December 1996
In This Issue
Charlotte Allen, “The Search for a No-Frills Jesus”; Thomas E. Ricks, “The Great Society in Camouflage”; Michael Davitt Bell, “Magic Time”; Sheila Gordon, “The Greatest Show on Earth”; and much more.
Articles
The Search for a No-Frills Jesus
My Grandfather's Last Tale
The mission? To carry forward the musical legacy of a once-celebrated composer, as part of the duties of a musically ungifted oldest grandson. The stops along the way? The modernist frenzy of 1920s Vienna and Berlin and the artistic lassitude of 1940s and 1950s expatriate Hollywood. The culmination? The stage of an adventurous opera company in a little town in eastern Germany that was by turns an SS and a Stasi stronghold.
The Great Society in Camouflage
The culture of today's Army derives from a uniqueblend of liberal and conservative philosophies. Willit survive peacetime transformations intact?
Currant Affairs
Cassis can come into your life in many ways -- and all are suitable forthe holiday season.
A Few Loose Ends
As the big picture of reality becomes increasingly elusive, the insights of those who focus on the little picture merit new appreciation.
Magic Time
Observations of a cancer casualty.
The Greatest Show on Earth
When the father made his weekly trip to Pofadderkranz, he had sometimes taken the twins along for the drive. Now Mrs. Prinsloo went with him instead.
On France's Blessed South Coast
The Côte d'Azur maintains a delightful, if delicate, balance between people and nature -- but it's an uphill struggle.
Elegant Variations and All That
A modernized edition of a venerable classic of English usage brings changes that are vast and controversial -- and almost always sensible.
Lincoln Speaks
77 North Washington Street
Letters
The Almanac
Word Watch
