The forgotten tale of a hostage-taking in Washington in 1977
“American Caliph” recounts the saga of race and religion in thrilling detail
American Caliph. By Shahan Mufti. Farrar, Straus and Giroux; 384 pages; $30
This article appeared in the Culture section of the print edition under the headline “Siege in the capital”
Culture
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From the November 26th 2022 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents
Explore the editionMeghan Markle’s new Netflix show is out of touch with the times
In it she positions herself as an elite Martha Stewart

This year’s Oscars were notably apolitical
Hollywood has ditched resistance in favour of toeing the line
AI unleashes a weird new genre of political communication
Donald Trump’s Gaza video offers a taste of what is to come
Why are live albums back in fashion?
Hitmakers including Niall Horan, Dua Lipa and Ed Sheeran have released them
Caviar is the internet’s favourite indulgence
Russian tsars loved it. Now TikTok does, too
Finding meaning in people’s first words—and their last
Why there is less significance than society would have you believe