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
Helene Hanff’s Diary
The story of Helene Hanff, the Bridget Jones of the postwar literary set, whose uproarious 84, Charing Cross Road has never been out of print
Animal Instinct
Marsel van Oosten’s photographs offer a tantalizingly close-up look at the world’s rarest wildlife
The Really Right Stuff
John Glenn, the first American to orbit the Earth, was the picture of calm during meetings with J.F.K. ahead of his journey. His archives reveal a human side
Short List
Books to read this week, including fresh looks at Norman Jewison and Stephen Hawking, and an enlightened guide to parenting
Floral Tribute
The pioneering photographer Anna Atkins is not nearly as well known as her contemporaries, such as Henry Fox Talbot. Her work reveals photography’s transition from science to art
