It was the Greek philosopher Socrates who warned of the dangers of the written word. He’d doubtless be pleased that, a few millennia later, we’re moving back to authors speaking directly to their audiences, albeit via a smartphone or other listening device. Who knows, maybe in 100 years, authors will be able, as Socrates thought should be the case, to tailor their message specifically for their audience.
In the meantime, we have a range of audiobooks on all sorts of subjects, even math, narrated by their authors. These are all books that have either been recommended on Five Books, or have been narrated by Five Books interviewees or other highly recommended authors.
Lady in Waiting: My Extraordinary Life in the Shadow of the Crown
by Anne Glenconner
Anne Glenconner, former lady-in-waiting to Princess Margaret, tells the story of her life. The audiobook, narrated by the author (now in her 90s), is particularly enchanting.
“This book is an achievement in several ways: as a bringing together of a number of world philosophies, as an illustration of why philosophy matters for global understanding, and as a bridge between Western and Asian thought.” Read more...
Agent Running in the Field: A Novel
by John le Carré
Agent Running in the Field is the latest spy novel from the number one New York Times bestselling author John le Carré.
In it, MI6 veteran Nat takes over the management of a London intelligence substation – the Haven, “a dumping ground for resettled defectors of nil value and fifth-rate informants on the skids.” He also befriends a solitary young MI5 agent who is both dead set against the United Kingdom’s departure from the European Union and convinced that the United States is locked into a descent into fascism, led by Donald Trump.
Set in Brexit-era Britain, Agent Running in the Field serves both as espionage thriller and biting take on the politics of the day; le Carré is not afraid to express his own anger over the leadership of his country, describing the UK government as ruled by “a minority Tory cabinet of 10th-raters”, and portrays Boris Johnson as then “a pig-ignorant foreign secretary”. An extract from the book has been published over on The Guardian website.
Le Carré’s editor at Viking, Mary Mount, described Agent Running in the Field as “incredibly prescient, and a very emotional book in terms of how connected he feels to the history of Britain and Europe. There’s no looking away, he addresses the very current political crisis.”
Le Carré is a very widely recommended author on Five Books, whose work turns up again and again on discussions of both literary thrillers and espionage more generally. His most recommended titles include The Spy Who Came in From the Cold and Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.
Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men
by Caroline Criado Perez
Invisible Women by Caroline Criado Perez is also available as an audiobook, narrated by the author.
“Matt Parker makes mathematics interesting by making it funny. In this book, he pokes fun at people who’ve made silly mathematical mistakes but, at the same time, he also looks at some issues that are quite serious: bridges collapsing and killing people, for example. It’s a great book. As far as I know, it’s the first math book that’s ever been a number one bestseller.” Read more...
The Math of Life and Death
by Kit Yates
The Math of Life and Death, by Kit Yates, a senior lecturer in mathematical biology at the University of Bath, is an excellent popular maths book, demonstrating the many times math plays a critical role in our daily lives—often without us even knowing it.
We spoke to the author to find out more:
Istanbul: A Tale of Three Cities
by Bettany Hughes
A historic journey through one of the the world’s most pivotal cities. We caught up with award-winning historian Bettany Hughes when she was chair of the 2019 Man Booker international Prize to talk about the best fiction in translation.
“Andrew Yang’s book is a take on the forces fraying America’s middle class. He draws our attention to eye-popping data points about where our economy is heading.” Read more...
“People want to know about the private lives of public people; Michelle Obama obliges us by providing an insider view of life in the White House. We learn about her first kiss, about the fact that she failed the bar exam the first time she took it, about her going to couples counseling with her husband. This is not a biography that withholds the tidbits one craves when reading about a famous person.” Read more...
“This is a novel set in a part of modern life unfamiliar to most of us: a women’s prison. This novel is the one that made me feel I should go out and do something—that I should vote for prison reform.” Read more...
Kwame Anthony Appiah, Philosopher
“H is for Hawk feels like the definitive statement on hawks for the modern times, and I think its success has a lot to do with how well Macdonald tied her inquiry into the life of a hawk with her own personal experience and journey.” Read more...
Nick Pyenson, Science Writer
“We’ve been told that if our body isn’t a certain way, then we don’t have value. That’s an idea Roxane Gay—more eloquently than anyone—challenges with humour and vulnerability.” Read more...
The Best Books for Surviving Your Twenties
Dana Schwartz, Memoirist
“I have studied all these texts in the original Old Norse, but Gaiman has done something superb with them: he was woven them into compelling narratives for a Marvel-book comic-loving generation, who can find fun, drama and excitement in these thousand year old stories.” Read more...
The Best Viking History Books for Kids
Janina Ramirez, Children's Author
His Dark Materials
by Philip Pullman
Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials is the name of a fantasy trilogy comprising three books: Northern Lights, The Subtle Knife, and The Amber Spyglass.
The audiobook of the His Dark Materials trilogy has Philip Pullman himself as the narrator, with actors saying the words of the characters.
“What I found so moving about this book is that it links the crucial elements of friendship and art to survival.” Read more...
The best books on The Lives of Artists
Maria Loh, Art Historians, Critics & Curator
“We have not begun to address what needs to be addressed in every social sphere to eliminate the kinds of violence that we see in African-American ghettos.” Read more...
The best books on Race and American Policing
Joe Domanick, Journalist
The Looming Tower
by Lawrence Wright
The Looming Tower by Lawrence Wright is a detailed narrative history of the events leading to 9/11, based on five years of research and hundreds of interviews. Find out below why it is one of Five Books’ most recommended books.
“I remember picking up this book, and I then started buying all his books because it is amazing how funny he makes these short stories about himself. He’s not a stand-up comedian or anything like that, but his stories are hilarious. One story that comes to mind is when he took a job one Christmas at Macy’s where he was a Christmas elf for Santa Claus. The way he tells the story is truly hilarious – I can’t do it justice, you just have to read it! A bigger lesson to take from this book and Sedaris’s writing is how he sees the comedy in every situation.” Read more...
Maz Jobrani, Comedians & Humorist
“Obama tells the story of Auma, his half-sister, who is educated, hard-working and has succeeded abroad, who owns property and a car, and recounts the way the entire family basically leeches off her. It’s not good for either side. She resents it because all her projects are undermined, but the family is also resentful of her because they don’t like being beholden. If aid is one of the problems in Africa, the extended family is also both a blessing and a blight. Obama didn’t even spend that long in Kenya, but he captures that conundrum immediately.” Read more...
Michela Wrong, Journalist
