Do you want to know about religion in China? The best Australian novels? Are you a fan of Swedish crime fiction? Or is it American politics you'd like to know more about? Our 'world' category divides up all our interviews and book recommendations by geography.
Some are quite broad lists, useful for the first-time visitor (e.g. Evan Osnos's list of the best books to read if you're visiting China or Pankaj Mishra's list of books to read if you're visiting India). Others in our world books section home in on more specific aspects of a country's history, culture, politics or literature.
The best books on African Politics, recommended by Evan Lieberman
Despite their enormous variety, the countries of sub-Saharan Africa share some common challenges when it comes to politics and governance. Here, political scientist Evan Lieberman talks about the struggles for democracy in the continent and some of the specific obstacles African countries face in state-building and administration.
The best books on Bosnia, recommended by Velma Šarić
As a teenager, Velma Šarić’s hometown of Kladanj welcomed refugees from eastern Bosnia as it was bombed and shelled, her primary school eventually becoming a shelter for people fleeing the massacre at Srebenica. Now she runs Sarajevo’s Post-Conflict Research Centre, trying to prevent anything like it from ever happening again. She recommends books to read on the Bosnian War and explains that it was not a war between different communities, but rather an assault on the country’s multiethnic, multicultural identity.
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Wildlife of Madagascar
by Keith Barnes & Kenneth Behrens -
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Lost People: Magic and the Legacy of Slavery in Madagascar
by David Graeber -
3
Vanilla Landscapes: Meaning, Memory, and the Cultivation of Place in Madagascar
by Sarah Osterhoudt -
4
A World Like Our Own: Man and Nature in Madagascar
by Alison Jolly -
5
Conservation and Environmental Management in Madagascar
by Ivan Scales (editor)
The best books on Madagascar, recommended by Alison Richard
The best books on Madagascar, recommended by Alison Richard
With its range of unique wildlife, Madagascar has been likened to a floating evolutionary laboratory. To Yale biological anthropologist Alison Richard, it’s simply a magical place. Here, she recommends five books on the island she has visited for the past five decades and explains why she wrote her own book, The Sloth Lemur’s Song.
The best books on The Korean War, recommended by Bruce Cumings
Before Vietnam, America fought in the Korean War—but its role in that conflict has been far less examined. Award-winning historian Bruce Cumings talks about the misconceptions many people still hold, and how they distort our understanding of the current North Korean regime.
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Death in Spring
by Mercè Rodoreda, Martha Tennent (translator) -
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Learning to Talk to Plants
by Marta Orriols, Mara Faye Lethem (translator) -
3
The Art of Wearing a Trench Coat
by Sergi Pàmies, Adrian Nathan West (translator) -
4
Permafrost
by Eva Baltasar & Julia Sanches (translator) -
5
When I Sing, Mountains Dance
by Irene Solà & Mara Faye Lethem (translator)
The Best Catalan Fiction, recommended by Gala Sicart
The Best Catalan Fiction, recommended by Gala Sicart
For a long time, Catalan fiction was eclipsed by books in Spanish but these days it’s flourishing, says translator and editor Gala Sicart. Here, she recommends four of the best contemporary Catalan novels and one book of short stories, from the classic Mercè Rodoreda to her 21st-century equivalent.
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The Shortest History of China: From the Ancient Dynasties to a Modern Superpower
by Linda Jaivin -
2
Monkey King: Journey to the West
Wu Cheng'en and Julia Lovell (translator) -
3
The Chinese Communist Party: A Century in Ten Lives
Edited by Timothy Cheek, Klaus Mühlhahn and Hans van de Ven -
4
Land of Big Numbers
by Te-Ping Chen -
5
In the Camps: China's High-Tech Penal Colony
by Darren Byler
The Best China Books of 2021, recommended by Jeffrey Wasserstrom
The Best China Books of 2021, recommended by Jeffrey Wasserstrom
Whether you want to read the entire history of China in 250 pages or find out what’s going on right now in Xinjiang, enjoy a new translation of a 16th-century fantasy novel or delve into contemporary short stories, 2021 has been another good year for books about China. Jeffrey Wasserstrom, Chancellor’s Professor of History at UC Irvine, recommends his favourite China books of 2021.
The Best African Novels, recommended by Blessing Musariri
“We are connected to the spirit and it’s an active connection. It’s not somewhere that’s only in the afterlife, it’s here in the present as well. That, I think, is endemic across all African cultures and traditions,” says Zimbabwean novelist and poet Blessing Musariri. Here she recommends some of the best African novels, books that had a big personal impact and have stayed with her.
The best books on Mississippi, recommended by Ralph Eubanks
Outsiders see Mississippi as a site of slavery and indigenous removal; but to write about Mississippi is to write about the United States as a whole—and its original sins, says Prof Ralph Eubanks, as he recommends five of the best books on Mississippi, the birthplace of the blues.
The best books on Modern French History, recommended by Richard Vinen
The social and political development of France has been strongly contested ever since the country finally became a republic for good in 1870. Here, Professor Richard Vinen of King’s College London recommends five books that will help you understand modern France, all written in a golden age of French historical writing.
Five of the Best Works of Belarusian Literature, recommended by Hanna Komar
Writers have been subject to persecution and repression in Belarus, and increasingly so in the aftermath of the protests that swept the nation in 2020 and 2021. Owning or distributing books deemed ‘extremist’ by the Lukashenko government can be enough to land you in jail. Here, the poet and activist Hanna Komar selects five of the best works of Belarusian literature that offer a glimpse of the culture and mindset of this post-Soviet nation, and the bravery of those who continue to fight for political freedom.
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The Habsburg Empire: A New History
by Pieter M. Judson -
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Political Radicalism in Late Imperial Vienna: Origins of the Christian Social Movement, 1848-1897
by John Boyer -
3
Fin-de-Siecle Vienna: Politics and Culture
by Carl E. Schorske -
4
Kidnapped Souls: National Indifference and the Battle for Children in the Bohemian Lands, 1900-1948
by Tara Zahra -
5
Danube: A Journey through the Landscape, History and Culture of Central Europe
by Claudio Magris
The best books on The Austro-Hungarian Empire, recommended by Jonathan Kwan
The best books on The Austro-Hungarian Empire, recommended by Jonathan Kwan
The Austro-Hungarian Empire is often viewed as unmanageable in its diversity, and its eventual collapse inevitable. But, as historian Jonathan Kwan explains, it was politically much more robust that people have given it credit for and its capital, Vienna, the most culturally vibrant place in Europe.
The best books on Angela Merkel, recommended by Tom Nuttall
For 16 years, as chancellor of Germany, Angela Merkel was the most powerful woman in the world. Here Tom Nuttall, the Economist’s Berlin bureau chief, talks us through books to help us understand her time in office, and explains how her East German upbringing influenced her style of governance.
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Ukraine and Russia: From Civilied Divorce to Uncivil War
by Paul D'Anieri -
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Ukraine: What Everyone Needs to Know
by Serhy Yekelchyk -
3
Ukraine’s Nuclear Disarmament: A History
by Yuri Kostenko -
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Ukraine in Histories and Stories: Essays by Ukrainian Intellectuals
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The Orphanage: A Novel
by Serhiy Zhadan
The best books on Ukraine and Russia, recommended by Serhii Plokhy
The best books on Ukraine and Russia, recommended by Serhii Plokhy
Thousands of people have been killed since 2014 in the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, in a war that has been rife with disinformation, misleading narratives and false flag operations. Here Serhii Plokhy, Professor of Ukrainian History at Harvard University, recommends books to better understand the conflict, from an introductory work by an eminent historian to the latest work of some of Ukraine’s leading novelists.
The Best Books for Learning French, recommended by Vincent Serrano-Guerra
In spite of all the online ads promising to teach you a new language in a matter of minutes, learning a language takes time and commitment—and motivation is critical. Here Vincent Serrano-Guerra, author of a book for learning French that focuses on the 20,000 words that are the same in French and English, explains how best to set about it and recommends some books that’ll also get you familiar with French culture.
Best West African Fantasy Books for Teenagers, recommended by Efua Traoré
Fantasy inspired by West Africa is taking the literary scene for teens and young adults by storm. These books have strong world-building and all the usual fantasy ingredients. At the same time, drawing on rich seams of mythology and magical traditions such as juju, they bring something entirely fresh to the genre. Author Efua Traoré talks us through her pick of West African fantasy novels for teenagers.
The Best of Contemporary Irish Fiction, recommended by Liz Nugent
Bestselling author Liz Nugent, whose latest novel Our Little Cruelties is out now, talks to Five Books about the Irish writers that have been taking the world by storm in recent years—as she selects five unmissable recent works of Irish contemporary fiction, including books by Anne Enright and Sebastian Barry.
The Best Vietnamese Novels, recommended by Sherry Buchanan
Vietnam has had a tumultuous history and its literature is one powerful way of trying to understand it better. Journalist, author and publisher Sherry Buchanan—who has spent two decades introducing Vietnam’s culture to English-speaking audiences—talks us through the best Vietnamese novels available in English, spanning the years from French colonialism to the 2016 Pulitzer Prize.
The best books on The US Cabinet, recommended by Lindsay Chervinsky
In contrast to many other countries, the secretaries who serve in the United States cabinet aren’t chosen from among the country’s elected officials but entirely reflect the president’s personal choices. Here, presidential historian Lindsay Chervinsky, author of The Cabinet: George Washington and the Creation of an American Institution, talks us through the role of the cabinet and recommends which books to read to understand more about it.
The best books on The Harlem Renaissance, recommended by William J. Maxwell
It was a golden age for American culture, a flourishing of Black literature, music and the arts that exploded in the 1910s and lasted through to the Great Depression. It was focused on Harlem, the area of New York City above Central Park, but its origins and its impact were much, much broader. William J. Maxwell, Professor of English and African American Studies at Washington University in St. Louis, recommends some of the best books on the Harlem Renaissance.
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Brexitland: Identity, Diversity and the Reshaping of British Politics
by Maria Sobolewska & Robert Ford -
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There's Nothing For You Here
by Fiona Hill -
3
Brexit and British Politics
by Anand Menon & Geoffrey Evans -
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Listen, Liberal: or Whatever Happened to the Party of the People?
by Thomas Frank -
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The British General Election of 2019
by Paula Surridge, Robert Ford, Tim Bale & Will Jennings
The best books on Brexit, recommended by Anand Menon
The best books on Brexit, recommended by Anand Menon
Brexit shook British politics in 2016 and, six years on, its long-term consequences both for the UK and for the European Union remain highly uncertain. Here political scientist and Brexit expert Anand Menon recommends books to help you understand Brexit, what caused it and why, and puts those trends in a wider global political context.
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Islam and the Foundations of Political Power
by Ali Abdel Razek -
2
The Muqaddimah
by Ibn Khaldun -
3
The Venture of Islam: Conscience and History in a World Civilization. Vol. 3: The Gunpowder Empires and Modern Times
by Marshall G.S. Hodgson -
4
Civil Islam: Muslims and Democratization in Indonesia
by Robert W. Hefner -
5
Muslims and the State in Britain, France, and Germany
by J. Christopher Soper & Joel S. Fetzer
The best books on Islam and the State, recommended by Ahmet T. Kuru
The best books on Islam and the State, recommended by Ahmet T. Kuru
It’s widely assumed that in the ideal Muslim society there is no separation between religion and the state, but even in some of the earliest caliphates, the secular and the religious were rarely as closely aligned as religious conservatives would have us believe. Here Ahmet T. Kuru, Professor of Political Science at San Diego State University, recommends books that help trace the historical relationship between Islam and the state—and points to strands of secularism that may hold the key to a happier relationship between Islam and liberal democracy.
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The Break-up of Britain
by Tom Nairn -
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Independence or Union: Scotland’s Past and Scotland’s Present
by Tom Devine -
3
The Scottish Question
by James Mitchell -
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The Case for Scottish Independence: A History of Nationalist Political Thought in Modern Scotland
by Ben Jackson -
5
Cinico: Travels with a Good Professor at the Time of the Scottish Referendum
by Allan Cameron
The best books on Scottish Nationalism, recommended by Murray Leith
The best books on Scottish Nationalism, recommended by Murray Leith
There has been a sharp rise in nationalist and pro-independence sentiment in Scotland since the resumption of the Scottish parliament in 1999. Here, the University of West Scotland political scientist Murray Leith reflects on the changing nature of Scottish identity and separatist visions, as he recommends five key books on Scottish nationalism.
The best books on Sri Lanka, recommended by Razeen Sally
Many visitors to Sri Lanka have been beguiled by its charms, from its hill towns to its beaches, its ancient temples to its friendly people. And yet, for a quarter of a century until 2009, it was torn apart by a brutal civil war. Here, Sri Lanka-born political economist Razeen Sally, author of Return to Sri Lanka: Travels in a Paradoxical Land, recommends the best books to get a better understanding of Sri Lanka and the complexities that make the country so fascinating to visit and read about.
The best books on Contemporary India, recommended by Kapil Komireddi
As the world’s biggest democracy, India could be an inspiring example of how a multiethnic, multilingual country with many different religions can come together to form a vibrant state with equality enshrined in its constitution. But all that is in danger of going down the drain, as the country transforms into a brutally exclusionary Hindu-supremacist state under the leadership of Narendra Modi, says Kapil Komireddi, essayist and author of Malevolent Republic: A Short History of the New India. Here, he talks us through how the country got to where it is now and recommends five books that present a “comprehensive picture” of contemporary India.
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Travelling While Black: Essays Inspired by a Life on the Move
by Nanjala Nyabola -
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The Next Great Migration: The Beauty and Terror of Life on the Move
by Sonia Shah -
3
Impossible Subjects: Illegal Aliens and the Making of Modern America
by Mae M. Ngai -
4
Border and Rule: Global Migration, Capitalism, and the Rise of Racist Nationalism
by Harsha Walia -
5
Hatemonger: Stephen Miller, Donald Trump, and the White Nationalist Agenda
by Jean Guerrero
The best books on Immigration and Race, recommended by Reece Jones
The best books on Immigration and Race, recommended by Reece Jones
In a series of books, Reece Jones, Professor in the Department of Geography and Environment at the University of Hawaii, has explored the impact of borders on our lives. In his latest book, White Borders, he delves into the history of immigration and race in the United States, and explains the connection between the two. Here, he recommends the best books he’s read on the topic and explains why he’s not optimistic about the future.
The best books on Mumbai, recommended by Saumya Roy
It’s one of the most densely populated, vibrant cities in the world, combining enormous wealth with dire poverty. It’s India’s financial and commercial capital, home to the glamour of Bollywood and the movie industry, but it has somehow managed to defy modernization. Saumya Roy, journalist, author and co-founder of a nonprofit that made loans to the city’s poorest entrepreneurs, recommends her favourite books on Mumbai (aka Bombay).
Landmarks of Scottish Literature, recommended by James Robertson
Scottish culture is best understood as related to, but distinct from, that of Britain or England, says the acclaimed novelist James Robertson. Here, he selects five landmark works of Scottish literature, from Sir Walter Scott’s sweeping, panoramic social novels of the 18th century, through Robert Louis Stevenson’s Jekyll and Hyde, to Nan Shepherd’s beloved nature writing.
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Russia in the Age of Catherine the Great
by Isabel de Madariaga -
2
Catherine the Great
by Simon Dixon -
3
Catherine the Great and Potemkin: The Imperial Love Affair
by Simon Sebag Montefiore -
4
Selected Letters of Catherine the Great
by Catherine the Great -
5
Working the Rough Stone: Freemasonry and Society in 18th Century Russia
by Douglas Smith
The best books on Catherine the Great, recommended by Andrei Zorin
The best books on Catherine the Great, recommended by Andrei Zorin
She was born in 1729 as Sophie of Anhalt-Zerbst, a German princess, but by 1762 had become Empress of All Russia and went on to rule for 34 years as Catherine II. She regarded herself as an enlightened despot who embraced the ideas of the Enlightenment and consorted with the French philosophes. Russian historian Andrei Zorin introduces the remarkably industrious and able politician who is remembered as Catherine the Great.
The best books on Boudica, recommended by Richard Hingley
Boudica was an Iron Age queen who led her people into rebellion against Roman rule in the province of Britannia. She was defeated, but only after she had burned several towns, including London, to the ground. Here Richard Hingley, Professor of Archaeology at Durham University, explains how to sift the truth from the myth, and why Boudica has remained an enduring source of fascination down the centuries.
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The Proof of the Honey
by Salwa Al Neimi and Carol Perkins (translator) -
2
In the Eye of the Sun
by Ahdaf Soueif -
3
The Affair
by Ghita El Khayat & Robert Thompson (translator) -
4
Classical Poems by Arab Women: A Bilingual Anthology
by Abdullah al-Udhari (editor) -
5
I Sweep the Sun Off Rooftops
by Hanan al-Shaykh
Erotic Writing by Arab Women, recommended by Selma Dabbagh
Erotic Writing by Arab Women, recommended by Selma Dabbagh
Arab women have been writing erotic literature for millennia and have become more creative and daring in recent years in the wake of the Arab Spring and the spread of social media, says novelist Selma Dabbagh, editor of a new anthology, We Wrote in Symbols: Love and Lust by Arab Women Writers. Here, she picks five key examples of erotic writing by women of the region.
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The Malay Archipelago
by Alfred Russel Wallace -
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The Gay Archipelago: Sexuality and Nation in Indonesia
by Tom Boellstorff -
3
Twilight in Jakarta
by Claire Holt and John McGlynn (translators) & Mochtar Lubis -
4
Beauty is a Wound
by Annie Tucker (translator) & Eka Kurniawan -
5
Rimbaud in Java: The Lost Voyage
by Jamie James
The best books on Indonesia, recommended by Krithika Varagur
The best books on Indonesia, recommended by Krithika Varagur
It’s a beautiful nation of islands with staggering levels of biodiversity. It’s also home to more than a quarter of a billion people, many of them Muslim. And yet, it gets little regular coverage in the western media. Krithika Varagur, journalist and author of The Call, talks us through the books that most inspired and informed her as she reported on Indonesia.
The best books on The Middle East, recommended by Fawaz A. Gerges
The Middle East has been and still is much misunderstood. Here Fawaz A. Gerges, a professor and Middle Eastern specialist at London School of Economics, recommends five pioneering works of history and social science that will help you to understand the evolution of the region’s society and politics.
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The Unbound Prometheus: Technological Change and Industrial Development in Western Europe from 1750 to the Present
by David S. Landes -
2
Growth Recurring: Economic Change in World History
by Eric Jones -
3
The British Industrial Revolution in Global Perspective
by Robert C. Allen -
4
The Enlightened Economy: An Economic History of Britain 1700–1850
by Joel Mokyr -
5
Forging Ahead, Falling Behind and Fighting Back: British Economic Growth from the Industrial Revolution to the Financial Crisis
by Nicholas Crafts
The best books on Industrial Revolution, recommended by Sheilagh Ogilvie
The best books on Industrial Revolution, recommended by Sheilagh Ogilvie
The Industrial Revolution transformed the world forever by enabling self-perpetuating economic growth. But historians are still at odds about why the industrial revolution happened where it did and when it did. Here, Sheilagh Ogilvie, Chichele Professor of Economic History at All Souls College, Oxford, guides us through the debates and why they are still relevant today.
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Chinese Hegemony: Grand Strategy and International Institutions in East Asian History
by Feng Zhang -
2
Sacred Mandates: Asian International Relations since Chinggis Khan
by Timothy Brook (ed.) -
3
The Annals of King T'aejo: Founder of Korea's Choson Dynasty
by Choi Byonghyon -
4
Tradition, Treaties, and Trade: Qing Imperialism and Choson Korea, 1850-1910
by Kirk W. Larsen -
5
Cold War Crucible: The Korean Conflict and the Postwar World
by masuda hajimu
The best books on China Korea Relations, recommended by Odd Arne Westad
The best books on China Korea Relations, recommended by Odd Arne Westad
China has had close political and cultural relations with Korea for centuries and the history of that relationship can shed light on China’s approach to international relations more broadly—including in its imperial past. Yale historian Odd Arne Westad recommends the best books on China, Korea and the relationship between them.
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Dreaming of Gold, Dreaming of Home
by Madeline Hsu -
2
American Sutra
by Duncan Williams -
3
Empire of Care: Nursing and Migration in Filipino American History
by Catherine Ceniza Choy -
4
Bengali Harlem and the Lost Histories of South Asian America
by Vivek Bald -
5
The Color of Success: Asian Americans and the Origins of the Model Minority
by Ellen Wu
The best books on Asian American History, recommended by Melissa Borja
The best books on Asian American History, recommended by Melissa Borja
Anti-Asian incidents in America are bringing overdue attention to the history of Asian Americans. University of Michigan Professor Melissa Borja recommends five books that illuminate the understudied history of Asian Americans, explain the connection to empire and shine a spotlight on this “coalitional identity.”
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Lovesick Japan: Sex, Marriage, Romance, Law
by Mark D West -
2
Nightwork: Sexuality, Pleasure and Corporate Masculinity in a Tokyo Hostess Club
by Anne Allison -
3
Dancing with the Dead: Memory, Performance in Everyday Life in Post-war Okinawa
by Christopher T Nelson -
4
Robo Sapiens Japanicus: Robots, Gender, Family, and the Japanese Nation
by Jennifer Robertson -
5
Depression in Japan: Psychiatric Cures for a Society in Distress
by Junko Kitanaka
The best books on Japan, recommended by Chigusa Yamaura
The best books on Japan, recommended by Chigusa Yamaura
Japan is one of the world’s most technologically advanced industrial societies, but it is organised around very conservative social and familial paradigms, says the Japanese sociocultural anthropologist Chigusa Yamaura. Here she selects five books that throw light on a fascinating country and culture.
The best books on American Film, recommended by Mark Harris
Five fantastic books on American film, selected by Mark Harris, bestselling author of Mike Nichols: A Life, who explains how “movies can reflect what’s going on in American society—sometimes anticipate it, sometimes fall behind it, sometimes lead it, and sometimes change it.”
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Notebook of a Return to the Native Land
by Aimé Césaire -
2
A Dying Colonialism
by Frantz Fanon -
3
I, Tituba, Black Witch of Salem
by Maryse Condé -
4
Maps: A Novel
by Nuruddin Farah -
5
Can the Subaltern Speak?: Reflections on the History of an Idea
ed. Rosalind Morris, original essay by Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak
The Best Postcolonial Literature, recommended by Anjuli Fatima Raza Kolb
The Best Postcolonial Literature, recommended by Anjuli Fatima Raza Kolb
Postcolonial literature brings together writings from formerly colonised territories, allowing commonalities across disparate cultures to be identified and examined. Here, the University of Toronto academic Anjuli Fatima Raza Kolb recommends five key works that explore philosophical and political questions through allegory, personal reflection and powerful polemic.
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The Stamp Act Crisis: Prologue to Revolution
by Edmund Morgan & Helen Morgan -
2
The Marketplace of Revolution: How Consumer Politics Shaped American Independence
by T.H. Breen -
3
The Ideological Origins of the American Revolution
by Bernard Bailyn -
4
The Radicalism of the American Revolution
by Gordon S. Wood -
5
The Will of the People: The Revolutionary Birth of America
by T.H. Breen
The Best Books on the American Revolution, recommended by T.H. Breen
The Best Books on the American Revolution, recommended by T.H. Breen
The American Revolution began as a war for independence but, by its end, the war had transformed the thirteen colonies into a republic. Historian T.H. Breen recommends the best books which relay the revolutionary impact of the American War of Independence.
The Best Black British Writers, recommended by Jacqueline Roy
Black British writers have been storming the bestseller charts in the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests. Here, Jacqueline Roy—the novelist and lecturer in Black literature—selects five of the best books by Black British writers that deserve more attention.
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Golden Trade of the Moors: West African Kingdoms in the Fourteenth Century
by E.W. Bovill -
2
Ancient Ghana and Mali
by Nehemiah Levtzion -
3
Social History of Timbuktu: The Role of Muslim Scholars and Notables 1400-1900
by Elias Saad -
4
Sunjata: A West African Epic of the Mande Peoples
by David C. Conrad -
5
Timbuktu and the Songhay Empire: Al-Sa'di's Ta'rikh Al-Sudan down to 1613 and Other Contemporary Documents
by John Hunwick
The best books on The Ghana, Mali and Songhai African Empires, recommended by Michael Gomez
The best books on The Ghana, Mali and Songhai African Empires, recommended by Michael Gomez
Long before the Europeans arrived in the 16th and 17th centuries, sub-Saharan West Africa saw the emergence of a series of African empires that lasted for centuries and stretched over vast swathes of the continent. They were known as the Ghana, Mali and Songhai Empires. Here, historian Michael Gomez discusses what led to their greatness, what sustained them and why they fell.
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Discourses on Livy
by Niccolo Machiavelli, trans. Harvey Mansfield and Nathan Tarcov -
2
The New Science of Giambattista Vico: Unabridged Translation of the Third Edition (1744)
by Giambattista Vico, trans. Max Harold Fisch and Thomas Goddard Bergin -
3
The History of European Liberalism
by Guido De Ruggiero, trans. R. G. Collingwood -
4
Prison Notebooks
by Antonio Gramsci, trans. Joseph A. Buttigieg and Antonio Callari -
5
Liberalism and Democracy
by Norberto Bobbio, trans. Martin Ryle and Kate Soper
The best books on Italian Political Philosophy, recommended by Guglielmo Verdirame
The best books on Italian Political Philosophy, recommended by Guglielmo Verdirame
Italy has a rich tradition of political philosophy, producing a number of thinkers with both practical experience and a cosmopolitan outlook. Here Guglielmo Verdirame, Professor of International Law at King’s College London, talks us through the five most important Italian political philosophers, and the best books to read to understand their work.
The Best Goethe Books, recommended by David E. Wellbery
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832) has been described as ‘the last true polymath to walk the earth’. A defining figure in German literature, Goethe coined the concept of world literature. And his literary and dramatic achievements are matched by his scientific work. David E. Wellbery, Professor of Germanic Studies at the University of Chicago and recipient of the Golden Goethe Medal, introduces us to the life and work of Goethe. He explores why figures such as Beethoven and Napoleon were magnetised to him, how Rousseau influenced Faust, and why Goethe’s Faust does not sell his soul to the devil.
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Lincoln on the Verge: Thirteen Days to Washington
by Ted Widmer -
2
Lincoln's Sword: The Presidency and the Power of Words
by Douglas L Wilson -
3
Lincoln at Gettysburg: The Words that Remade America
by Garry Wills -
4
Emancipating Lincoln: The Proclamation in Text, Context, and Memory
by Harold Holzer -
5
They Knew Lincoln
by John E Washington
The best books on Abraham Lincoln, recommended by Ted Widmer
The best books on Abraham Lincoln, recommended by Ted Widmer
He came from humble beginnings and never went to high school. Going into the presidency, he had limited political experience and lacked business, legislative and military achievements. The one thing he did not lack was a moral compass, says historian and author Ted Widmer. He picks the best books on the ups and downs and Shakespearean-style plot twists that were the life of Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States.
The Best Fyodor Dostoevsky Books, recommended by Alex Christofi
His father had clawed his way up into the minor aristocracy, but Fyodor Dostoevsky chose to live the life of an impecunious author. He was sentenced to death, but his execution was stayed and he spent years in a Siberian labour camp instead. His books are about human compassion, but he was a difficult man who had trouble with his own personal relationships. Alex Christofi, author of a brilliant new biography of Dostoevsky, one of Russia’s greatest novelists, recommends five books to learn more about the man and his work—including the novel of which Tolstoy said he ‘didn’t know a better book in all our literature’.
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No Man's Land: Jamaican Guestworkers in America and the Global History of Deportable Labor
by Cindy Hahamovitch -
2
Defiant Braceros: How Migrant Workers Fought for Racial, Sexual, and Political Freedom
by Mireya Loza -
3
Managed Migrations: Growers, Farmworkers, and Border Enforcement in the Twentieth Century
by Cristina Salinas -
4
Migrant Citizenship: Race, Rights, and Reform in the U.S. Farm Labor Camp Program
by Verónica Martínez-Matsuda -
5
The Nature of California: Race, Citizenship, and Farming since the Dust Bowl
by Sarah Wald
The best books on Migrant Workers, recommended by Mireya Loza
The best books on Migrant Workers, recommended by Mireya Loza
American society and American history marginalized migrant workers for too long. New scholarship shows that migrant workers were central to America’s cultural and economic development. Mireya Loza, a historian at Georgetown University and author of Defiant Braceros, talks us through the best books about migrant workers—and why their stories are integral to understanding the past and present of United States.
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Life of Galileo
by Bertolt Brecht -
2
Galileo’s Telescope: A European Story
by Franco Giudice, Massimo Bucciantini and Michele Camerota, translated by Catherine Bolton -
3
Letters to Father: Sister Maria Celeste to Galileo
by Suor Maria Celeste (Virginia Galilei) and Dava Sobel (editor and translator) -
4
On Trial for Reason: Science, Religion, and Culture in the Galileo Affair
by Maurice A. Finocchiaro -
5
Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems
by Galileo Galilei & Stillman Drake (trans.)
The best books on Galileo Galilei, recommended by Paula Findlen
The best books on Galileo Galilei, recommended by Paula Findlen
The trial of Galileo by the Roman Inquisition was one of the most public confrontations between the new science emerging in the 17th century and the Catholic Church but, nearly 400 years later, there’s still a lot of scope to argue what it was about. Here historian of science Paula Findlen, a professor at Stanford University, explains the endless fascination of Galileo Galilei, the Renaissance man who turned a telescope to the sky and took the world by storm, and recommends the best books to start learning more about him.
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1
Tante Jolesch or the Decline of the West in Anecdotes
by Friedrich Torberg & Maria Poglitsch Bauer (translator) -
2
The Road into the Open
by Arthur Schnitzler & Roger Byers (translator) -
3
The Radetzky March
by Joseph Roth -
4
The World of Yesterday
by Stefan Zweig & Anthea Bell (translator) -
5
Last Waltz in Vienna
by George Clare
The best books on Jewish Vienna, recommended by Brigid Grauman
The best books on Jewish Vienna, recommended by Brigid Grauman
In the late 19th and early 20th century, Vienna had a vibrant intellectual and cultural life, embraced and at times led by key figures in its large Jewish community. All that would disappear with the rise of anti-Semitism and the Anschluss. Many Jews fled or committed suicide. Others were deported to concentration camps. After the war some went back, but Vienna would never be the same. Here Brigid Grauman, whose father’s family were assimilated Jews from Vienna, recommends books that evoke that poignant, tragic period that ended with World War II.
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1
The Expressiveness of the Body and the Divergence of Greek and Chinese Medicine
by Shigehisa Kuriyama -
2
The Gospel of Germs
by Nancy Tomes -
3
The Cholera Years: The United States in 1832, 1849, and 1866
by Charles Rosenberg -
4
Medical Bondage: Race, Gender, and the Origins of American Gynecology
by Deirdre Cooper Owens -
5
The Cigarette Century: The Rise, Fall, and Deadly Persistence of the Product That Defined America
by Allan Brandt
Best History of Medicine Books, recommended by Keith Wailoo
Best History of Medicine Books, recommended by Keith Wailoo
The history of medicine is not just the story of life-saving discoveries, it’s also about how medical advances interact with the society from which they emerge. Here Professor Keith Wailoo, a historian of medicine and public health at Princeton University, recommends books that shed light on the social history of medicine, especially in the United States.
The best books on Sparta, recommended by Andrew Bayliss
Their reputation for self-discipline and self-denial made their way into the English language, but what the ancient Spartans were really like remains a source of debate among scholars, not least because they wrote little themselves. Andrew Bayliss, Senior Lecturer in Greek History at the University of Birmingham and author of an excellent, short book on The Spartans, talks us through what we know about the heroes of Thermopylae, including the darker sides of their culture and society.