-Secret Garden
Buckingham Palace’s royal garden, home to the Queen’s famed garden parties as well as thousands of species of flower and tree, is ready for its close-up
Opera Pick of the Week
From Houston Grand Opera, a green-screen Hansel and Gretel with TikTok flair
The Hypocritical Oath
Studies show Black patients react better to having Black doctors. So why is our whole medical system geared toward white doctors?
Short List
What to read this week, from the latest in Henry Porter’s captivating Paul Samson series to books revisiting the pandemic’s early days and the myth of the Alamo
A Real-Life Benjamin Button?
Brendan Bracken, founder of the Financial Times and friend of Churchill’s, faked a premature-aging condition to satisfy his taste for being caned by teenage boys
Is Paris Churning?
As the city reopens to tourists, we have some delicious stories about it
