Cal Flyn, Deputy Editor

World War II forced people of many nationalities into extraordinary circumstances, says Lori Inglis Hall—who works in the archives of WW2 photographer Lee Miller and whose new novel follows twins forced apart by conflict. Here, she recommends five of the best novels set during World War II, both historical fiction and novels written immediately after or during the war by eyewitnesses.

The best historical fiction should transport the reader directly into the past, yet offer insight that reflects upon the present, argues Emily Howes, whose new novel Mrs. Dickens will be released later this year. Here, she recommends five of her favourite historical novels that, like her own books, are drawn from true stories.

English-speaking readers are not always so familiar with the dramatic historical events of Central and South America, says Sofia Robleda—author of a new novel set during the Aztec empire, The Other Moctezuma Girls. But if you enjoy historical fiction with heart and soul, you are bound to love these five vibrant, “hugely relevant” novels set in Latin America.

‘Manifest Destiny’ was an idea brought forward in the United States in the 1830s as a rationalisation for western expansion. But it was always contested, argues Andrew Isenberg, Distinguished Professor of American History at the University of Kansas, as he selects five history books that, together, offer insight into what the borderlands of the American West were really like.

Heroic explorer or harbinger of doom? The impact of Christopher Columbus has become the focus of intense debate—in both academia and the arena of popular opinion—in recent years. We asked noted scholar of colonial Latin American history Matthew Restall to recommend five of the best books that explore Columbus’s life and legacy.

The Victorian era—defined by its imperial ambition, strict moral and social codes, and flashes of brutality—serves as fertile ground for historical fiction, argues Virginia Feito, whose acclaimed new book Victorian Psycho satirises the hypocrisy of the age. Here, she recommends five boundary-pushing novels that expose the darker underbelly of a most mannered age.

Shakespeare’s plays and even his life have inspired many other writers over the years. Here, Sally O’Reilly, author of Hagtale: A Macbeth Origin Story, recommends five creative retellings of Shakespearean stories—from a brilliantly absurdist Tom Stoppard play to an elliptical short story by Jorge Luis Borges.

‘Afrofuturism’ is a term that has come to describe books about the Black experience through a speculative lens. We asked Eugen Bacon, the award-winning fantasy author and member of the Sauúti Collective—who, together, have created a shared fictional universe—to recommend five key Afrofuturist books.

The appeal of the country house mystery book is as much about the society you’ll encounter as the setting itself, says Gareth Rubin—author of a festive, choose-you-own-adventure-style murder mystery. Here, he recommends five of the best examples, from a clever time-slip whodunnit to Agatha Christie’s most brutal novel.

Every year, we ask our philosophy editor Nigel Warburton to select the best new philosophy books aimed at the general reader. In 2025, he’s chosen—among other things—biographies of Schopenhauer and Wittgenstein, and a carefully-curated collection of Existentialist writings.