Peter Brown, "On the Magic Carpet of the Met," NYRB, 8 December, reviews Maryam D. Ekhtiar, Priscilla P. Soucek, Sheila R. Canby, and Navina Najat Haidar, eds., Masterpieces from the Department of Islamic Art in the Metropolitan Museum of Art and "Treasures of Islamic Manuscript Painting from the Morgan," an exhibit at New York's Morgan Library and Museum. The Morgan's companion online exhibit is remarkably rich.

Rebecca Newberger Goldstein, "Umberto Eco and the Elders of Zion," NYT, 18 November, reviews Eco's The Prague Cemetery.

Dinah Birch, "Dickens from First to Last," TLS, 16 November, reviews Robert Douglas-Fairhurst's Becoming Dickens and Claire Tomalin's Charles Dickens: A Life.

Benjamin Soskis, "A Fiery Gospel," Slate, 17 November, witnesses the birth of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic."

Nina C. Ayoub, "A Life of Controversy," CHE, 13 November, reviews Jean H. Baker's Margaret Sanger: A Life of Passion.

"'Hitler's Influence Was Fatal'," Spiegel Online, 18 November, interviews Ian Kershaw about Germany's last days in World War II.

Jeffrey Goldberg, "Did Israel Actually Lose the 1967 War?" NYT, 18 November, reviews Gershom Gorenberg's The Unmaking of Israel.

Charles Moore, "The Invincible Mrs. Thatcher," Vanity Fair, December, sketches the Iron Lady.

Niall Ferguson's short-term prophecy. Niall Ferguson's mid-term prophecy.

Finally, Rice's Douglas Brinkley tangled with Representative Don Young of Alaska in congressional testimony on Friday.