Is General Petraeus the whisky-drinking, pistol-toting soldier on the cover of The Operators?

A new book that claims to be the 'wild and terrifying inside story of America's war in Afghanistan' has a general on the cover that some say is based on the US military commander

The imperial age of libraries

A police raid on a five-year-old with overdue books reminds me of a grander age for libraries

John Milton, part 5: the devil’s best lines

Jessica Martin: How to believe: Satan is the great salesman of Paradise Lost, who can talk his way past everyone – except himself

Strange case of a fake Ibsen play that has gripped Scandinavia

Literary experts embarrassed after 'lost fragments' of work by Norway's famous playwright are alleged to have been forged

Sir Michael Dummett obituary

Philosopher who focused on falsehood and truth in language

Kim Jong-il’s funeral was a lesson in epic film-making

David Cohen: We shouldn't be surprised by the cinematic touches to the Dear Leader's funeral – he did write a book on the art of directing

Ezra Pound’s daughter aims to stop Italian fascist group using father’s name

CasaPound, named after the American poet, was supported by a racist who killed two African men in Florence

The great ebook price swindle

Dan Gillmor: Publishers are facing an uncertain time in the digital world – but increasing the prices of their ebooks is a retrograde step

Lucia Etxebarria: truly an extraordinary author

Kathryn Hughes: I understand Lucia Etxebarria's anger at illegal dowloading. But for most writers books are a labour of love, not money

The Bible should be available to read in every Christian’s native language

Eddie Arthur: As an adviser who helped create a New Testament translation for an Ivorian village, I saw what an impact such work can have

I’m hooked on George RR Martin’s flights of fantasy

Michael Hann: Season of goodwill: OK, so it's not Proust or Trollope. But when times are tough, there is no better distraction than these magical tales

Pass notes No 3,098: Herman Van Rompuy

The president of the European Council is spreading a little happiness among his fellow world leaders this year

John Milton, part 4: the language of a universal hubbub wild

Jessica Martin: How to believe: Epic poetry can do special effects on an unlimited scale, and Milton takes full advantage of this freedom in Paradise Lost

Unthinkable: Christopher Hitchens at heaven’s gate

Editorial: Do you know who I am? Of course you do, it's one of the drawbacks of omniscience

Light reading: the illuminated manuscripts of the dark ages

In the digital age we should look back in wonder at illuminated manuscripts: medieval Europe produced some of the most moving images of readers and reading that exist, says Jonathan Jones