Support Us
 
Search
MENUMENU
  • Nonfiction
        • Art
          • Architecture
          • Art History
          • Design & Illustration
          • Fashion & Style
          • Modern and Contemporary Art
          • Photography
        • Business
          • How to Invest
          • Leadership
          • Marketing
        • Economics
          • Behavioural Economics
          • Development Economics
          • Economic History
          • Finance
          • Financial Crisis
          • Globalisation & Inequality
          • World Economies
        • Environment
          • Climate Change
          • Environmental Ethics
        • Food & Cooking
          • The Best Cookbooks
          • Food & History of Food
          • Wine & Drinks
        • Health & Lifestyle
          • Death & Dying
          • Education
          • Family & Relationships
          • Happiness
          • Sex & Sexuality
        • History Books
          • American History
          • Ancient History (up to 500)
          • Modern History (1800-1945)
          • History of Science
          • Historical Figures
          • Military History
        • Language
          • Grammar & Punctuation
          • Learning Languages
          • Linguistics
        • Law
        • Literary Nonfiction
          • Biography
          • Essays
          • Memoir
          • Artists' Biographies
          • Travel
          • True Crime
        • Music & Drama
          • Classical Music & Opera
          • Film & Cinema
          • Music
          • Theatre
        • Nature
          • Dinosaurs & the Prehistoric World
          • The Earth
          • Plants, Trees & Flowers
        • Philosophy
          • Ancient Philosophy
          • Ethics & Moral Philosophy
          • Great Philosophers
          • Social & Political Philosophy
        • Politics & Society
          • War
          • Feminism
          • Foreign Policy & International Relations
          • Human Rights
          • Terrorism
        • Psychology
          • Mental Health
          • Neuroscience
          • Psychoanalysis
          • Psychology Research
          • Self Help
        • Religion
          • Best Atheist Books
          • Buddhism
          • Christian
          • Islamic
          • Jewish
          • Religious History
        • Science
          • Astronomy
          • Biology
          • Geoscience
          • Maths & Statistics
          • Moon Landing
          • Popular Science
          • Physics
        • Sports, Games & Hobbies
          • Football (Soccer)
          • Gardening
          • Hobbies
          • Sport & Sporting Culture
        • Technology
          • Artificial Intelligence
          • Computing
          • Digital Age
          • History of Technology
          • Internet
  • Fiction & Literature
        • Classic English Literature
        • American Literature
        • World Literature
        • Literary Criticism
        • Literary Figures
        • Classical Studies
        • Contemporary Fiction
          • NEW Fiction
        • Poetry
        • Memoir
        • Comics & Graphic Novels
        • Fairy Tales & Mythology
        • Historical Fiction
        • Horror
        • Humour
        • Crime Novels
        • Science Fiction
        • Short Stories
        • Romance
        • Thrillers
        • Mystery
        • Fantasy
  • World
        • Africa
          • Egypt
          • Ghana
          • Nigeria
          • Rwanda
          • South Africa
          • Zimbabwe
        • Americas
          • Latin America
            • Argentina
            • Brazil
            • Chile
            • Cuba
            • Mexico
          • United States
          • Canada
        • Arctic & Antarctica
        • Asia
          • Afghanistan
          • Burma
          • China
          • India
          • Japan
          • Korea
          • Pakistan
          • Bangladesh
          • Sri Lanka
          • Singapore
          • Vietnam
        • Australia
        • Europe
          • Belgium
          • Britain
          • France
          • Germany
          • Greece
          • Ireland
          • Italy
          • Netherlands
          • Norway
          • Spain
        • Middle East
          • Iran
          • Iraq
          • Israel
          • Syria
          • Turkey
          • Yemen
        • Russia & FSU
          • Azerbaijan
          • Georgia
          • Russia
          • Ukraine
  • Kids
        • Best New Kids' Books
        • Prizewinning Kids' Books
        • High School Teachers Recommend Books by Subject
        • Best Audiobooks for Kids
        • Novels & Novelists
        • Books for Teens and Young Adults
        • Ages 9-12
        • Ages 6-8
        • Ages 3-5
        • Kids Recommend Books for Kids
        • Economics
        • Environment
        • Family
        • Mental Health
        • Science
  • Best Books of 2020
        • Politics
        • Biography
        • Memoirs and Autobiography
        • Cookbooks
        • Business
        • Philosophy
        • Fiction
          • Crime Fiction
          • Science Fiction
          • Historical Fiction
          • Romance
          • Mysteries
          • Thrillers
        • Nonfiction
        • Art
        • Economics
        • History
        • Science
        • Self Help
        • Audiobooks
        • Poetry
        • Kids' Books
        • Kids' Science
  • New Books
  • Audiobooks
    • Actors Read Great Books
    • Best Audiobooks for Kids
    • Books Narrated by Their Authors
    • Best Audiobook Thrillers
    • Best History Audiobooks
  • Book Awards
    • Booker Prize
    • Baillie Gifford Prize
    • Royal Society
    • Wolfson Prize
    • Walter Scott Prize
    • Arthur C Clarke Prize
    • Audie Awards
    • Nobel Prize
  • Experts

World » Americas

Most Recommended Books

The Looming Tower by Lawrence Wright

The Looming Tower by Lawrence Wright

“Reading this one book gives you an excellent grasp of the human story and the context from which al-Qaeda emerged.”

Audrey Kurth Cronin, Political Scientist

Read more

Winner-Take-All Politics by Jacob S Hacker and Paul Pierson

“This book is about rising inequality and it traces back to fundamental causes. I like books that get back to ultimate causes and that think like social scientists about these causes. The question is, ‘Why is inequality getting worse in so many different countries?’ This book particularly focuses on the US. There are a number of traditional answers, but the most prominent among them is this idea that in a modern economy there is a skill bias in technical change. Our computers and communications have led to a winner-take-all society, where only the really smart can make money.”

Robert J Shiller, Economist

Read more

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

“This was first published in 1939 while the US was still grappling with the Depression, and what is brilliant about it is that it reveals that economic problems can’t just be dealt with through some wave of the free-market magic wand. It’s a very harrowing read, of course.”

Stephen D King, Economist

Read more

This Time Is Different by Carmen Reinhart & Kenneth Rogoff

“They…took an enormous amount of time to put together datasets that allow us to look back eight centuries and ask, quantitatively, whether there are any common denominators to financial crises. And the not-surprising answer is, ‘Yes, absolutely.’”

Andrew W Lo, Economist

Read more

A Monetary History of the United States, 1867-1960 by Milton Friedman and Anna Schwartz

“When we look at the monetary history of the United States and ask whether, during those times, the central bank looked anything like it does now, the answer is ‘no’. It’s a book that addresses why that was”

Ricardo Reis,

Read more

Browse book recommendations:

Americas

  • Canada
  • Latin America
  • United States

World

  • Africa
  • Americas
  • Arctic & Antarctica
  • Asia
  • Australia
  • Cities
  • Europe

We have a vast range of interviews on both South America and North America. On Latin America we have interviews dedicated to a number of countries, including Chile, Brazil, Argentina, Cuba, Mexico. We also have interviews looking at the rise of Latin America, on Latin American novels, Latin American history and Latin American politics.

There are a range of interviews focused on political and cultural issues across the continent. William LeoGrande chooses his best books on US relations with Latin America, Bernard Bailyn looks at Atlantic history and Johann Hari chooses his best books on the war on drugs. Ruth Gomberg-Munoz looks at America’s undocumented workers.

Our coverage of North America spans from individual cities to its role in the world. We have experts choosing their best books on Quebec, Boston, New York City, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Texas, the American West, the American desert, New Orleans and Hollywood. There are interviews on American poetry, American food and American English. There are books on the history of American women and Communism in America.

On the international role of the United States, we have interviews on US Foreign policy, American imperialism, US interventionism, drone warfare, US militarism, the US intelligence services, Egypt and America, understanding the war in Afghanistan and many more. Among our interviews related to United States domestic politics are ones on lobbying, the US constitution, how Americans vote, Supreme Court of the United Sates (SCOTUS) justices, the politics of policymaking, race and American policing and many more.

There are equally varied interviews on the American economy, including interviews on American economic history, the financial crisis and lessons of the Great Depression, to name a few.

    The best books on Abraham Lincoln, recommended by Ted Widmer

  • Read
    The best books on Abraham Lincoln - Lincoln on the Verge: Thirteen Days to Washington by Ted Widmer

    1

    Lincoln on the Verge: Thirteen Days to Washington
    by Ted Widmer

  • Read
    The best books on Abraham Lincoln - Lincoln's Sword: The Presidency and the Power of Words by Douglas L Wilson

    2

    Lincoln's Sword: The Presidency and the Power of Words
    by Douglas L Wilson

  • Read
    The best books on Abraham Lincoln - Lincoln at Gettysburg: The Words that Remade America by Garry Wills

    3

    Lincoln at Gettysburg: The Words that Remade America
    by Garry Wills

  • Read
    The best books on Abraham Lincoln - Emancipating Lincoln: The Proclamation in Text, Context, and Memory by Harold Holzer

    4

    Emancipating Lincoln: The Proclamation in Text, Context, and Memory
    by Harold Holzer

  • Read
    The best books on Abraham Lincoln - They Knew Lincoln by John E Washington

    5

    They Knew Lincoln
    by John E Washington

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 books on Migrant Workers, recommended by Mireya Loza

  • Read
    The best books on Migrant Workers - No Man's Land: Jamaican Guestworkers in America and the Global History of Deportable Labor by Cindy Hahamovitch

    1

    No Man's Land: Jamaican Guestworkers in America and the Global History of Deportable Labor
    by Cindy Hahamovitch

  • Read
    The best books on Migrant Workers - Defiant Braceros: How Migrant Workers Fought for Racial, Sexual, and Political Freedom by Mireya Loza

    2

    Defiant Braceros: How Migrant Workers Fought for Racial, Sexual, and Political Freedom
    by Mireya Loza

  • Read
    The best books on Migrant Workers - Managed Migrations: Growers, Farmworkers, and Border Enforcement in the Twentieth Century by Cristina Salinas

    3

    Managed Migrations: Growers, Farmworkers, and Border Enforcement in the Twentieth Century
    by Cristina Salinas

  • Read
    The best books on Migrant Workers - Migrant Citizenship: Race, Rights, and Reform in the U.S. Farm Labor Camp Program by Verónica Martínez-Matsuda

    4

    Migrant Citizenship: Race, Rights, and Reform in the U.S. Farm Labor Camp Program
    by Verónica Martínez-Matsuda

  • Read
    The best books on Migrant Workers - The Nature of California: Race, Citizenship, and Farming since the Dust Bowl by Sarah Wald

    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

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.  

    The best books on Veterans, recommended by Phil Klay

  • Read
    The best books on Veterans - The Radetzky March by Joseph Roth & Michael Hofmann (translator)

    1

    The Radetzky March
    by Joseph Roth & Michael Hofmann (translator)

  • Read
    The best books on Veterans - A Grain of Wheat by Ngugi wa Thiong'o

    2

    A Grain of Wheat
    by Ngugi wa Thiong'o

  • Read
    The best books on Veterans - Station Island by Seamus Heaney

    3

    Station Island
    by Seamus Heaney

  • Read
    The best books on Veterans - Native Guard by Natasha Trethewey

    4

    Native Guard
    by Natasha Trethewey

  • Read
    The best books on Veterans - Empire City by Matt Gallagher

    5

    Empire City
    by Matt Gallagher

The best books on Veterans, recommended by Phil Klay

While many of us in the West commemorate the contribution of war veterans and the soldiers who lost their lives on our behalf, there’s also a tendency to see war as something distant and unconnected with our daily lives. Here Phil Klay, veteran of the US Marine Corps and award-winning novelist, recommends books that help bridge that gap—and capture the complicated relationship between soldiers and the societies on whose behalf they fight.

    The best books on Ruth Bader Ginsburg, recommended by Amanda Tyler

  • Read
    The best books on Ruth Bader Ginsburg - My Own Words by Mary Hartnett, Ruth Bader Ginsburg & Wendy W. Williams

    1

    My Own Words
    by Mary Hartnett, Ruth Bader Ginsburg & Wendy W. Williams

  • Read
    The best books on Ruth Bader Ginsburg - Conversations with RBG: Ruth Bader Ginsburg on Life, Love, Liberty, and Law by Jeffrey Rosen

    2

    Conversations with RBG: Ruth Bader Ginsburg on Life, Love, Liberty, and Law
    by Jeffrey Rosen

  • Read
    The best books on Ruth Bader Ginsburg - I Dissent: Ruth Bader Ginsburg Makes Her Mark by Debbie Levy & Elizabeth Baddeley (illustrator)

    3

    I Dissent: Ruth Bader Ginsburg Makes Her Mark
    by Debbie Levy & Elizabeth Baddeley (illustrator)

  • Read
    The best books on Ruth Bader Ginsburg - The RBG Workout: How She Stays Strong . . . and You Can Too! by Bryant Johnson

    4

    The RBG Workout: How She Stays Strong . . . and You Can Too!
    by Bryant Johnson

  • Read
    The best books on Ruth Bader Ginsburg - Justice, Justice Thou Shalt Pursue by Amanda Tyler & Ruth Bader Ginsburg

    5

    Justice, Justice Thou Shalt Pursue
    by Amanda Tyler & Ruth Bader Ginsburg

The best books on Ruth Bader Ginsburg, recommended by Amanda Tyler

Ruth Bader Ginsburg (1933—2020) spent her life working tirelessly for a more just society, says Amanda Tyler, Shannon C. Turner Professor of Law at Berkeley and former law clerk to the Supreme Court Justice. She recommends the best books to read about RBG: her life, her work, and even her personal training regime.

    The best books on The Supreme Court of the United States, recommended by Michael Klarman

  • Read
    The best books on The Supreme Court of the United States - The American Supreme Court by Robert G. McCloskey

    1

    The American Supreme Court
    by Robert G. McCloskey

  • Read
    The best books on The Supreme Court of the United States - John Marshall and the Heroic Age of the Supreme Court by R. Kent Newmyer

    2

    John Marshall and the Heroic Age of the Supreme Court
    by R. Kent Newmyer

  • Read
    The best books on The Supreme Court of the United States - Supreme Court Justice Joseph Story: Statesman of the Old Republic by R. Kent Newmyer

    3

    Supreme Court Justice Joseph Story: Statesman of the Old Republic
    by R. Kent Newmyer

  • Read
    The best books on The Supreme Court of the United States - The Dred Scott Case by Don Fehrenbacher

    4

    The Dred Scott Case
    by Don Fehrenbacher

  • Read
    The best books on The Supreme Court of the United States - Simple Justice: The History of Brown v. Board of Education and Black America's Struggle for Equality by Richard Kluger

    5

    Simple Justice: The History of Brown v. Board of Education and Black America's Struggle for Equality
    by Richard Kluger

  • Read
    The best books on The Supreme Court of the United States - Justice Lewis F. Powell: A Biography by John Jeffries

    6

    Justice Lewis F. Powell: A Biography
    by John Jeffries

The best books on The Supreme Court of the United States, recommended by Michael Klarman

It may be nice to think of America’s Supreme Court justices as neutral interpreters of the law, but the reality is that they are a reflection of the cultural and historical moment in which they operate. Legal scholar and author Michael Klarman, Kirkland & Ellis Professor at Harvard Law School, recommends the best books to learn more about the Supreme Court of the United States and its history.

    The best books on The First Amendment, recommended by Suzanne Nossel

  • Read
    The best books on The First Amendment - The Soul of the First Amendment by Floyd Abrams

    1

    The Soul of the First Amendment
    by Floyd Abrams

  • Read
    The best books on The First Amendment - The Free Speech Century by Geoffrey R. Stone (Editor) & Lee C. Bollinger (Editor)

    2

    The Free Speech Century
    by Geoffrey R. Stone (Editor) & Lee C. Bollinger (Editor)

  • Read
    The best books on The First Amendment - Words That Wound: Critical Race Theory, Assaultive Speech, And The First Amendment by Charles R. Lawrence III, Kimberlè Williams Crenshaw, Mari J. Matsuda & Richard Delgado

    3

    Words That Wound: Critical Race Theory, Assaultive Speech, And The First Amendment
    by Charles R. Lawrence III, Kimberlè Williams Crenshaw, Mari J. Matsuda & Richard Delgado

  • Read
    The best books on The First Amendment - Speech Police: The Global Struggle to Govern the Internet by David Kaye

    4

    Speech Police: The Global Struggle to Govern the Internet
    by David Kaye

  • Read
    The best books on The First Amendment - Dare to Speak: Defending Free Speech for All by Suzanne Nossel

    5

    Dare to Speak: Defending Free Speech for All
    by Suzanne Nossel

The best books on The First Amendment, recommended by Suzanne Nossel

Frequently appealed to, less frequently understood, and by no means a free pass to say or write whatever you feel like: Suzanne Nossel, chief executive of PEN America, the nonprofit dedicated to free expression, talks us through the best books to better understand America's venerated First Amendment.

    The Best Movies about Race, recommended by Greg Garrett

  • Read
    The Best Movies about Race - Gone with the Wind (Movie) by Victor Fleming (director)

    1

    Gone with the Wind (Movie)
    by Victor Fleming (director)

  • Read
    The Best Movies about Race - In the Heat of the Night (Movie) by Norman Jewison (director)

    2

    In the Heat of the Night (Movie)
    by Norman Jewison (director)

  • Read
    The Best Movies about Race - Do the Right Thing (Movie) by Spike Lee (director)

    3

    Do the Right Thing (Movie)
    by Spike Lee (director)

  • Read
    The Best Movies about Race - 12 Years a Slave (Movie) by Steve McQueen (director)

    4

    12 Years a Slave (Movie)
    by Steve McQueen (director)

  • Read
    The Best Movies about Race - Get Out (Movie) by Jordan Peele (director)

    5

    Get Out (Movie)
    by Jordan Peele (director)

The Best Movies about Race, recommended by Greg Garrett

Movies are a big part of American cultural life and also one of the country’s biggest cultural exports. As a result, movies play an important role in how Americans see themselves, including in attitudes to race. Here Professor Greg Garrett of Baylor University—film historian, cultural theologian and author of A Long, Long Way: Hollywood’s Unfinished Journey from Racism to Reconciliation—talks us through five movies that best illustrate how Hollywood has evolved in terms of race over the past century, from Gone with the Wind to Get Out.

    The best books on National Security, recommended by Juliette Kayyem

  • Read
    The best books on National Security - A Bright Shining Lie: John Paul Vann and America in Vietnam by Neil Sheehan

    1

    A Bright Shining Lie: John Paul Vann and America in Vietnam
    by Neil Sheehan

  • Read
    The best books on National Security - Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mount Everest Disaster by Jon Krakauer

    2

    Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mount Everest Disaster
    by Jon Krakauer

  • Read
    The best books on National Security - Five Days at Memorial: Life and Death in a Storm-Ravaged Hospital by Sheri Fink

    3

    Five Days at Memorial: Life and Death in a Storm-Ravaged Hospital
    by Sheri Fink

  • Read
    The best books on National Security - The Hot Zone: The Chilling True Story of an Ebola Outbreak by Richard Preston

    4

    The Hot Zone: The Chilling True Story of an Ebola Outbreak
    by Richard Preston

  • Read
    The best books on National Security - The Submission by Amy Waldman

    5

    The Submission
    by Amy Waldman

The best books on National Security, recommended by Juliette Kayyem

National security isn’t just about foreign policy and counterterrorism, but has a broad set of concerns—including climate change, national disasters and pandemics. Juliette Kayyem, Senior Lecturer in International Security at Harvard and author of Security Mom, recommends books to get us all thinking about national security and the challenges we face.

    The Best Books for Juneteenth, recommended by Barbara Krauthamer

  • Read
    The Best Books for Juneteenth - Festivals of Freedom: Memory and Meaning in African American Emancipation Celebrations, 1808-1915 by Mitch Kachun

    1

    Festivals of Freedom: Memory and Meaning in African American Emancipation Celebrations, 1808-1915
    by Mitch Kachun

  • Read
    The Best Books for Juneteenth - Envisioning Emancipation: Black Americans and the End of Slavery by Barbara Krauthamer & Deborah Willis

    2

    Envisioning Emancipation: Black Americans and the End of Slavery
    by Barbara Krauthamer & Deborah Willis

  • Read
    The Best Books for Juneteenth - Closer to Freedom: Enslaved Women and Everyday Resistance in the Plantation South by Stephanie Camp

    3

    Closer to Freedom: Enslaved Women and Everyday Resistance in the Plantation South
    by Stephanie Camp

  • Read
    The Best Books for Juneteenth - To 'Joy My Freedom: Southern Black Women's Lives and Labors after the Civil War by Tera Hunter

    4

    To 'Joy My Freedom: Southern Black Women's Lives and Labors after the Civil War
    by Tera Hunter

  • Read
    The Best Books for Juneteenth - A Black Women's History of the United States by Daina Berry & Kali Gross

    5

    A Black Women's History of the United States
    by Daina Berry & Kali Gross

The Best Books for Juneteenth, recommended by Barbara Krauthamer

June 19th, or ‘Juneteenth,’ is a holiday commemorating the final end of slavery in the United States. Professor Barbara Krauthamer, a leading historian of African American slavery and emancipation, talks us through its significance down the decades and which books to read to get a better understanding of what it’s all about.

    The best books on New England, recommended by Mark Peterson

  • Read
    The best books on New England - The New England Mind: The Seventeenth Century by Perry Miller

    1

    The New England Mind: The Seventeenth Century
    by Perry Miller

  • Read
    The best books on New England - Complete Writings by Phillis Wheatley

    2

    Complete Writings
    by Phillis Wheatley

  • Read
    The best books on New England - A Midwife’s Tale: The Life of Martha Ballard, Based on Her Diary, 1785-1812 by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich

    3

    A Midwife’s Tale: The Life of Martha Ballard, Based on Her Diary, 1785-1812
    by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich

  • Read
    The best books on New England - The House of the Seven Gables by Nathaniel Hawthorne

    4

    The House of the Seven Gables
    by Nathaniel Hawthorne

  • Read
    The best books on New England - Walden by Henry David Thoreau

    5

    Walden
    by Henry David Thoreau

The best books on New England, recommended by Mark Peterson

New England: it’s the northeastern-most region of the United States, encompasses six states, is slightly larger than England itself, and half of it is rural, remote Maine. Yale Professor Mark Peterson introduces us to the rich history of New England, going back to its Puritan roots and the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

    The best books on Women’s Suffrage, recommended by Susan Ware

  • Read
    The best books on Women’s Suffrage - The Myth of Seneca Falls by Lisa Tetrault

    1

    The Myth of Seneca Falls
    by Lisa Tetrault

  • Read
    The best books on Women’s Suffrage - The Concise History of Woman Suffrage by Mari Jo Buhle & Paul Buhle

    2

    The Concise History of Woman Suffrage
    by Mari Jo Buhle & Paul Buhle

  • Read
    The best books on Women’s Suffrage - All Bound Up Together: The Woman Question in African American Public Culture, 1830-1900 by Martha S. Jones

    3

    All Bound Up Together: The Woman Question in African American Public Culture, 1830-1900
    by Martha S. Jones

  • Read
    The best books on Women’s Suffrage - The Woman's Hour: The Great Fight to Win the Vote by Elaine Weiss

    4

    The Woman's Hour: The Great Fight to Win the Vote
    by Elaine Weiss

  • Read
    The best books on Women’s Suffrage - The Right to Vote: The Contested History of Democracy in the United States by Alexander Keyssar

    5

    The Right to Vote: The Contested History of Democracy in the United States
    by Alexander Keyssar

The best books on Women’s Suffrage, recommended by Susan Ware

How many suffragists can you name? Feminist historian Susan Ware, author of a new history of the American women’s suffrage movement, urges us to remember how important suffrage was in the fight for women’s rights, on the cusp of its US centennial—and reveals the story of women getting the right to vote didn’t just begin at Seneca Falls.

    African American History Books, recommended by Imani Perry

  • Read
    African American History Books - Black Reconstruction in America by WEB Du Bois

    1

    Black Reconstruction in America
    by WEB Du Bois

  • Read
    African American History Books - Exodus: Religion, Race and Nation in Early Nineteenth-Century Black America by Eddie S Glaude Jr

    2

    Exodus: Religion, Race and Nation in Early Nineteenth-Century Black America
    by Eddie S Glaude Jr

  • Read
    African American History Books - Hammer and Hoe: Alabama Communists During the Great Depression by Robin D G Kelley

    3

    Hammer and Hoe: Alabama Communists During the Great Depression
    by Robin D G Kelley

  • Read
    African American History Books - Hands on the Freedom of the Plow: Personal Accounts by Women in SNCC Faith S. Holsaert, Martha Prescod, and others (eds.)

    4

    Hands on the Freedom of the Plow: Personal Accounts by Women in SNCC
    Faith S. Holsaert, Martha Prescod, and others (eds.)

  • Read
    African American History Books - Creating Black Americans: African-American History and Its Meanings, 1619 to the Present by Nell Irvin Painter

    5

    Creating Black Americans: African-American History and Its Meanings, 1619 to the Present
    by Nell Irvin Painter

African American History Books, recommended by Imani Perry

Princeton Professor Imani Perry—a prolific scholar of African American Studies whose biography of Lorraine Hansberry, Looking For Lorraine,  won the 2019 PEN Biography Prize—recommends five books she considers essential to an understanding of the history of black life in America.

    The Best Quebec Books, recommended by Miléna Santoro

  • Read
    The Best Quebec Books - Mãn by Kim Thúy

    1

    Mãn
    by Kim Thúy

  • Read
    The Best Quebec Books - The Orange Grove by Larry Tremblay

    2

    The Orange Grove
    by Larry Tremblay

  • Read
    The Best Quebec Books - Suzanne by Anaïs Barbeau-Lavalette

    3

    Suzanne
    by Anaïs Barbeau-Lavalette

  • Read
    The Best Quebec Books - The Enigma of the Return by Dany LaFerrière

    4

    The Enigma of the Return
    by Dany LaFerrière

  • Read
    The Best Quebec Books - Memoria by Louise Dupré

    5

    Memoria
    by Louise Dupré

The Best Quebec Books, recommended by Miléna Santoro

“I’ve been reading Quebec literature since the 1980s. I can tell when I’ve found a voice that I resonate with, when something is really beautiful or when it’s just trash.” Georgetown University Professor Miléna Santoro picks her favourite Quebec writers and showcases some of the region’s best contemporary fiction and poetry translated from the original French.

    The Best African American Literature, recommended by Farah Jasmine Griffin

  • Read
    The Best African American Literature - Cane by Jean Toomer

    1

    Cane
    by Jean Toomer

  • Read
    The Best African American Literature - Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

    2

    Their Eyes Were Watching God
    by Zora Neale Hurston

  • Read
    The Best African American Literature - The Narrows by Ann Petry

    3

    The Narrows
    by Ann Petry

  • Read
    The Best African American Literature - Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison

    4

    Invisible Man
    by Ralph Ellison

  • Read
    The Best African American Literature - Beloved by Toni Morrison

    5

    Beloved
    by Toni Morrison

The Best African American Literature, recommended by Farah Jasmine Griffin

An ever-growing body of authors are writing about the reality of what it means to be black in America, says Farah Jasmine Griffin, director of the Institute for Research in African American Studies at Columbia University. Here she recommends five works of African American literature, from greats like Zora Neale Hurston and Toni Morrison to lesser-known gems by Ann Petry.

    The best books on Boston, recommended by Jane Kamensky

  • Read
    The best books on Boston - The Journal of John Winthrop by John Winthrop

    1

    The Journal of John Winthrop
    by John Winthrop

  • Read
    The best books on Boston - Black Bostonians: Family Life and Community Struggle in the Antebellum North by James Oliver Horton and Lois E. Horton

    2

    Black Bostonians: Family Life and Community Struggle in the Antebellum North
    by James Oliver Horton and Lois E. Horton

  • Read
    The best books on Boston - Common Ground: A Turbulent Decade in the Lives of Three American Families by J. Anthony Lukas

    3

    Common Ground: A Turbulent Decade in the Lives of Three American Families
    by J. Anthony Lukas

  • Read
    The best books on Boston - Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri

    4

    Interpreter of Maladies
    by Jhumpa Lahiri

  • Read
    The best books on Boston - Mapping Boston by Alex Krieger and David Cobb (editors)

    5

    Mapping Boston
    by Alex Krieger and David Cobb (editors)

The best books on Boston, recommended by Jane Kamensky

The idea of Boston as “a place of revolutionary fervour because liberty is somehow baked into its bones” is loaded with a “very heavy dose of self-mythologizing,” says American historian Jane Kamensky. Here, the Harvard professor lifts the veil on this quintessential New England city and recommends five books for understanding its history

    The best books on America’s Increasingly Challenged Position in World Affairs, recommended by Ali Wyne

  • Read
    The best books on America’s Increasingly Challenged Position in World Affairs - Is the American Century Over? by Joseph Nye

    1

    Is the American Century Over?
    by Joseph Nye

  • Read
    The best books on America’s Increasingly Challenged Position in World Affairs - The Chessboard and the Web: Strategies of Connection in a Networked World by Anne-Marie Slaughter

    2

    The Chessboard and the Web: Strategies of Connection in a Networked World
    by Anne-Marie Slaughter

  • Read
    The best books on America’s Increasingly Challenged Position in World Affairs - The Sovereignty Wars: Reconciling America with the World by Stewart Patrick

    3

    The Sovereignty Wars: Reconciling America with the World
    by Stewart Patrick

  • Read
    The best books on America’s Increasingly Challenged Position in World Affairs - Psychology of a Superpower: Security and Dominance in U.S. Foreign Policy by Christopher Fettweis

    4

    Psychology of a Superpower: Security and Dominance in U.S. Foreign Policy
    by Christopher Fettweis

  • Read
    The best books on America’s Increasingly Challenged Position in World Affairs - Our Towns: A 100,000-Mile Journey into the Heart of America by Deborah Fallows & James Fallows

    5

    Our Towns: A 100,000-Mile Journey into the Heart of America
    by Deborah Fallows & James Fallows

The best books on America’s Increasingly Challenged Position in World Affairs, recommended by Ali Wyne

Reports of the death of the world’s only superpower may have been exaggerated, but America’s inward turn is threatening the world order it created after World War II. Foreign policy analyst Ali Wyne talks us through books to better understand America’s current role in the world.

    Hermione Hoby on New York Novels

  • Read
    Hermione Hoby on New York Novels - Dancer from the Dance by Andrew Holleran

    1

    Dancer from the Dance
    by Andrew Holleran

  • Read
    Hermione Hoby on New York Novels - Underworld by Don DeLillo

    2

    Underworld
    by Don DeLillo

  • Read
    Hermione Hoby on New York Novels - The Flamethrowers by Rachel Kushner

    3

    The Flamethrowers
    by Rachel Kushner

  • Read
    Hermione Hoby on New York Novels - Sleepless Nights by Elizabeth Hardwick

    4

    Sleepless Nights
    by Elizabeth Hardwick

  • Read
    Hermione Hoby on New York Novels - Jazz by Toni Morrison

    5

    Jazz
    by Toni Morrison

Hermione Hoby on New York Novels

The writer and journalist Hermione Hoby’s highly acclaimed first novel is set during a New York heatwave. Here she picks five books inspired by this capacious, overstated, indomitable city and discusses how it shaped her as a writer.

    The best books on US Foreign Policy, recommended by Gideon Rose

  • Read
    The best books on US Foreign Policy - History of the Peloponnesian War by Thucydides

    1

    History of the Peloponnesian War
    by Thucydides

  • Read
    The best books on US Foreign Policy - American Politics: The Promise of Disharmony by Samuel P Huntington

    2

    American Politics: The Promise of Disharmony
    by Samuel P Huntington

  • Read
    The best books on US Foreign Policy - Duties Beyond Borders by Stanley Hoffmann

    3

    Duties Beyond Borders
    by Stanley Hoffmann

  • Read
    The best books on US Foreign Policy - The Post-American World by Fareed Zakaria

    4

    The Post-American World
    by Fareed Zakaria

  • Read
    The best books on US Foreign Policy - The Frugal Superpower by Michael Mandelbaum

    5

    The Frugal Superpower
    by Michael Mandelbaum

The best books on US Foreign Policy, recommended by Gideon Rose

Should America have intervened in Libya? Done more? Done less? Done it differently? The editor of Foreign Affairs, Gideon Rose, explains the tension that lies at the heart of every American foreign policy decision.

    The best books on American Imperialism, recommended by A G Hopkins

  • Read
    The best books on American Imperialism - Expansionists of 1898: The Acquisition of Hawaiʻi and the Spanish Islands by Julius William Pratt

    1

    Expansionists of 1898: The Acquisition of Hawaiʻi and the Spanish Islands
    by Julius William Pratt

  • Read
    The best books on American Imperialism - Denial of Empire: The United States and Its Dependencies by Whitney T Perkins

    2

    Denial of Empire: The United States and Its Dependencies
    by Whitney T Perkins

  • Read
    The best books on American Imperialism - The Tragedy of American Diplomacy by William Appleman Williams

    3

    The Tragedy of American Diplomacy
    by William Appleman Williams

  • Read
    The best books on American Imperialism - The New Empire: An Interpretation of American Expansion 1860-1898 by Walter LaFeber

    4

    The New Empire: An Interpretation of American Expansion 1860-1898
    by Walter LaFeber

  • Read
    The best books on American Imperialism - Cuba in the American Imagination: Metaphor and the Imperial Ethos by Louis A Pérez

    5

    Cuba in the American Imagination: Metaphor and the Imperial Ethos
    by Louis A Pérez

The best books on American Imperialism, recommended by A G Hopkins

When George W Bush declared that America “has never been an empire,” he elided a half century of colonial rule over its overseas dependencies. But American expansionism has manifested in other forms too, says A G Hopkins, imperial historian and author of a panoramic new work of American history.

    The best books on US Intervention, recommended by Lawrence Kaplan

  • Read
    The best books on US Intervention - Promised Land, Crusader State by Walter McDougall

    1

    Promised Land, Crusader State
    by Walter McDougall

  • Read
    The best books on US Intervention - Ordinary Men by Christopher Browning

    2

    Ordinary Men
    by Christopher Browning

  • Read
    The best books on US Intervention - Strategies of Containment by John Gaddis

    3

    Strategies of Containment
    by John Gaddis

  • Read
    The best books on US Intervention - Dispatches by Michael Herr

    4

    Dispatches
    by Michael Herr

  • Read
    The best books on US Intervention - American Pastoral by Philip Roth

    5

    American Pastoral
    by Philip Roth

The best books on US Intervention, recommended by Lawrence Kaplan

The foreign affairs commentator explains why US presidents have less room to manoeuvre on foreign policy than they think, and why President Obama had to set aside his “minimalist” inclinations.

    The best books on Immigration, recommended by Ana Minian

  • Read
    The best books on Immigration - Whiteness of a Different Color: European Immigrants and the Alchemy of Race by Matthew Frye Jacobson

    1

    Whiteness of a Different Color: European Immigrants and the Alchemy of Race
    by Matthew Frye Jacobson

  • Read
    The best books on Immigration - Impossible Subjects: Illegal Aliens and the Making of Modern America by Mae M. Ngai

    2

    Impossible Subjects: Illegal Aliens and the Making of Modern America
    by Mae M. Ngai

  • Read
    The best books on Immigration - Between Two Empires: Race, History, and Transnationalism in Japanese America by Eiichiro Azuma

    3

    Between Two Empires: Race, History, and Transnationalism in Japanese America
    by Eiichiro Azuma

  • Read
    The best books on Immigration - Walls and Mirrors: Mexican Americans, Mexican Immigrants, and the Politics of Ethnicity by David G. Gutiérrez

    4

    Walls and Mirrors: Mexican Americans, Mexican Immigrants, and the Politics of Ethnicity
    by David G. Gutiérrez

  • Read
    The best books on Immigration - Havana USA: Cuban Exiles and Cuban Americans in South Florida, 1959-1994 by María Cristina García

    5

    Havana USA: Cuban Exiles and Cuban Americans in South Florida, 1959-1994
    by María Cristina García

The best books on Immigration, recommended by Ana Minian

How did the concept of United States immigration being a ‘melting pot’ of diverse nationalities come to be? In this interview, Stanford historian Ana Raquel Minian explores America’s complex, highly racialized history of immigration and recommends five of the books on the subject that have most influenced her.

    Books on Black Icons for Children, recommended by Jamia Wilson and Andrea Pippins

  • Read
    Books on Black Icons for Children - Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer: The Spirit of the Civil Rights Movement by Carole Boston Weatherford & Euka Holmes

    1

    Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer: The Spirit of the Civil Rights Movement
    by Carole Boston Weatherford & Euka Holmes

  • Read
    Books on Black Icons for Children - Josephine: A Dazzling Life by Christian Robinson & Patricia Hruby Powell

    2

    Josephine: A Dazzling Life
    by Christian Robinson & Patricia Hruby Powell

  • Read
    Books on Black Icons for Children - The Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History by Vashti Harrison

    3

    The Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History
    by Vashti Harrison

  • Read
    Books on Black Icons for Children - Firebird by Misty Copeland

    4

    Firebird
    by Misty Copeland

  • Read
    Books on Black Icons for Children - Life Doesn't Frighten Me by Jean-Michel Basquiat & Maya Angelou

    5

    Life Doesn't Frighten Me
    by Jean-Michel Basquiat & Maya Angelou

Books on Black Icons for Children, recommended by Jamia Wilson and Andrea Pippins

Jamia Wilson and Andrea Pippins discuss books that that tell the stories of some of the greatest black icons in history – and explain why reading books that celebrate these extraordinary lives can be transformational for all children.

    Stephanie Burt on Contemporary American Poetry

  • Read
    Stephanie Burt on Contemporary American Poetry - The Infinitesimals by Laura Kasischke

    1

    The Infinitesimals
    by Laura Kasischke

  • Read
    Stephanie Burt on Contemporary American Poetry - Steal Away: Selected and New Poems by C D Wright

    2

    Steal Away: Selected and New Poems
    by C D Wright

  • Read
    Stephanie Burt on Contemporary American Poetry - Chronic by D A Powell

    3

    Chronic
    by D A Powell

  • Read
    Stephanie Burt on Contemporary American Poetry - Wind in a Box by Terrance Hayes

    4

    Wind in a Box
    by Terrance Hayes

  • Read
    Stephanie Burt on Contemporary American Poetry - The Tribute Horse by Brandon Som

    5

    The Tribute Horse
    by Brandon Som

Stephanie Burt on Contemporary American Poetry

As distinctions between traditional and avant-garde, central and marginal dissolve, poet and critic Stephanie Burt discusses some of America’s most exciting contemporary poets, who are speaking to and from diverse experiences and backgrounds – sometimes with a disco beat

    The best books on The Politics of Policymaking, recommended by Jamila Michener

  • Read
    The best books on The Politics of Policymaking - Policy Paradox: The Art of Political Decision Making by Deborah Stone

    1

    Policy Paradox: The Art of Political Decision Making
    by Deborah Stone

  • Read
    The best books on The Politics of Policymaking - Regulating the Poor: The Public Functions of Welfare by Frances Fox Piven and Richard Cloward

    2

    Regulating the Poor: The Public Functions of Welfare
    by Frances Fox Piven and Richard Cloward

  • Read
    The best books on The Politics of Policymaking - The Submerged State: How Invisible Government Policies Undermine American Democracy by Suzanne Mettler

    3

    The Submerged State: How Invisible Government Policies Undermine American Democracy
    by Suzanne Mettler

  • Read
    The best books on The Politics of Policymaking - Remaking America: Democracy and Public Policy in an Age of Inequality by (ed.) Jacob Hacker, Joe Soss & Suzanne Mettler

    4

    Remaking America: Democracy and Public Policy in an Age of Inequality
    by (ed.) Jacob Hacker, Joe Soss & Suzanne Mettler

  • Read
    The best books on The Politics of Policymaking - Arresting Citizenship: The Democratic Consequences Of American Crime Control by Amy E Lerman and Vesla M Weaver

    5

    Arresting Citizenship: The Democratic Consequences Of American Crime Control
    by Amy E Lerman and Vesla M Weaver

The best books on The Politics of Policymaking, recommended by Jamila Michener

Inequality is coming not just from the economy; it is coming from politics and policy, says Jamila Michener, assistant professor of government at Cornell University. Here she chooses five books that showcase some of the best, most thought-provoking writing on the politics and consequences of policy.

    The Best Transnational Literature, recommended by Mohsin Hamid

  • Read
    The Best Transnational Literature - No Longer at Ease by Chinua Achebe

    1

    No Longer at Ease
    by Chinua Achebe

  • Read
    The Best Transnational Literature - A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway

    2

    A Moveable Feast
    by Ernest Hemingway

  • Read
    The Best Transnational Literature - Meatless Days: A Memoir by Sara Suleri

    3

    Meatless Days: A Memoir
    by Sara Suleri

  • Read
    The Best Transnational Literature - The Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuka

    4

    The Buddha in the Attic
    by Julie Otsuka

  • Read
    The Best Transnational Literature - Fictions by Jorge Luis Borges

    5

    Fictions
    by Jorge Luis Borges

The Best Transnational Literature, recommended by Mohsin Hamid

Beleaguered ‘citizens of nowhere’ will be pleased to know they have their own literary genre. For anyone who has ever wondered where they belong, or why, when you leave your home country, it’s never the same when you return, here are the best five books to read—including some by the greatest authors of the 20th century.

    Francis Fukuyama recommends the best books on the The Financial Crisis

  • Read
    Francis Fukuyama recommends the best books on the The Financial Crisis - This Time Is Different by Carmen Reinhart & Kenneth Rogoff

    1

    This Time Is Different
    by Carmen Reinhart & Kenneth Rogoff

  • Read
    Francis Fukuyama recommends the best books on the The Financial Crisis - The Big Short by Michael Lewis

    2

    The Big Short
    by Michael Lewis

  • Read
    Francis Fukuyama recommends the best books on the The Financial Crisis - Fault Lines: How Hidden Fractures Still Threaten The World Economy by Raghuram G Rajan

    3

    Fault Lines: How Hidden Fractures Still Threaten The World Economy
    by Raghuram G Rajan

  • Read
    Francis Fukuyama recommends the best books on the The Financial Crisis - 13 Bankers by Simon Johnson & Simon Johnson and James Kwak

    4

    13 Bankers
    by Simon Johnson & Simon Johnson and James Kwak

  • Read
    Francis Fukuyama recommends the best books on the The Financial Crisis - The Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission Report by FCIC

    5

    The Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission Report
    by FCIC

Francis Fukuyama recommends the best books on the The Financial Crisis

The author of “The End of History” says the financial crisis revealed a great deal about the nature of America’s political and economic system. The shame, he says, is that opportunities to change it are now being ignored.

    The best books on American History, recommended by Brent Glass

  • Read
    The best books on American History - The Great Bridge: The Epic Story of the Building of the Brooklyn Bridge by David McCullough

    1

    The Great Bridge: The Epic Story of the Building of the Brooklyn Bridge
    by David McCullough

  • Read
    The best books on American History - Wilderness At Dawn: The Settling of the North American Continent by Ted Morgan

    2

    Wilderness At Dawn: The Settling of the North American Continent
    by Ted Morgan

  • Read
    The best books on American History - The Story of American Freedom by Eric Foner

    3

    The Story of American Freedom
    by Eric Foner

  • Read
    The best books on American History - This Republic of Suffering: Death and the American Civil War by Drew Gilpin Faust

    4

    This Republic of Suffering: Death and the American Civil War
    by Drew Gilpin Faust

  • Read
    The best books on American History - In the Kingdom of Ice: The Grand and Terrible Polar Voyage of the USS Jeannette by Hampton Sides

    5

    In the Kingdom of Ice: The Grand and Terrible Polar Voyage of the USS Jeannette
    by Hampton Sides

The best books on American History, recommended by Brent Glass

Which are the best books on American history? Brent Glass, Director Emeritus of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, the world’s largest museum devoted to telling the story of America, chooses five standout books in a crowded field.

    The best books on Emerging Markets, recommended by George Magnus

  • Read
    The best books on Emerging Markets - Why The West Rules - For Now: The Patterns of History and what they reveal about the Future by Ian Morris

    1

    Why The West Rules - For Now: The Patterns of History and what they reveal about the Future
    by Ian Morris

  • Read
    The best books on Emerging Markets - Why Nations Fail by Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson

    2

    Why Nations Fail
    by Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson

  • Read
    The best books on Emerging Markets - China 2030: Building a Modern, Harmonious, and Creative Society by Development Research Center of the State Council & World Bank

    3

    China 2030: Building a Modern, Harmonious, and Creative Society
    by Development Research Center of the State Council & World Bank

  • Read
    The best books on Emerging Markets - The Rise and Fall of Nations: Forces of Change in the Post-Crisis World by Ruchir Sharma

    4

    The Rise and Fall of Nations: Forces of Change in the Post-Crisis World
    by Ruchir Sharma

  • Read
    The best books on Emerging Markets - Uprising: Will Emerging Markets Shape or Shake the World Economy? by George Magnus

    5

    Uprising: Will Emerging Markets Shape or Shake the World Economy?
    by George Magnus

The best books on Emerging Markets, recommended by George Magnus

What determines whether a country goes backwards or forwards? Why have so few developing countries joined the ranks of rich nations? George Magnus, former chief economist of UBS, chooses books to help us reflect on what it is that societies need in order to be successful.

    The best books on The Lessons of the Great Depression, recommended by Robert Barro

  • Read
    The best books on The Lessons of the Great Depression - A Monetary History of the United States, 1867-1960 by Milton Friedman and Anna Schwartz

    1

    A Monetary History of the United States, 1867-1960
    by Milton Friedman and Anna Schwartz

  • Read
    The best books on The Lessons of the Great Depression - Macroeconomic Effects from Government Purchases and Taxes by Robert Barro

    2

    Macroeconomic Effects from Government Purchases and Taxes
    by Robert Barro

  • Read
    The best books on The Lessons of the Great Depression - Identifying Government Spending Shocks by Valerie Ramey

    3

    Identifying Government Spending Shocks
    by Valerie Ramey

  • Read
    The best books on The Lessons of the Great Depression - Essays on the Great Depression by Ben Bernanke

    4

    Essays on the Great Depression
    by Ben Bernanke

  • Read
    The best books on The Lessons of the Great Depression - The Great Depression in the United States from a Neoclassical Perspective by Harold Cole and Lee Ohanian

    5

    The Great Depression in the United States from a Neoclassical Perspective
    by Harold Cole and Lee Ohanian

The best books on The Lessons of the Great Depression, recommended by Robert Barro

Harvard macroeconomist Robert Barro takes issue with some common assumptions about the Great Depression, and how America got out of it.

    The best books on Drone Warfare, recommended by Hugh Gusterson

  • Read
    The best books on Drone Warfare - A Theory of the Drone by Gregoire Chamayou

    1

    A Theory of the Drone
    by Gregoire Chamayou

  • Read
    The best books on Drone Warfare - Predator by Matt Martin

    2

    Predator
    by Matt Martin

  • Read
    The best books on Drone Warfare - Sudden Justice by Chris Woods

    3

    Sudden Justice
    by Chris Woods

  • Read
    The best books on Drone Warfare - Kill Chain by Andrew Cockburn

    4

    Kill Chain
    by Andrew Cockburn

  • Read
    The best books on Drone Warfare - Drone Warfare by John Kaag & Sarah Kreps

    5

    Drone Warfare
    by John Kaag & Sarah Kreps

The best books on Drone Warfare, recommended by Hugh Gusterson

The introduction of drones “makes possible perpetual war without costs”, warns the anthropology professor and security expert Hugh Gusterson. Here he selects the best books that examine their ethical, psychological and political impact upon 21st century warfare.

    The best books on Race and American Policing, recommended by Joe Domanick

  • Read
    The best books on Race and American Policing - The Wire by David Simon

    1

    The Wire
    by David Simon

  • Read
    The best books on Race and American Policing - Cruel Justice by Joe Domanick

    2

    Cruel Justice
    by Joe Domanick

  • Read
    The best books on Race and American Policing - Mean Justice by Edward Humes

    3

    Mean Justice
    by Edward Humes

  • Read
    The best books on Race and American Policing - Serpico by Peter Maas

    4

    Serpico
    by Peter Maas

  • Read
    The best books on Race and American Policing - Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates

    5

    Between the World and Me
    by Ta-Nehisi Coates

The best books on Race and American Policing, recommended by Joe Domanick

The author and journalist describes how racism, violence, and corruption became entrenched in police departments across America. He picks five books describing a stark reality, and suggests a blueprint for change

    The best books on Hurricane Katrina, recommended by Gary Rivlin

  • Read
    The best books on Hurricane Katrina - City of Refuge by Tom Piazza

    1

    City of Refuge
    by Tom Piazza

  • Read
    The best books on Hurricane Katrina - The Great Deluge: Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans, and the Mississippi Gulf Coast by Douglas Brinkley

    2

    The Great Deluge: Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans, and the Mississippi Gulf Coast
    by Douglas Brinkley

  • Read
    The best books on Hurricane Katrina - Breach of Faith: Hurricane Katrina and the Near Death of a Great American City by Jed Horne

    3

    Breach of Faith: Hurricane Katrina and the Near Death of a Great American City
    by Jed Horne

  • Read
    The best books on Hurricane Katrina - Disaster: Hurricane Katrina and the Failure of Homeland Security by Christopher Cooper and Robert Block

    4

    Disaster: Hurricane Katrina and the Failure of Homeland Security
    by Christopher Cooper and Robert Block

  • Read
    The best books on Hurricane Katrina - New Orleans: The Making of an Urban Landscape by Peirce F. Lewis

    5

    New Orleans: The Making of an Urban Landscape
    by Peirce F. Lewis

The best books on Hurricane Katrina, recommended by Gary Rivlin

Katrina was not a natural disaster but an engineering one, says the journalist and author. He chooses the best books on Hurricane Katrina, ranging from a novel to a geographical biography of New Orleans. 

    The best books on The War on Drugs, recommended by Johann Hari

  • Read
    The best books on The War on Drugs - Drug Addicts are Human Beings by Henry Smith Williams

    1

    Drug Addicts are Human Beings
    by Henry Smith Williams

  • Read
    The best books on The War on Drugs - The Murderers: The Shocking Story of the Narcotic Gangs by Henry Anslinger and Will Oursler

    2

    The Murderers: The Shocking Story of the Narcotic Gangs
    by Henry Anslinger and Will Oursler

  • Read
    The best books on The War on Drugs - Murder City by Charles Bowden

    3

    Murder City
    by Charles Bowden

  • Read
    The best books on The War on Drugs - The Globalization of Addiction: A Study in Poverty of the Spirit by Bruce Alexander

    4

    The Globalization of Addiction: A Study in Poverty of the Spirit
    by Bruce Alexander

  • Read
    The best books on The War on Drugs - In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction by Gabor Maté

    5

    In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction
    by Gabor Maté

The best books on The War on Drugs, recommended by Johann Hari

Everything we have been told about drugs and drug addiction and how society should deal with them is wrong, says the British author and journalist Johann Hari. He chooses the best books on ‘the war on drugs.’

    The best books on The Reagan Era, recommended by Doug Rossinow

  • Read
    The best books on The Reagan Era - The Massacre at El Mozote by Mark Danner

    1

    The Massacre at El Mozote
    by Mark Danner

  • Read
    The best books on The Reagan Era - Which Side Are You on?: Trying to Be for Labor When It's Flat on Its Back by Thomas Geoghegan

    2

    Which Side Are You on?: Trying to Be for Labor When It's Flat on Its Back
    by Thomas Geoghegan

  • Read
    The best books on The Reagan Era - Den of Thieves by James B. Stewart

    3

    Den of Thieves
    by James B. Stewart

  • Read
    The best books on The Reagan Era - Can't Stop Won't Stop by Jeff Chang

    4

    Can't Stop Won't Stop
    by Jeff Chang

  • Read
    The best books on The Reagan Era - Backlash: The Undeclared War Against American Women by Susan Faludi

    5

    Backlash: The Undeclared War Against American Women
    by Susan Faludi

The best books on The Reagan Era, recommended by Doug Rossinow

Americans remember Reagan fondly, but what did the Gipper really stand for? The historian chooses the best books on Ronald Reagan and his time.

    The best books on US Militarism, recommended by Stephen Glain

  • Read
    The best books on US Militarism - The Best and the Brightest by David Halberstam

    1

    The Best and the Brightest
    by David Halberstam

  • Read
    The best books on US Militarism - House of War by James Carroll

    2

    House of War
    by James Carroll

  • Read
    The best books on US Militarism - Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA by Tim Weiner

    3

    Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA
    by Tim Weiner

  • Read
    The best books on US Militarism - American Rasputin by David Milne

    4

    American Rasputin
    by David Milne

  • Read
    The best books on US Militarism - Perils of Dominance by Gareth Porter

    5

    Perils of Dominance
    by Gareth Porter

The best books on US Militarism, recommended by Stephen Glain

American presidents may not want to send troops into battle or militarise foreign policy but, in the end, most of them do. The author and journalist explains how this happens, and why it’s not even the military that’s to blame. He picks the best books on American militarism.

    The best books on American Food, recommended by Ruth Reichl

  • Read
    The best books on American Food - The Art of Eating by MFK Fisher

    1

    The Art of Eating
    by MFK Fisher

  • Read
    The best books on American Food - Between Meals by AJ Liebling

    2

    Between Meals
    by AJ Liebling

  • Read
    The best books on American Food - Diet for a Small Planet by Frances Moore Lappé

    3

    Diet for a Small Planet
    by Frances Moore Lappé

  • Read
    The best books on American Food - The Alice B Toklas Cookbook by Alice B Toklas

    4

    The Alice B Toklas Cookbook
    by Alice B Toklas

  • Read
    The best books on American Food - An Unprejudiced Palate by Angelo Pellegrini

    5

    An Unprejudiced Palate
    by Angelo Pellegrini

The best books on American Food, recommended by Ruth Reichl

The Puritans got modern American cuisine off to a bad start. But the food writer and critic says subsequent immigrants have helped create a culture where food is appreciated.

    The best books on The US Constitution, recommended by Jack Rakove

  • Read
    The best books on The US Constitution - Creation of the American Republic, 1776-1787 by Gordon S. Wood

    1

    Creation of the American Republic, 1776-1787
    by Gordon S. Wood

  • Read
    The best books on The US Constitution - Novus Ordo Seclorum by Forrest McDonald

    2

    Novus Ordo Seclorum
    by Forrest McDonald

  • Read
    The best books on The US Constitution - Plain, Honest Men: The Making of the American Constitution by Richard Beeman

    3

    Plain, Honest Men: The Making of the American Constitution
    by Richard Beeman

  • Read
    The best books on The US Constitution - A Revolution in Favor of Government by Max M Edling

    4

    A Revolution in Favor of Government
    by Max M Edling

  • Read
    The best books on The US Constitution - Ratification: The People Debate the Constitution, 1787-1788 by Pauline Maier

    5

    Ratification: The People Debate the Constitution, 1787-1788
    by Pauline Maier

The best books on The US Constitution, recommended by Jack Rakove

The Pulitzer prize-winning history professor tells us how the Constitution came to be written and ratified and explains why, after more than 200 years, Americans are still so deeply wedded to it.

    The best books on How Americans Vote, recommended by Andrew Gelman

  • Read
    The best books on How Americans Vote - The Almanac of American Politics by Michael Barone and Chuck McCutcheon

    1

    The Almanac of American Politics
    by Michael Barone and Chuck McCutcheon

  • Read
    The best books on How Americans Vote - The 480 by Eugene Burdick

    2

    The 480
    by Eugene Burdick

  • Read
    The best books on How Americans Vote - The Rational Public by Benjamin I Page and Robert Y Shapiro

    3

    The Rational Public
    by Benjamin I Page and Robert Y Shapiro

  • Read
    The best books on How Americans Vote - Fire on the Prairie: Harold Washington, Chicago Politics, and the Roots of the Obama Presidency by Gary Rivlin

    4

    Fire on the Prairie: Harold Washington, Chicago Politics, and the Roots of the Obama Presidency
    by Gary Rivlin

  • Read
    The best books on How Americans Vote - The Emerging Republican Majority by Kevin P Phillips

    5

    The Emerging Republican Majority
    by Kevin P Phillips

The best books on How Americans Vote, recommended by Andrew Gelman

American statistician Andrew Gelman, professor of statistics and political science at Columbia University and author of Red State, Blue State, Rich State, Poor State explains the (often surprising) realities of how Americans vote.

    The best books on US Supreme Court Justices, recommended by Dahlia Lithwick

  • Read
    The best books on US Supreme Court Justices - Supreme Power by Jeff Shesol

    1

    Supreme Power
    by Jeff Shesol

  • Read
    The best books on US Supreme Court Justices - Justice Brennan by Seth Stern and Stephen Wermiel

    2

    Justice Brennan
    by Seth Stern and Stephen Wermiel

  • Read
    The best books on US Supreme Court Justices - Becoming Justice Blackmun by Linda Greenhouse

    3

    Becoming Justice Blackmun
    by Linda Greenhouse

  • Read
    The best books on US Supreme Court Justices - American Original by Joan Biskupic

    4

    American Original
    by Joan Biskupic

  • Read
    The best books on US Supreme Court Justices - My Grandfather’s Son by Clarence Thomas

    5

    My Grandfather’s Son
    by Clarence Thomas

The best books on US Supreme Court Justices, recommended by Dahlia Lithwick

Who are the men and women in black robes who sit on America’s highest judicial bench? Legal correspondent Dahlia Lithwick recommends the best books on the Supreme Court justices of the United States.

    The best books on Americans Abroad, recommended by Charles Glass

  • Read
    The best books on Americans Abroad - Innocents Abroad by Mark Twain

    1

    Innocents Abroad
    by Mark Twain

  • Read
    The best books on Americans Abroad - Daisy Miller by Henry James

    2

    Daisy Miller
    by Henry James

  • Read
    The best books on Americans Abroad - Catch 22 by Joseph Heller

    3

    Catch 22
    by Joseph Heller

  • Read
    The best books on Americans Abroad - Horn of Africa by Philip Caputo

    4

    Horn of Africa
    by Philip Caputo

  • Read
    The best books on Americans Abroad - The Quiet American by Graham Greene

    5

    The Quiet American
    by Graham Greene

The best books on Americans Abroad, recommended by Charles Glass

The much-travelled writer and broadcaster tells us about misunderstandings and misadventures of Americans in foreign lands

    The best books on Atlantic History, recommended by Bernard Bailyn

  • Read
    The best books on Atlantic History - Atlantic History by Bernard Bailyn

    1

    Atlantic History
    by Bernard Bailyn

  • Read
    The best books on Atlantic History - Empires of the Atlantic World by JH Elliott

    2

    Empires of the Atlantic World
    by JH Elliott

  • Read
    The best books on Atlantic History - Atlas of the Transatlantic Slave Trade by David Eltis and David Richardson

    3

    Atlas of the Transatlantic Slave Trade
    by David Eltis and David Richardson

  • Read
    The best books on Atlantic History - The British Atlantic World, 1500-1800 by David Armitage and Michael J Braddick (editors)

    4

    The British Atlantic World, 1500-1800
    by David Armitage and Michael J Braddick (editors)

  • Read
    The best books on Atlantic History - Soundings in Atlantic History by Bernard Bailyn (editor)

    5

    Soundings in Atlantic History
    by Bernard Bailyn (editor)

The best books on Atlantic History, recommended by Bernard Bailyn

Harvard professor and Pulitzer prize-winning historian Bernard Bailyn recommends reading on three centuries of empire, conflict and slave trading between the Americas, Europe and Africa

    The best books on Islam in the West, recommended by Tariq Ramadan

  • Read
    The best books on Islam in the West - Muslims in the West by Yvonne Yazbeck Haddad (editor)

    1

    Muslims in the West
    by Yvonne Yazbeck Haddad (editor)

  • Read
    The best books on Islam in the West - Islam in America by Jane I Smith

    2

    Islam in America
    by Jane I Smith

  • Read
    The best books on Islam in the West - Islam and the Blackamerican by Sherman A Jackson

    3

    Islam and the Blackamerican
    by Sherman A Jackson

  • Read
    The best books on Islam in the West - Young, British and Muslim by Philip Lewis

    4

    Young, British and Muslim
    by Philip Lewis

  • Read
    The best books on Islam in the West - British Muslims by Mohammad Siddique Seddon, Dilwar Hussain and Nadeem Malik (editors)

    5

    British Muslims
    by Mohammad Siddique Seddon, Dilwar Hussain and Nadeem Malik (editors)

The best books on Islam in the West, recommended by Tariq Ramadan

The Islamic scholar and commentator tells us what it means to be Muslim and Western, and explains how mainstream views get trapped between noisy extremism and a sensation-seeking media

    The best books on The Music of New Orleans, recommended by Keith Spera

  • Read
    The best books on The Music of New Orleans - Ernie K-Doe by Ben Sandmel

    1

    Ernie K-Doe
    by Ben Sandmel

  • Read
    The best books on The Music of New Orleans - Blue Monday by Rick Coleman

    2

    Blue Monday
    by Rick Coleman

  • Read
    The best books on The Music of New Orleans - Louisiana Saturday Night by Alex V Cook

    3

    Louisiana Saturday Night
    by Alex V Cook

  • Read
    The best books on The Music of New Orleans - Up From the Cradle of Jazz by Jason Berry, Jonathan Foose and Tad Jones

    4

    Up From the Cradle of Jazz
    by Jason Berry, Jonathan Foose and Tad Jones

  • Read
    The best books on The Music of New Orleans - The Brothers by Art, Aaron, Charles and Cyril Neville and David Ritz

    5

    The Brothers
    by Art, Aaron, Charles and Cyril Neville and David Ritz

The best books on The Music of New Orleans, recommended by Keith Spera

The author of Groove Interrupted transports us to the world of Fats Domino and Professor Longhair, and tells us how (and where) to sample the city’s unique music culture

    The best books on Ice Hockey, recommended by Bruce Dowbiggin

  • Read
    The best books on Ice Hockey - The Hockey Sweater by Roch Carrier

    1

    The Hockey Sweater
    by Roch Carrier

  • Read
    The best books on Ice Hockey - The Game by Ken Dryden

    2

    The Game
    by Ken Dryden

  • Read
    The best books on Ice Hockey - Future Greats and Heartbreaks by Gare Joyce

    3

    Future Greats and Heartbreaks
    by Gare Joyce

  • Read
    The best books on Ice Hockey - The Home Team by Roy MacGregor

    4

    The Home Team
    by Roy MacGregor

  • Read
    The best books on Ice Hockey - Scrubs On Skates by Scott Young

    5

    Scrubs On Skates
    by Scott Young

The best books on Ice Hockey, recommended by Bruce Dowbiggin

Fast, violent and with a passionately political history, hockey is the sport that defines Canada. The sports columnist tells us how this came to be, and why hockey, still a thrilling spectacle, has also become more dangerous to play. He picks the best books on ice hockey.

    The best books on Race and the Law, recommended by Kenneth W. Mack

  • Read
    The best books on Race and the Law - Civic Ideals: Conflicting Visions of Citizenship in U.S. History by Rogers M. Smith

    1

    Civic Ideals: Conflicting Visions of Citizenship in U.S. History
    by Rogers M. Smith

  • Read
    The best books on Race and the Law - At America's Gates: Chinese Immigration during the Exclusion Era, 1882-1943 by Erika Lee

    2

    At America's Gates: Chinese Immigration during the Exclusion Era, 1882-1943
    by Erika Lee

  • Read
    The best books on Race and the Law - Impossible Subjects: Illegal Aliens and the Making of Modern America by Mae M. Ngai

    3

    Impossible Subjects: Illegal Aliens and the Making of Modern America
    by Mae M. Ngai

  • Read
    The best books on Race and the Law - Lift Every Voice: The NAACP and the Making of the Civil Rights Movement by Patricia Sullivan

    4

    Lift Every Voice: The NAACP and the Making of the Civil Rights Movement
    by Patricia Sullivan

  • Read
    The best books on Race and the Law - The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander

    5

    The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness
    by Michelle Alexander

The best books on Race and the Law, recommended by Kenneth W. Mack

Kenneth W. Mack, the  Lawrence D. Biele Professor of Law at Harvard University, discusses the warring ideals of egalitarianism and exclusion at the heart of US politics and law, from the founding of the nation up to the present day.

    The best books on American Economic History, recommended by Michael Lind

  • Read
    The best books on American Economic History - The Elusive Republic by Drew R McCoy

    1

    The Elusive Republic
    by Drew R McCoy

  • Read
    The best books on American Economic History - From the American System to Mass Production, 1800-1932 by David A Hounshell

    2

    From the American System to Mass Production, 1800-1932
    by David A Hounshell

  • Read
    The best books on American Economic History - Technology and American Society by Gary Cross and Rick Szostak

    3

    Technology and American Society
    by Gary Cross and Rick Szostak

  • Read
    The best books on American Economic History - The Past and Future of America’s Economy by Robert D Atkinson

    4

    The Past and Future of America’s Economy
    by Robert D Atkinson

  • Read
    The best books on American Economic History - Bad Samaritans by Ha-Joon Chang

    5

    Bad Samaritans
    by Ha-Joon Chang

The best books on American Economic History, recommended by Michael Lind

The American economy has been driven by waves of technological change and the successful adoption of ideas from elsewhere. The author of Land of Promise tells us how it happened, and what history teaches us about the way ahead

    The best books on Los Angeles, recommended by Dennis McDougal

  • Read
    The best books on Los Angeles - Southern California by Carey McWilliams

    1

    Southern California
    by Carey McWilliams

  • Read
    The best books on Los Angeles - Thinking Big by Bob Gottlieb and Irene Wolt

    2

    Thinking Big
    by Bob Gottlieb and Irene Wolt

  • Read
    The best books on Los Angeles - Farewell, My Lovely by Raymond Chandler

    3

    Farewell, My Lovely
    by Raymond Chandler

  • Read
    The best books on Los Angeles - The Real and the Unreal by Bill Davidson

    4

    The Real and the Unreal
    by Bill Davidson

  • Read
    The best books on Los Angeles - City of Quartz by Mike Davis

    5

    City of Quartz
    by Mike Davis

The best books on Los Angeles, recommended by Dennis McDougal

The writer dubbed “LA’s number one muckraker” peels away the phoney baloney to tell us about power, pollution and pulp fiction in the City of Angels.

    The best books on Saving Capitalism and Democracy, recommended by Robert Reich

  • Read
    The best books on Saving Capitalism and Democracy - The Promise of American Life by Herbert Croly

    1

    The Promise of American Life
    by Herbert Croly

  • Read
    The best books on Saving Capitalism and Democracy - The New Industrial State by John Kenneth Galbraith

    2

    The New Industrial State
    by John Kenneth Galbraith

  • Read
    The best books on Saving Capitalism and Democracy - The Wheels of Commerce by Fernand Braudel

    3

    The Wheels of Commerce
    by Fernand Braudel

  • Read
    The best books on Saving Capitalism and Democracy - Democracy in America by Alexis de Tocqueville

    4

    Democracy in America
    by Alexis de Tocqueville

  • Read
    The best books on Saving Capitalism and Democracy - The Theory of the Leisure Class by Thorstein Veblen

    5

    The Theory of the Leisure Class
    by Thorstein Veblen

The best books on Saving Capitalism and Democracy, recommended by Robert Reich

It’s not the first period in history that American society has suffered from a crisis of inequality. Former labour secretary, Robert Reich, recommends books to help us understand the response of previous generations to the same kinds of challenges we now face.

    The best books on The US Intelligence Services, recommended by Tim Weiner

  • Read
    The best books on The US Intelligence Services - The Art of War by Sun Zi (also written in English as Sun Tzu)

    1

    The Art of War
    by Sun Zi (also written in English as Sun Tzu)

  • Read
    The best books on The US Intelligence Services - The Invisible Government by David Wise and Thomas B Ross

    2

    The Invisible Government
    by David Wise and Thomas B Ross

  • Read
    The best books on The US Intelligence Services - From the Shadows by Robert M Gates

    3

    From the Shadows
    by Robert M Gates

  • Read
    The best books on The US Intelligence Services - The March of Folly by Barbara W Tuchman

    4

    The March of Folly
    by Barbara W Tuchman

  • Read
    The best books on The US Intelligence Services - Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell

    5

    Nineteen Eighty-Four
    by George Orwell

The best books on The US Intelligence Services, recommended by Tim Weiner

The job of the intelligence services is to understand others and help leaders act more wisely, says the author of a new history of the FBI. There’s a balance to be struck between liberty and security but when the CIA and FBI do not harmonise their intelligence missions, people die.

    The best books on The American West, recommended by Jonathan Evison

  • Read
    The best books on The American West - Angle of Repose by Wallace Stegner

    1

    Angle of Repose
    by Wallace Stegner

  • Read
    The best books on The American West - Ask the Dust by John Fante

    2

    Ask the Dust
    by John Fante

  • Read
    The best books on The American West - The Day of the Locust by Nathanael West

    3

    The Day of the Locust
    by Nathanael West

  • Read
    The best books on The American West - The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

    4

    The Grapes of Wrath
    by John Steinbeck

  • Read
    The best books on The American West - Trout Fishing in America by Richard Brautigan

    5

    Trout Fishing in America
    by Richard Brautigan

The best books on The American West, recommended by Jonathan Evison

Novelist Jonathan Evison recommends books that capture a sense of the rugged landscape and people of the American West.

Page 2 →

About

We ask experts to recommend the five best books in their subject and explain their selection in an interview.

This site has an archive of more than one thousand interviews, or five thousand book recommendations. We publish at least two new interviews per week.

Five Books participates in the Amazon Associate program and earns money from qualifying purchases.

Newsletter Contact us Privacy Policy Terms of Service

© Five Books 2021