Charlie Connelly
09 September 2021
Toni Fritsch: The Austrian who revolutionised the Dallas Cowboys
He spoke no English, and had never seen an American Football before but Toni Fritsch was a natural, and he went on to change the game forever.
Read the full article09 September 2021
How Tobias Smollett became the father of broad British humour
One writer not only pioneered satire, but also the literary feud, writes CHARLIE CONNELLY
Read the full article02 September 2021
Hervé Villechaize: The actor who battled his own reality
The actor made his living selling fantasy, but this was far from the reality of Hervé Villechaize's life off-screen, writes CHARLIE CONNELLY
Read the full article02 September 2021
The Green Knight: A tale of sex, seduction and beheading
CHARLIE CONNELLY on the mysterious 14th century Arthurian epic poem behind a now delayed blockbuster movie
Read the full article26 August 2021
Erika Mann: a life combating injustice
She was an actress and a writer, but more importantly Erika Mann spent her life witnessing and fighting injustice
Read the full article26 August 2021
Being in the tyre tracks of a Civil War
CHARLIE CONNELLY on an British master of travel writing, exploring memories of the Spanish Civil War by following the route of the memorable 1941 Vuelta a Espana bicycle race
Read the full article19 August 2021
Giuseppe Meazza: Milan’s greatest footballer
Giuseppe Meazza was the greatest footballer Milan, and arguably Italy, ever produced, meaning many turned a blind eye to his excessive habits
Read the full article19 August 2021
Anthologies for summer that find poetry in the unexpected… supermarkets
CHARLIE CONNELLY on three new books of poetry on strikingly different themes: a sixth century saint, an endangered species and the everyday episodes which take place in a supermarket
Read the full article10 August 2021
The literary classics in need of a reality TV format
With a new dating show based on the Jane Austen book, perhaps there's a truth to be acknowledged that every literary classic is in need of a reality TV format. By CHARLIE CONNELLY
Read the full article10 August 2021
Otto Lilienthal: The birdman of Berlin
Otto Lilienthal was drawn to the sky by his idealism and his experience of war. It was ultimately a fatal attraction
Read the full article27 July 2021
30 great European books for the beach
Charlie Connelly offers his selection of perfect holiday reading, from the latest new European paperbacks
Read the full article27 July 2021
Jeanne Moreau: The greatest actress in the world
The daughter of a Tiller Girl from Oldham, Jeanne Moreau came to be considered "the greatest actress in the world"
Read the full article27 July 2021
Billy Wilder and his early European career
In his younger days, Billy Wilder was a journalist in Europe. A new book of his writings doesn’t give much of a glimpse of the continent, but does provide insights into his later career
Read the full article21 July 2021
Anton Chekhov: A man out of his time
Anton Chekhov transformed theatre. But many critics and audiences of his era were not so enamoured by the change, writes CHARLIE CONNELLY
Read the full article20 July 2021
From Bard to worse: Boris Johnson’s hot take on Shakespeare
CHARLIE CONNELLY on what we can expect from Boris Johnson's much-discussed and long-delayed book on William Shakespeare
Read the full article
13 July 2021
Lili Alvarez: The campaigner of centre court
Lili Alvarez was not only one of the greatest tennis players of her era but also a tireless campaigner for equality... not to mention champion car racer and skier
Read the full article06 July 2021
Ennio Morricone: The Italian behind film’s most famous music
The life of Ennio Morricone, the prolific Italian composer responsible for the soundtrack of The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, and so much more
Read the full article
21 June 2021
Bertha von Suttner: The great peace campaigner
CHARLIE CONNELLY on the pacifist campaigner Bertha von Suttner, a woman not intimidated by anyone she met, even the most powerful men in the world
Read the full article
08 June 2021
George Sand: The writer who attracted scandal and praise in equal measure
George Sand is no longer widely read, but once eclipsed many of the greatest names in 19th century European literature, writes CHARLIE CONNELLY
Read the full article
02 June 2021
The book that serves as a reminder of Britain’s fall as a maritime power
25 May 2021
Rosa Bonheur: The brilliant eccentric who became an artistic superstar
