Greater than what divides us

John Tolan Islam A new history from Muhammad to the present 304pp. Princeton University Press. £25 (US $29.95). James McDougall Worlds of Islam A global history 608pp. Allen Lane. £40. Elizabeth Drays

ON A COLD, GREY JANUARY DAY IN YORK, I climbed the steps to Clifford’s Tower (pictured below), continuing all the way to the top to enjoy panoramic views across the city. This structure was for many y

Lola Young Eight Weeks Looking back, moving forwards, defying the odds 336pp. Penguin. Paperback, £10.99. Lola Young has been a crossbench member of the House of Lords since 2004. She is also an emeri

In Caravaggio’s “St Matthew and the Angel” (1602), the Bible seems to arrive as a shock to those who wrote it. Matthew, bare-armed and dirty-toed, is a fisherman stranded on dry land. Everything about

Iran and the US: a history of enmity

THE LIBRARY OF TRAUMATIC MEMORY Tragic moments ★ ...