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.
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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 & Michael Hofmann (translator) -
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.
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.
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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.
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The Nation of the Risorgimento: Kinship, Sanctity and Honour in the Origins of Unified Italy
by Alberto Mario Banti -
2
The Antiquity of the Italian Nation: The Cultural Origins of Political Myth in Modern Italy
by Antonino De Francisco -
3
Risorgimento in Exile: Italian Emigrés and the Liberal International in the Post-Napoleonic Era
by Maurizio Isabella -
4
Garibaldi: Invention of a Hero
by Lucy Riall -
5
Monarchie et Identité Nationale en Italie (1861-1900)
by Catherine Brice
The best books on Italy’s Risorgimento, recommended by Carlotta Ferrara degli Uberti
The best books on Italy’s Risorgimento, recommended by Carlotta Ferrara degli Uberti
Italian unification was one of the great political dramas of 19th century Europe, transforming a patchwork of territories speaking different languages into the nation-state of Italy. Here, historian Carlotta Ferrara degli Uberti discusses the people and ideas that brought it about and how its disputed legacy continues to impact Italy today.
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Language, Truth and Logic
by AJ Ayer -
2
The World of Yesterday
by Stefan Zweig & Anthea Bell (translator) -
3
The Vienna Circle
by Friedrich Stadler -
4
Frank Ramsey: A Sheer Excess of Powers
by Cheryl Misak -
5
Exact Thinking in Demented Times: The Vienna Circle and the Epic Quest for the Foundations of Science
by Karl Sigmund
The best books on The Vienna Circle, recommended by David Edmonds
The best books on The Vienna Circle, recommended by David Edmonds
Members of ‘the Vienna Circle’ had strong views on what can and cannot be meaningfully said. They’ve had an enormous impact on modern philosophy, partly because the arrival of fascist rule in Austria scattered them around the world. Here, philosopher David Edmonds, author of The Murder of Professor Schlick, introduces us to their ideas, their milieu and the poignant background to their lives and thinking.
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King and Emperor: A New Life of Charlemagne
by Janet Nelson -
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Charlemagne: Empire and Society
by Joanna Story (editor) -
3
Ich und Karl der Große: Das Leben des Höflings Einhard
by Steffen Patzold -
4
Charlemagne's Practice of Empire
by Jennifer Davis -
5
Conquest and Christianization: Saxony and the Carolingian World, 772–888
by Ingrid Rembold -
6
Saxon Identities, AD 150-900
by Robert Flierman
The best books on Charlemagne, recommended by Carine van Rhijn
The best books on Charlemagne, recommended by Carine van Rhijn
We call him Charlemagne, but it was not a name that was used in his own lifetime. His conquests stretched across vast swathes of Europe, but he probably didn’t set out to become an emperor. Much has been written about him, but very little is known. Dutch historian Carine van Rhijn, a lecturer at the University of Utrecht, recommends the best books on Charles, King of the Franks.
The best books on The Weimar Republic, recommended by Robert Gerwarth
The Weimar Republic was not doomed to fail, says the historian Robert Gerwarth; it was, in many ways, popularly rooted and successful, and its artistic achievements remain influential to this day. Here he selects five books that illustrate the rich cultural life of the Weimar Republic, its pioneering modernism and the febrile political atmosphere that gripped it in the wake of the Great Depression.
The best books on Nineteenth Century Germany, recommended by Richard Evans
At the beginning of the 1800s, Germany was a collection of independent states. By the end, it had been unified under Prussian political leadership into one of the world’s great powers. Here, Richard Evans, Regius Professor Emeritus of History at the University of Cambridge and Provost of Gresham College in the City of London, chooses five books on 19th century Germany that illustrate how that process unfolded and what the political, economic and social consequences of it were—intended and otherwise.
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1
Catiline’s War, The Jugurthine War, Histories
Sallust (trans. AJ Woodman) -
2
Res Gestae Divi Augusti: Text, Translation, and Commentary
by Alison Cooley (editor) & Augustus -
3
Rome's Cultural Revolution
by Andrew Wallace-Hadrill -
4
The Neighborhoods of Augustan Rome
by J. Bert Lott -
5
Augustan Culture
by Karl Galinsky
The best books on Augustus, recommended by Peter Wiseman
The best books on Augustus, recommended by Peter Wiseman
Is it possible that Augustus was not the first Roman emperor, but the last of Rome’s great populist champions? That’s what classicist Peter Wiseman argues in his book, The House of Augustus: A Historical Detective Story. Drawing on a lifetime of research and writing on this period, the emeritus professor of classics and ancient history gives a brilliant overview of the Augustan age, and recommends what to read to better understand the adopted son of Julius Caesar, who found Rome in brick and left it in marble.
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Beethoven: Impressions by his Contemporaries
by Oscar Sonneck (Editor) -
2
Beethoven Variations: Poems on a Life
by Ruth Padel -
3
Beethoven for a Later Age: The Journey of a String Quartet
by Edward Dusinberre -
4
Beethoven: The Man Revealed
by John Suchet -
5
Beethoven: Anguish and Triumph
by Jan Swafford
The best books on Beethoven, recommended by Jessica Duchen
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The Two Mafias: A Transatlantic History, 1888-2008
by Salvatore Lupo -
2
Men of Honour: the Truth about the Mafia
by Judge Giovanni Falcone -
3
La Sicilia e gli Alleati: Tra Occupazione e Liberazione
by Manoela Patti -
4
Mafia Life: Love, Death and Money at the Heart of Organised Crime
by Federico Varese -
5
Mafia Women
by Clare Longrigg
The Best Books on the Mafia, recommended by John Dickie
The Best Books on the Mafia, recommended by John Dickie
The three biggest Italian mafias remain a powerful presence, with tentacles reaching deep inside Italian business and politics, but our understanding of them is marred by myths and misconceptions. Professor John Dickie of University College London, author of three books on the mafia, recommends what to read to get a better understanding of what the mafia really is.
The Best Elena Ferrante Books, recommended by Sarah Chihaya and Merve Emre
From her early novellas to the Neapolitan quartet, the elusive Elena Ferrante has achieved deserved superstar status for the compulsively readable, addictive quality of her writing. Two of the authors of The Ferrante Letters, Sarah Chihaya and Merve Emre, introduce us to Ferrante and recommend what to read next after My Brilliant Friend.
The best books on Rembrandt, recommended by Onno Blom
Though he left more self-portraits to posterity than practically any Old Master, there remains an air of mystery around Rembrandt the man—even on the 350th anniversary of his death. Piecing together the very few personal letters and documents left behind, Onno Blom has now reconstructed Rembrandt’s formative years in Young Rembrandt. Here he guides us through five of the most authoritative—and imaginative—accounts of the artist.
The Best Crime Fiction of 2019, recommended by Val McDermid
It’s been a great year for crime fiction – with soaring sales and global bestsellers emerging from writers all over the world. Crime writing is rightly in the ascendancy, says the celebrated Scottish novelist Val McDermid as she selects the best crime fiction of 2019: five books that stand as great novels in their own right.
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1
Complete Spanish: A Teach Yourself Program
by Juan Kattan-Ibarra -
2
Short Stories in Spanish: New Penguin Parallel Text
ed. John L King -
3
Short Stories in Spanish for Beginners
by Olly Richards -
4
Mastering Spanish Vocabulary
by Axel J Navarro Ramil & Jose Maria Navarro -
5
Lonely Planet Spanish Phrasebook & Dictionary
by Cristina Hernandez Montero & Marta Lopez
The Best Books for Learning Spanish, recommended by Benny Lewis
The Best Books for Learning Spanish, recommended by Benny Lewis
Which are the best books for learning Spanish? Benny Lewis, polyglot and author of the popular language-learning blog Fluent in Three Months, recommends his top five. He explains why beginners should be wary of grammar, and why forcing yourself to make mistakes is the key to success in any language.
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The Campaigns of Napoleon
by David G Chandler -
2
Talleyrand
by Duff Cooper -
3
With Eagles to Glory: Napoleon and His German Allies in the 1809 Campaign
by John H Gill -
4
Private Memoirs Of The Court Of Napoleon
by Louis François Joseph Bausset-Roquefort -
5
With Napoleon in Russia: Memoirs of General de Caulaincourt, Duke of Vicenza
by Armand de Caulaincourt
The best books on Napoleon, recommended by Andrew Roberts
The best books on Napoleon, recommended by Andrew Roberts
How did Napoleon Bonaparte, an upstart Corsican, go on to conquer half of Europe in the 16 years of his rule? Was he a military genius? And was he really that short? Historian Andrew Roberts, author of a bestselling biography of Napoleon, introduces us to the books that shaped how he sees l’Empereur—including little-known sources from those who knew Napoleon personally.
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All Out War: The Full Story of How Brexit Sank Britain’s Political Class
by Tim Shipman -
2
Fall Out: A Year of Political Mayhem
by Tim Shipman -
3
A History of Britain, Volume III: The Fate of the Empire 1776–2000
by Simon Schama -
4
The Time of My Life
by Denis Healey -
5
The Road to 1945: British Politics and the Second World War
by Paul Addison -
6
Things Can Only Get Better: Eighteen Miserable Years in the Life of a Labour Supporter
by John O'Farrell
The best books on Modern British History, recommended by Andrew Hindmoor
The best books on Modern British History, recommended by Andrew Hindmoor
What will historians say about the latest period in British history? What has stayed the same, and what is vastly different from our parents’ generation? Andrew Hindmoor, professor of politics at the University of Sheffield and author of Twelve Days that Made Modern Britain, recommends books that give insights into contemporary British history.
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Westphalia: the Last Christian Peace 1643-48
by Derek Croxton -
2
Monro, His expedition with the worthy Scots regiment (called Mac-Keyes-regiment) levied in August 1626
by Robert Monro -
3
Wallenstein: His Life Narrated
by Golo Mann -
4
European Weapons and Warfare 1618–1648
by Eduard Wagner -
5
Tagebuch Eines Soldners Aus Dem Dreissigjahrigen Krieg
Peter Hagendorf (ed. Jan Peters)
The best books on The Thirty Years War, recommended by Peter Wilson
The best books on The Thirty Years War, recommended by Peter Wilson
It was a war that devastated Europe and left more than one-fifth of the German population dead. The complex peace agreement that ended it, the Treaty of Westphalia, is still credited with establishing our modern state system. Peter Wilson, Chichele Professor of the History of War at Oxford University and author of the most recent general history of the war, Europe’s Tragedy: A New History of the Thirty Years War, recommends books to read for a nuanced picture of Europe’s cataclysmic 17th-century conflict.
The Best Samuel Beckett Books, recommended by Mark Nixon
Samuel Beckett remains one of the most significant writers of the twentieth century. Ruthlessly experimental, his plays, novels, and poems represent a sustained attack on the realist tradition. Dr Mark Nixon looks at the mutating nature of Beckett’s literary style and explains why he didn’t choose Waiting for Godot.
The best books on Brexit, recommended by Boris Starling
Looking for a good Brexit book? Brexit is as complicated as the Schleswig-Holstein question and as vicious as Game of Thrones. Boris Starling, author of The Bluffer’s Guide to Brexit, talks us through some Brexit books that will leave you better read and even more mystified about what the future holds for Britain and Europe.
The best books on Wittgenstein, recommended by Peter Hacker
A pioneering figure in analytic philosophy, Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889-1951) is a clear example of philosophical genius. A profoundly intense, tortured, and solitary man, he produced two masterpieces of philosophy with fundamentally opposed views of language — both of which have been wildly influential. Peter Hacker introduces us to perhaps the most important philosopher since Kant, and explains why Wittgenstein would be horrified by Noam Chomsky.
The best books on Ancient Greece, recommended by Christopher Pelling
Ancient Greece’s legacy can be seen all around us, including in our political system — but many of us don’t know that much about it. Fortunately, we have someone who has devoted his life to studying this remote time and place to give us a reading list. Chris Pelling, Emeritus Regius Professor of Greek at Oxford, recommends his top five books on Ancient Greece.
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The Crisis of the European Mind
by Paul Hazard -
2
The Enlightenment in America
by Henry May -
3
The Enlightenment and the Intellectual Foundations of Modern Culture
by Louis Dupré -
4
The Religious Enlightenment
by David Sorkin -
5
Democratic Enlightenment: Philosophy, Revolution, and Human Rights, 1750-1790
by Jonathan Israel
The best books on The Enlightenment, recommended by Jonathan Israel
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The Complete War Memoirs of Charles de Gaulle
by Charles De Gaulle -
2
Memoirs from Beyond the Tomb
by François-René de Chateaubriand -
3
Notre Jeunesse
by Charles Péguy -
4
Memoirs: Fifty Years of Political Reflection
by Raymond Aron -
5
The Vichy Syndrome: History and Memory in France Since 1944
by Henry Rousso
The best books on Charles de Gaulle, recommended by Julian Jackson
The best books on Charles de Gaulle, recommended by Julian Jackson
Charles de Gaulle had ‘a certain idea of France’ which even he didn’t manage to articulate clearly. De Gaulle biographer and one of Britain’s leading historians of modern France, Julian Jackson, talks us through some key books to get a sense of France’s wartime leader and president, Charles de Gaulle.
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The Sorrow of Belgium
by Hugo Claus -
2
Belgium and the Congo, 1885-1980
by Guy Vanthemsche -
3
King Ottokar’s Sceptre
by Hergé -
4
The Legacy of Nazi Occupation: Patriotic Memory and National Recovery in Western Europe, 1945-1965
by Pieter Lagrou -
5
Souvenirs Pieux (Dear Departed)
by Marguerite Yourcenar
The best books on Belgium, recommended by Martin Conway
The Best Books by Muriel Spark, recommended by Alan Taylor
This year marks the centenary of the birth of the novelist, poet and essayist Muriel Spark, a singular voice of 20th century literature. Her 22 novels are slim and entertaining says Alan Taylor, author of Appointment in Arezzo, but beneath the jeux d’esprit lies a fearsome intellect. Here he selects five of her key works.
The best books on The Holocaust, recommended by Steven Katz
In the years immediately after World War II, the Holocaust was little studied. That all changed with the publication of Raul Hilberg’s book, The Destruction of the European Jews. Steven Katz, professor of Jewish Holocaust Studies at Boston University and former Director of the Elie Wiesel Center for Jewish Studies, introduces the best Holocaust books.
The best books on The European Union, recommended by Giles Merritt
The EU started life as a small trading bloc but now spans 28 (soon to be 27) countries with half a billion people. What can be done to help its institutions catch up with the new reality? Giles Merritt, author of Slippery Slope: Brexit and Europe’s Troubled Future, has some ideas.
The best books on The Glorious Revolution, recommended by Steven Pincus
When William of Orange came from Holland to take the English throne in 1688, was it a foreign invasion, or a revolution from within? Yale historian, Steven Pincus, talks us through the conflicting views on the Glorious Revolution and argues for a new perspective.
The Best Italian Renaissance Books, recommended by Kenneth Bartlett
If you’re going to look at the past, you have to understand the people who were living there and see the world through their eyes, says historian and Renaissance specialist Kenneth Bartlett. He picks the best books written during the Italian Renaissance.
The best books on The French Revolution, recommended by Lynn Hunt
It’s a revolution that still resonates and yet it resists easy interpretation. Lynn Hunt, a leading historian of the French Revolution, tells us what the events of 1789 and later years really meant, and what relevance they have for us today.
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The Identity of Ulster: The Land, the Language and the People
by Ian Adamson -
2
Irish Unionism
by Patrick Buckland -
3
The Faithful Tribe: An Intimate Portrait of the Loyal Institutions
by Ruth Dudley Edwards -
4
Home Rule: An Irish History 1800-2000
by Alvin Jackson -
5
The Orange Order: A Contemporary Northern Irish History
by Eric Kaufmann
The best books on Irish Unionism, recommended by Murray Pittock
The best books on Irish Unionism, recommended by Murray Pittock
As is the norm in many countries with proportional representation, the United Kingdom’s government depends on a small political party to stay in power. Who are the Irish unionists? What is the ideology that guides them? Historian and pro-vice principal of Glasgow University, Murray Pittock, recommends the best books to read to better understand Irish unionism.
The best books on Oscar Wilde, recommended by Sos Eltis
Oscar Wilde cultivated an image of himself as an idle genius, dashing off masterpieces with a lazy brilliance. But below the glittering linguistic surface of his works, suggests Sos Eltis, lies an anarchic politics and a phenomenal analysis of power.
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1
The Divine Comedy: Inferno, Purgatorio, Paradiso
by Dante Alighieri -
2
Art and Illusion: A Study in the Psychology of Pictorial Representation
by E.H. Gombrich -
3
Leonardo da Vinci: i documenti e le testimonianze contemporanee
by Edoardo Villata -
4
The Literary Works of Leonardo da Vinci
by Jean Paul Richter -
5
Leonardo da Vinci
by Kenneth Clark
The best books on Leonardo da Vinci, recommended by Martin Kemp
The best books on Leonardo da Vinci, recommended by Martin Kemp
Every generation has its own Leonardo, and for many he remains a man of mystery. Martin Kemp, Emeritus Professor in Art History at Oxford and the author of the recently published Mona Lisa: The People and the Painting, helps us identify the non-mythical Leonardo. What might Leonardo be doing were he alive today, in our own digital age?
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Ordinary Men
by Christopher Browning -
2
Jews, Germans, and Allies: Close Encounters in Occupied Germany
by Atina Grossmann -
3
A Brief Stop on the Road from Auschwitz
by Goran Rosenberg -
4
Dissonant Lives: Generations and Violence Through the German Dictatorships
by Mary Fulbrook -
5
Stasiland: Stories from Behind the Berlin Wall
by Anna Funder
The best books on Modern German History, recommended by Hester Vaizey
The best books on Modern German History, recommended by Hester Vaizey
In the 20th century, Germany suffered defeat in two world wars and withstood two kinds of dictatorship. Yet today it is Europe’s strongest economy. Hester Vaizey, fellow of Clare College, Cambridge, and author of Born in the GDR, selects five brilliant books on a tumultuous century.
Nick Clegg on his Favourite Books
Much as some Brexiteers like to pretend it isn’t, England is not only in Europe, but has been, in various centuries and in various ways, at the very heart of it. The former Deputy Prime Minister of the UK, Nick Clegg, discusses his favourite European novels and the founding text of his own political ideology, liberalism.
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What Next: How to get the best from Brexit
by Daniel Hannan -
2
Brexit Beckons: Thinking ahead by leading economists
by Richard Baldwin (ed) -
3
Branching histories of the 2016 referendum and ‘the frogs before the storm’
by Dominic Cummings -
4
Brexit: Why Britain Voted to Leave the European Union
by Harold Clarke, Matthew Goodwin & Paul Whiteley -
5
Autumn
by Ali Smith
Jonathan Portes recommends the best things to read on Brexit
Jonathan Portes recommends the best things to read on Brexit
Why did Brexit happen? What does the future hold for Britain outside the European Union? Can trade economists help? The economist and former head of the National Institute of Economic and Social Research, a non-partisan think tank, recommends the best books (and one blogpost) on Brexit.
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Still Life with Oysters and Lemon: On Objects and Intimacy
by Mark Doty -
2
The Embarrassment of Riches: An Interpretation of Dutch Culture in the Golden Age
by Simon Schama -
3
Vermeer
by Lawrence Gowing -
4
Rembrandt's Enterprise: The Studio and the Market
by Svetlana Alpers -
5
Art of the Everyday: Dutch Painting and the Realist Novel
by Ruth Bernard Yeazell
The best books on The Dutch Masters, recommended by Adam Eaker
The best books on The Dutch Masters, recommended by Adam Eaker
The past may be a foreign country, but the world portrayed in the art of the Dutch Masters is not so very far from our own, says Adam Eaker of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. For a society that struggles with materialism and consumption, there are a lot of lessons to be learnt from the 17th century Golden Age.
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.
The Best Adam Smith Books, recommended by Dennis Rasmussen
Adam Smith tends to be seen as the founder of capitalism and modern economics, but he was, first and foremost, a moral philosopher. Dennis Rasmussen, author of The Infidel and the Professor—a book about Smith’s friendship with David Hume—selects the best books by and about Adam Smith.
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English Society 1660-1832
by Jonathan Clark -
2
The History of Parliament: The House of Commons, 1715-1754
by Romney Sedgwick ed. -
3
Jacobitism and the English People, 1688-1788
by Paul Monod -
4
1715: The Great Jacobite Rebellion
by Daniel Szechi -
5
France and the Jacobite Rising of 1745
by Frank McLynn
The best books on Jacobitism, recommended by Murray Pittock
The best books on Jacobitism, recommended by Murray Pittock
The failure of the Stuarts to win back the English or Scottish throne changed the course of history, enabling the buildup of a highly centralized British state and, possibly, America’s war for independence. Murray Pittock chooses the best books on Jacobitism, the 18th century phenomenon that nearly overthrew the British government.
The best books on French Theatre, recommended by Florent Masse
French theater is appreciated as much in reading as in performance. Princeton University’s Florent Masse offers us a reading from the point of view of teaching theater. How did the great men of theater—such as Jouvet, Copeau, or Vitez—build their learning? Discover the principles and references that guide the best directors. (You can also read this interview in the original French)
The best books on Populism, recommended by Cas Mudde
After a tumultuous year in politics, ‘populism’ is on everybody’s lips. But what is it? Is it good or bad for democracy? How is it that populist movements often have superrich leaders? Political scientist and longtime populism observer Cas Mudde recommends the best books on populism.
Christos Chomenidis recommends books on the Real Greece
Greek myths are not all classical tales of heroes and tempestuous gods. Here, the novelist Christos Chomenidis chooses five books that get to the heart of what it really means to hail from Greece, and why it’s hard to live in the wake of the Ancients.
The best books on Refugees, recommended by Patrick Kingsley
Having trouble getting your head around the refugee crisis? New York Times reporter Patrick Kingsley, formerly the Guardian’s migration correspondent, chooses the best books on refugees. He explains his choices to Ziad Ghandour, himself a refugee from Syria.