Angela Merkel today declared coronavirus the ‘biggest challenge for Germany since WWII’ in a televised address to the nation. The Chancellor urged Germans to heed the stringent confinement measures imposed this week as the number of infections in her country soared over 11,000 today, including 28 deaths. ‘The situation is serious. Take it seriously. Not … Read more
Alexandra Shulman, who edited Vogue from 1992 to 2017, on the style-setter with whom she found much in common When Audrey Withers became editor of British Vogue at the age of 35, there was widespread rationing and the American owner Condé Nast demanded staff cuts. Those left on the magazine often worked out of the … Read more
HISTORY THE ZOOKEEPERS’ WAR by J.W. Mohnhaupt (S&S £18.99, 272 pp) Here’s a tale from the Cold War that’s little-known but deserves not to be. After World War II, as you know, Berlin was split into two. West Berlin was under the control of the Allies, while East Berlin was under the Soviet yoke, and an … Read more
BOOK OF THE WEEK VICTORY IN THE KITCHEN by Annie Gray (Profile £16.99, 400 pp) A crowd of 20,000 jubilant people gathered to hear Winston Churchill give a victory speech on VE Day in May 1945. Just before he stepped outside to address the throng, the Prime Minister went over to a woman standing quietly … Read more
Winston Churchill’s rousing speeches inspired a nation and played a key role in Britain’s morale during the dark early days of the Second World War. It was a time when the country was almost at its knees, with men dying and morale sinking. But Churchill’s defiant and powerful words allowed ordinary Britons, soldiers, sailors and … Read more
Researchers have found the resting place of a World War II submarine wreck 11,000 feet below the surface. Named the Stickleback, the vessel sank on May 28, 1958 during a military exercise 19 miles off the coast of Barbers Point, Oahu. It lost power during the drill, which forced it to dart towards the seabed … Read more