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Jonathan Sumption's admirable review of The Cambridge Constitutional History of the United Kingdom (November 3) is written by a lawyer of outstanding ability and experience who is also--unusually--widely acknowledged for [...]

The article discusses the first volume of the "Obra Completa Pombalina," a collection of writings by Sebastiāo José de Carvalho e Melo, the Marquis of Pombal, who was a prominent political figure in eighteenth-century Portugal. The volume focuses on letters written during Pombal's time as Ambassador to Britain from 1738-1739. The letters discuss his interactions with English politicians, including Prime Minister Robert Walpole, and his observations of British society and commerce. The article praises the comprehensive introduction by Ana Leal Faria and the scholarly sources used in the publication. [Extracted from the article]

I found Eadaoin Lynch's article on Owen and Sassoon very moving ('As No Men Love for Long', November 6). Clearly the lonely, young Owen fell under Sassoon's spell and was [...]

Richard Davenport-Hines's review of David Cannadine's A Question of Retribution? (August 7) captures well the controversy over whether to expel the former Soviet spy Sir Anthony Blunt from the British [...]

Sir,--I am glad that Peter Mitchell found my book To the Fairest Cape: European encounters in the Cape of Good Hope (In Brief, March 29) readable and well researched. However, [...]

Bethany Williamson's book, "Orienting Virtue: Civic Identity and Orientalism in Britain's Global Eighteenth Century," explores the revaluation of virtue in eighteenth-century Britain in relation to the country's global expansion. The book identifies two key shifts in thinking about virtue during this period: the link between virtue and prosperity or liberty, and the increased application of reason as the basis of virtue. The book examines the impact of Britain's global reach on the concept of virtue through the works of various writers, including Dryden, Swift, and three women writers. While the book provides valuable insights into the topic, it simplifies the complex moral debate of the time by focusing primarily on the link between virtue and progress. [Extracted from the article]

Barry Hatton QUEEN OF THE SEAS A history of Lisbon 328pp. Hurst. Paperback. 14.99 [pounds sterling]. 978 1 84904 997 9 Over the centuries, millions of Lisbon's inhabitants have grown [...]