Theft on the Nile
How a pair of intrepid, 19th-century British women smuggled an ancient coffin right out from under the noses of Egyptian site guards
The Invisible Man
Accompanying a retrospective in Barcelona, a new book collects more than 150 photographs by Louis Stettner, who captured the trials and triumphs of the 20th century’s working class while remaining virtually unknown
Editor’s Picks
This week, don’t miss a window into the inner workings of Fleetwood Mac, a compelling history of the C.I.A., and a chronicle of the first pilots to circle the globe
Not So “Easy Peasy”
Although commonplace in American and British jargon today, the origins of this popular phrase remain nebulous
The Sally Rooney Effect
Writers, editors, and booksellers weigh in on the new book by the world’s most talked-about young novelist
His Back Pages
AIR MAIL Co-Editor Graydon Carter’s upcoming memoir, about the glory days of magazines, recounts his travels among the famous, the infamous, and the not really famous at all
On the Scent
During World War II, spies had a little-suspected weapon: perfume. It was used for everything from building an undercover alias to making covert correspondences seem like love letters
Design Within Reach
Lamps, teacups, ashtrays … A new coffee-table book traces the life and work of the Italian designer Piero Fornasetti
Editor’s Picks
This week, don’t miss a journey into the S&M underworld, a look at the Chinese education system, and a chronicle of Scotland Yard’s deadliest cases
The Garden of Heathens
Between the turmoil of the World Wars, a few Europeans settled on a desolate Galápagos island. The experiment quickly descended into chaos
Malcolm XYZ
Malcolm Gladwell discusses his latest book, Revenge of the Tipping Point, misconceptions about his work, and his penchant for universal laws
Deadly Pleasures to Read and Watch
This month’s best mystery books and TV shows
Jonathan Becker, In Focus
From garden strolls with Brassaï to nights out with Andy Warhol, a new book by the American photographer documents intimate moments with the 20th century’s high society
Editor’s Picks
This week, don’t miss a riveting history of mathematics, a history of Afghanistan since 9/11, and a chronicle of Sam Bankman-Fried’s crypto fraud
