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Following the 70th anniversary of the commencement of World War Two on 3 September, Nicky Charlish reviews the ‘Outbreak 1939’ exhibition at the Imperial War Museum in London, and considers the benefits of hindsight. And retrospective reviews from the Edinburgh Fringe include a case study in the perils of adapting a much-loved novel. Meanwhile, Ciaran Guilfoyle asks why we read anything, and finds the Arts Council’s answer - more or less escapism - unsatisfying.

Next week on CW, reflections on the financial crisis and prospects for the economy ahead of the