Interviewer
Sophie Roell, Editor
Sophie Roell is co-founder and editor of Five Books. Previously she worked as a journalist in London, Beijing, Shanghai and New York. As a financial reporter, she covered the early years of the Chinese stock markets and the transition of its economy after Deng Xiaoping’s 1992 tour of the south. She wrote about the North Korean economy from Pyongyang in 2001.
She studied modern history as an undergraduate at Oxford and, after travelling the world as a reporter for five years, took the Master’s in Regional Studies-East Asia at Harvard University. This wonderfully flexible program insists on at least one East Asian language and some courses on East Asia, but leaves plenty of room to roam about the university taking courses on random subjects. Five Books, set up in 2009, is an attempt to continue that experience.
Below, you’ll find Sophie’s Five Books interviews with experts. Her own recommendations, normally nonfiction, are here. She also reads a lot of mysteries.
Interviews by Sophie Roell
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1
Against Elections
by David Van Reybrouck -
2
The Government of Chance: Sortition and Democracy from Athens to the Present
by Yves Sintomer -
3
The End of Politicians: Time for a Real Democracy
by Brett Hennig -
4
Open Democracy: Reinventing Popular Rule for the Twenty-First Century
by Hélène Landemore -
5
De Gruyter Handbook of Citizens’ Assemblies
edited by Min Reuchamps, Julien Vrydagh and Yanina Welp
The best books on Citizens’ Assemblies, recommended by Hugh Pope
The best books on Citizens’ Assemblies, recommended by Hugh Pope
Around the world, democracies are struggling with angry populations who are fed up with politicians who don’t seem to represent them effectively. Fortunately, there’s an alternative. Hugh Pope—a veteran reporter on the Middle East who also spent 15 years working for International Crisis Group—introduces us to the growing movement for ‘citizens’ assemblies’, where ordinary people get together to decide what’s best for the community. He argues that these assemblies have already been used effectively on important issues that are difficult for politicians to tackle and reveals how the French president, Emmanuel Macron, came to find out about them.
The Best Historical Fiction Set in England, recommended by Lesley Thomson
For avid readers always on the lookout for new books to fall in love with, finding a good author and reading every single book they’ve ever written is a not uncommon strategy. British crime novelist Lesley Thomson introduces some of her favourite books, all works of historical fiction set in England.
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1
Stalingrad
by Antony Beevor -
2
The Longest Day
by Cornelius Ryan -
3
Reach for the Sky: The Story of Douglas Bader, Hero of the Battle of Britain
by Paul Brickhill -
4
To Hell and Back: The Classic Memoir of World War II by America's Most Decorated Soldier
by Audie Murphy -
5
The War: A Memoir
by Marguerite Duras
The best books on World War II Battles, recommended by Alex Kershaw
The best books on World War II Battles, recommended by Alex Kershaw
In World War II human beings were tested over and over again, and that is part of what explains its enduring fascination, says bestselling historian Alex Kershaw. He recommends five books of great storytelling that immerse you in the drama, the heroism and the tragedy of World War II and also have the benefit of being relatively short.
The Best Noir Crime Thrillers, recommended by Cory Doctorow
If you like your crime novels with a good dose of black humor, Canadian activist and author Cory Doctorow has some recommendations for you. He picks out five of his favorite noir thrillers, from urban fantasy to Jewish alt-history by way of ‘Vantablack’ noir.
Historical Fiction Set Around the World, recommended by Jane Johnson
From Africa to the Middle East to Korea and Japan, there are so many countries you can discover by reading a good historical novel. British novelist and publisher Jane Johnson, several of whose books take place in Morocco at different times in the country’s history, recommends five of her favourite historical novels set around the world.
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1
Crossroads: I Live Where I Like
Koni Benson, André & Nathan Trantraal (Illustrators), Ashley Marais (Illustrator) -
2
Aya
Marguerite Abouet and Clément Oubrerie (illustrator) -
3
All Rise: Resistance and Rebellion in South Africa
by Richard Conyngham (editor) -
4
Madame Livingstone: The Great War in the Congo
by Barly Baruti (illustrator) & Christophe Cassiau-Haurie -
5
Kariba
by Daniel Clarke, Daniel Snaddon & James Clarke
The Best Comics on African History, recommended by Trevor Getz
The Best Comics on African History, recommended by Trevor Getz
Graphic narratives can be a great way to learn history but they need to be both good history and good comics. That’s a combination that can be hard to find. Trevor Getz, a professor of history at San Francisco State University, picks out his top comic books on African history.
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1
Titus Andronicus (Arden Shakespeare)
by Jonathan Bate & William Shakespeare -
2
Reinventing Shakespeare: A Cultural History, from the Restoration to the Present
by Gary Taylor -
3
Passing Strange: Shakespeare, Race, and Contemporary America
by Ayanna Thompson -
4
Shakespeare on Film
by Judith Buchanan -
5
The Palgrave Encyclopedia of Global Shakespeare
by Alexa Alice Joubin (editor)
The best books on Shakespeare’s Reception, recommended by Emma Smith
The best books on Shakespeare’s Reception, recommended by Emma Smith
In the years after William Shakespeare died, his plays took on a life of their own. They meant different things to different people at different times as they spread around the world, turning a glover’s son from a one-horse town in central England into one of the best-known authors of all time. Emma Smith, Professor of Shakespeare Studies at the University of Oxford, recommends books to better understand ‘Shakespeare reception’—the study of Shakespeare since his death.
The Best World War II Thrillers, recommended by Graham Hurley
For all its horrors, World War II was a time when things happened to people and that, perhaps, is what makes it such an enduring source of fascination. Graham Hurley, author of the Spoils of War series, recommends five of the best World War II thrillers, including one that reads like nonfiction.
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1
The Managed Body: Developing Girls and Menstrual Health in the Global South
by Chris Bobel -
2
Blood Magic: The Anthropology of Menstruation
Thomas Buckley & Alma Gottlieb (editors) -
3
Bodyminds Reimagined: (Dis)Ability, Race, and Gender in Black Women’s Speculative Fiction
by Sami Schalk -
4
Pollution is Colonialism
by Max Liboiron -
5
Dangerous Pregnancies: Mothers, Disabilities, and Abortion in Modern America
by Leslie Reagan
The best books on Menstruation, recommended by Kate Clancy
The best books on Menstruation, recommended by Kate Clancy
Menstruation is a natural process that will happen some 400 times in a woman’s life, and yet it still causes embarrassment. Biological anthropologist Kate Clancy, author of Period: The Real Story of Menstruation, recommends books that shed light not only on periods, but on how to make the world a better place.
The Best Feminist Books: 50 Years of Virago Press, recommended by Sarah Savitt
This week Virago Press celebrates its 50th anniversary. To mark the occasion, the international feminist publisher is reissuing one iconic book from each decade of its existence. Sarah Savitt, publisher of Virago Press, talks us through their ‘Five Gold Reads’ and explains why they remain important feminist books.