The designer's Oklahoma residence is a showcase for traditional refinements. Oklahoma, where the chintz comes sweeping down the plain? Not exactly what Rodgers and Hammerstein had in mind, but perhaps less implausible than one might think. In the early decades of this...

"I RECEIVED a note in the post this morning about a new tablet from Pylos. I'll write it up on the board for you." This typical start to a Cambridge University lecture on Mycenaean Greek gives some idea of the excitement of John Chadwick's...