Contents Contents Contents Contents the week Leading article

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Portrait of the Week

Diary Bel Mooney

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Politics Tim Montgomerie 10 Dave Michael Heath 13 Letters 23 You know it makes sense James Delingpole 24 Shared opinion Hugo Rifkind 27 Any other business Martin Vander Weyer 28 Ancient & modern 54

The age of the megacity Doug Saunders In 100 years we will be an entirely urban species

Crisis in Kashmir Jonathan Foreman The vicious conflict is too dangerous to be ignored

What is Zardari playing at? Isabel Villiers Pakistan’s President should have cancelled his trip

The boss class stays put Rod Liddle BBC fat cats will not be part of the move to Salford

Suburban hymns Christopher Howse Pop music puts the lyricism into everyday life

Train à Grande Vexation Ross Clark France’s famous TGV trains are in fact rubbish

Letter from the Far East David Tang

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Books Sam Leith: What to Look for in Winter, by Candia McWilliam 29 James Buchan: Crossing Mandelbaum Gate, by Kai Bird 30 Charles Cumming: The Burning Wire, by Jeffery Deaver 30 Inigo Thomas: Driving Home, by Jonathan Raban 31 Christian House on first novels 32 Lucy Hughes-Hallett: Antony and Cleopatra, by Adrian Goldsworthy 33 Diana Hendry: The House with Blue Shutters, by Lisa Hilton 34 Blair Worden on Hugh TrevorRoper 35

‘My wife thinks I’m trying out one of Boris’s bikes.’

Cover by Christian Adams. Drawings by Michael Heath, Castro, Nick Hobart, Lucid, Len, Mico, Dredge, Bernie, Holland, RGJ, Adam Singleton and Nick Newman.

Charles Moore and Deborah Ross are away.

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Vol 313; no 9493 © 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

Arts

William Cook celebrates the enduring appeal of Cannon & Ball 36 Exhibitions: Sargent and the Sea Andrew Lambirth 37 Opera: Die Walküre Michael Tanner 38 Theatre: The Prince of Homburg; Danton’s Death Lloyd Evans 40 Olden but golden Charles Spencer 42 Dance: Bolshoi Ballet Giannandrea Poesio 42 Radio Kate Chisholm 43

Life

Motoring

Alan Judd

The turf

Robin Oakley

High life

Taki

Low life Jeremy Clarke

Real life Melissa Kite

Bridge Susanna Gross

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And finALLy . . .

Chess Raymond Keene

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Competition; Crossword 50, 51 Status anxiety Toby Young 54 Sport Roger Alton 55 Your problems solved Mary Killen 55

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THE SPECTATOR 7 August 2010 5