The May 4, 2020, issue of National Review — marked by cover art echoing the flag-raising at Iwo Jima and honoring those on the front lines of the pathogen battle — is now off the presses, in the mail, and, for NRPLUS members, available for complete and immediate reading. And there is plenty that is exceptional to read here, in particular the major essay by Mark Helprin, who makes the case for the future of American foreign and national-security policy: It must not be reactive.


Some suggestions for other pieces in the issue — among the 10 dedicated to the pandemic battle — are Casey B. Mulligan’s, in which he argues that this pandemic presents an opportunity for government deregulation, and Dan McLaughlin’s, in which he defends the inherent strengths of the free market (especially relative to big government) in the time of pandemics. And in the Books, Arts & Manners section, among the numerous columns and reviews, do consider Jay Nordlinger’s discovery of the Spanish author Javier Cercas and his novel Lord of All the Dead, and Rick Brookhiser’s City Desk column in which he reminisces about his favorite (now closed) NYC eateries.

Those who do not have an NRPLUS subscription will likely find themselves with limited access to NR magazine content. But do not be discouraged: an affordable and empowering NRPLUS membership can be found here.