01 October 2007
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From the Editor…
Welcome to the New Statesman website. Whether you are a new reader or an existing one - online or via the magazine - I hope you'll enjoy the great writing, fresh ideas and provocative debate that make the New Statesman Britain's award-winning current affairs weekly
Cover story
Spies and their lies
British intelligence has long used clandestine "deniable briefings" to release information real and false to tame hacks including David Rose...
Features
Middle England's new hero
Gordon Brown's conference speech made the Labour tribe happy. Yet its main message was not for them, but for the Tory heartlands. Will this be the PM's biggest problem?
Can Dave deliver?
Cameron has been told his task is to present traditional issues in a modern way. The job is immense.
Burma's hour of need
Fine words are not enough. The international community must find a coherent strategy to deal with the generals - and China is the key.
No model for girls
There is now solid evidence that images of super-thin celebrities in the media have a direct effect on the well-being of teenagers
Just a bit of handbags No 3997
Set by J Seery We asked for extracts from an autobiography of a famous writer that had been ghosted by a leading sportsman (or woman) - for instance, Oscar Wilde by Wayne Rooney
Culture
Lost in a century
Manu Chao's catchy, multilingual pop tunes became the soundtrack to the anti-globalisation movement. But fame and politics don't mix
Slaves to fashion
For all its glamour and mystery, haute couture relies on something quite simple - a highly skilled woman with a needle
Theatre
Odds and endgames
Five short Beckett plays are great fun for enthusiasts - but not for anyone else Fragments Young Vic, London SE1
Film
Things that make you go hmmm
Don't try to make sense of Matthew Barney's films - just enjoy the weirdness Drawing Restraint 9 (no cert) dir: Matthew Barney
Television
The ordinary boys
Friendship between an addict and an academic is lit up by two great actors Stuart: a Life Backwards BBC2
Radio
Ruling the radio waves
Marr's playful study of national identity shows his skill as a broadcaster Unmasking the English Radio 4
Books
Sister act
The Mitford sisters always claimed to be mystified by the attention they received. But they were skilful manipulators of their public image
Back to the future
The World Without Us Alan Weisman Virgin Books, 336pp, £20
Notes from nature
The Wild Places Robert Macfarlane Granta, 352pp, £18.99
Northern lights
At the Edge of Light Maria Peura, trans David Hackston Maia Press, 240pp, £8.99
Food for thought
Stuffed and Starved: Markets, Power and the Hidden Battle for the World’s Food System Raj Patel Portobello, 438 pages, £16.99
Observations
Why the king must go
In an exclusive interview, Billy Briggs talks to the Maoist commander who may soon determine his country’s fate
