| Dear Reader,
Today, the country continues to mourn the death of the Duke of Edinburgh. As we contemplate the national and personal loss, I recommend our authoritative obituary of Prince Philip. His life and public service transcended multiple eras of history. From his birth in the tumultuous aftermath of the First World War, through service in the Second, to being a witness to the end of Empire and a bastion for the Queen during some of Britain and the Royal family’s darkest hours, Prince Philip’s was an extraordinary and selfless life.
Britain takes the next major step towards unlocking today, with pubs, restaurants and barbers among the venues to reopen. You can follow the latest on our live blog. Much of Britain’s ability to ease restrictions is down to the success of the vaccine rollout, but last week doubts grew about the AstraZeneca vaccine’s safety. Miranda Levy, who is 52 and has had a first dose already, spoke to experts to place the risk in context and get some welcome reassurance in this excellent piece.
(If you would like to receive the latest coronavirus news and analysis, sign up for our Global Health Bulletin.)
How well do you know the story of how the Second World War was won? There can be few who don’t know the tale of D-Day to Berlin, but do we overestimate the importance of the Western Front in our collective memory? Jonathan Dimbleby certainly believes so. Ahead of the publication of his new history of the Eastern Front, he argues in this fascinating piece that it was in Operation Barbarossa that the war was truly won and lost.
Finally, it may sound like a madcap “flying machine” competition, but this is something far more sophisticated. Next June, a small band of men and women will attempt to make only the second-ever crossing of the Channel by human-powered aircraft. Patrick Sawer has the full story of what would be a combined feat of incredible individual fitness and remarkable engineering.
Chris
PS There is just one week left before our prices go up. Beat the rise and sign uptoday to get three months' access for just 1 in total, and then read on for only 2 per week. |
