What Is Love?
Whether on Hitler’s evil, Shakespeare’s genius, or the nature of love, Ron Rosenbaum resists the lure of easy answers
Tolkien-esque Elfin Queen
The best-selling children’s author and John Donne biographer Katherine Rundell rivals J. K. Rowling and enjoys the thrill of a flying trapeze
Where Ballet and Fashion Collide
Ahead of the New York City Ballet Fall Fashion Gala, a new book pays homage to the fabulous collaborations between choreographers and designers including Carolina Herrera, Virgil Abloh, and Anna Sui, with photographs by Pari Dukovic
Unusual Suspects
The behind-the-scenes story of the making of Casablanca, which hit theaters 80 years ago
Dress Code
A new history of drag in Britain reveals the little-known mainstream popularity of cross-dressing in British culture, even during the Victorian era
Editor’s Picks
This week, don’t miss a history of crime as told through 100 objects, a look at Greta Garbo’s life off-screen, and a vivid sketch of daily life during the Roman Empire’s golden age
Daddy Issues
The Steve Jobs and Leonardo da Vinci biographer Walter Isaacson reveals what drew him to Elon Musk—and how a rare conversation with Musk’s father shed light on the billionaire entrepreneur’s erratic (to put it lightly) behavior
Better by Design
A new book offers a survey of the U.S. Embassies built during the Cold War, designed by some of the world’s most celebrated architects, including Walter Gropius, Eero Saarinen, and Edward Durell Stone
Breaking the Bank
The victim of an international crypto-currency scam details how she was drawn into the OneCoin fraud, and why the woman behind the scheme landed on the F.B.I.’s 10 Most Wanted list
Editor’s Picks
This week, don’t miss an Agatha Christie-inspired graphic-novel, a history of the AR-15, and a biography of the Austrian composer Franz Schubert
Open Secrets
A collection of Amy Winehouse’s teenage-diary entries and song lyrics sheds light on the artist 12 years after her untimely death
The Longest Day
In an exclusive excerpt from an upcoming history of The New York Times: how 9/11 tested the paper’s newsroom—and fueled a wildly successful transition online
Painting the White House Orange
In an interview, authors Peter Baker and Susan Glasser discuss Trump’s indictments, his similarities with Putin, and what a 2024 election could look like
Spy Games
A new book pulls back the curtain on the mysterious life of Marguerite Harrison, a Gilded Age socialite turned intrepid spy
Editor’s Picks
This week, don’t miss the story of a couple’s quest to visit every Costco, a retelling of Roman history through its Popes, and a look at life in East Germany
The Value of Tolkien
Having spent the majority of his life as a struggling academic, J. R. R. Tolkien, who died 50 years ago, would never have dreamed of the influence of The Lord of the Rings