Glasgow, 1942. The Carl Rosa Opera Company was in town to perform Puccini’s Madama Butterfly. Tickets had been snapped up by local people – including many who didn’t really know what an opera was. The

Celebrated pianist Arabella Goddard gained international acclaim during the 19th century. Born to an English expatriate family in Brittany in 1836, she had demonstrated an extraordinary talent for mus

Leading historians share their thoughts on what book or film you should delve into next

DESPITE BEING largely derided by the US Army Air Corps and rejected as unsuitable by the RAF, the P-39 ended World War Two with the highest enemy kill tally of any US fighter. In February 1937, recogn

A cough. A splutter. A jet of flame for good measure and the Merlin is prised from its slumbers and into rambunctious life. Many of you, perhaps even most, will have heard one of these engines, at Goo

Throughout his career, our columnist has relied on the music of poetry to provide grace, wisdom and even a distraction from the sounds of war