Contents Contents Contents ContentsTheweekLeadingarticle

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The Spectator Debate Piers Paul Read vs Matthew Parris Can Catholicism save Christian England?

14

Portrait of the Week

Diary Joan Collins

Politics James Forsyth

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11

12

The romance of Islam Paul Goodman It is the most accessible of the monotheistic religions

17

The Spectator’s Notes

Dave Michael Heath

Letters

Shared opinion Alexander Chancellor

You know it makes sense James Delingpole

Notting Hill Nobody

Any other business Martin Vander Weyer

Mind your language

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15

25

27

28

30

31

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They were chanting, ‘Kill, kill, kill’ Peter Oborne News of the unholy massacres in Nigeria

18

Fight the good fight Luke Coppen Evangelicals in America are promoting a vicious combat sport

20

Children like gruesome stuff Robert Gore-Langton There’s no point in trying to prissify the books they read

22

Will heaven really be like Redcar? Rod Liddle Even Anglican bishops think it’s a silly question

24

Olden but golden

Charles Spencer

45

Cinema: Kick-Ass

Deborah Ross

46

Opera: Cunning Little Vixen

Michael Tanner

46

Theatre: The Gods Weep; Mrs Warren’s Profession

Lloyd Evans

48

Dance: Royal Ballet Triple Bill

Giannandrea Poesio

49

Radio

Kate Chisholm

Television

James Delingpole

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50

Books Philip Hensher on William Shakespeare

33

Ferdinand Mount: J.D. Salinger, by Kenneth Slawenski

35

Victoria Glendinning: Burying the Bones, by Hilary Spurling

38

Alberto Manguel on reading

39

A.N. Wilson: The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ, by Philip Pullman

40

Anita Brookner: The Shadows in the Streets, by Susan Hill

40

Bevis Hillier: Linley Sambourne, by Leonee Ormond

41

Connie Bensley: ‘Settling Down’ and ‘Some Rejections are Unexpected’: poems

42

Arts Andrew Lambirth on how a powerful Easter message can be found in images of the Crucifixion

44

Cover William Blake. Drawings by Michael Heath, Castro, Dish, Mazurke, Tony Husband, Mike Turner, Russell, Hunter Bernie, Grizelda, Geoff Thompson, Holland and Robert Thompson.

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Vol 312; no 9475 © The Spectator (1828) Ltd. ISSN 0038-6952

The Spectator is published weekly by The Spectator (1828) Ltd at: 22 Old Queen Street, London SW1H 9HP Editor: Fraser Nelson

Life The turf

Robin Oakley

High life

Taki

Low life Jeremy Clarke

Real life Melissa Kite

Bridge Susanna Gross

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And finaly . . . Wine club Simon Hoggart

55

Chess Raymond Keene

Competition; Crossword

Status anxiety Toby Young

Sport Roger Alton

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Your problems solved Mary Killen

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www.spectator.co.uk

THE SPECTATOR 3 April 2010 7