Pious pioneers

THROUGHOUT history, women have paved the way to a brighter future in politics, science, society, the arts, literacy and countless other fields. We’ve had Rosalind Franklin, the chemist responsible for

Charlotte Vosper In your book, you tell the history of France through the lives of 21 women. How did you choose who to include? Katherine Pangonis: I had this idea to revisit French history by looking

Melanie McDonagh Converts From Oscar Wilde to Muriel Spark, why so many became Catholic in the 20th century 368pp. Yale University Press. £25 (US $38). Nobody likes a convert. For believers, the word

Fyodor Uspensky History of the Byzantine Empire Translated and edited by Dean Marais Five volumes; 1,852pp. Based. Paperback, £92.05. James Howard-Johnston Byzantium Economy, society, institutions 600

MODERN ART OCFORD/SUZANNE TREISTER; SUZANNE TREISTER, COURTESY OF ...

Not many people move into a new home only to find enthusiastic strangers routinely turning up looking for a place to stay the night, but if the house in question was once a youth hostel sequestered in