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Matthew Engel

Matthew Engel has had a journalistic career of unusual variety over more years than he cares to remember:  he covered the first Gulf War, the fall of the Berlin Wall, the death of Princess Diana and the September 11 attacks.

He has also reported more than 70 different sports, from the World Cup soccer finals to the European tiddlywinks championship. He has edited 12 of the 144 editions of Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack, “the cricketers’ bible”, but is equally enthusiastic about baseball.

His latest work, Extracts from the Red Notebooks, is published by Macmillan. This is intended to raise money for the Laurie Engel Fund, set up in conjunction with the Teenage Cancer Trust in memory of his son, who died in 2005 aged 13. - -

Dispatch from Longtown, Cumbria

The Scottish town, the UK’s centre of livestock production, is enjoying a turnround after foot and mouth disease brought it to the brink of ruin in 2001

Livingstone appeals to market forces

The embattled incumbent’s alliance with his Green Party rival offers an option to voters weary of his regime and underlines his usage of new politics to avert defeat

Mass desertion

Abuse scandals and the attendant arguments about celibacy are issues that must permeate any sensible discussion about the future of the priesthood, writes Matthew Engel

Funny old names

Using insight, humour and a deceptively simple research tool – the telephone directory – C.M. Matthews traced the origins of British family names, writes Matthew Engel

Long divisions

An outsider might see the Protestant fixation with Garvaghy Road in Northern Ireland as the epitome of their utter inability to see the Catholic minority’s point of view, says Matthew Engel

Opposition’s attractions

The Conservatives’ lack of competence at criticising Labour should be blamed for the intellectually adrift and reluctant Brown government, writes Matthew Engel

The irreverent reverend

A clergyman who spoke of inconvenient truths on the hypocrisy of religion and society proves that there was a time when churchmen were far more fun, writes Matthew Engel

That was the year that was

The great public dramas of 1968, which happened from March to August, affected all those who heard the news even if they did not participate in them, writes Matthew Engel

The not so straight and narrow

Some countries may take more bribes than others, but intellectual corruption is universal. All one can do is try to stay on the right side of a very wavy line

Vices and virtues

In the pursuit of a balanced ticket it is certain, Matthew Engel believes, that at least one US presidential candidate will end up picking a hate-figure as running-mate

English cricket pushes boundaries

Comment: Dark, and very bitter

A house built on sand

Herefordshire rejects school closure plans

How do I vow to thee, my country?

Broth wrath

All Engels covered

Outside Edge: Paxman, pants and the retail problem

The new face of Sweden

That’s nailed it