Books by Bettany Hughes
Bettany Hughes is an award-winning historian, author, and broadcaster. She is the author of numerous books, including Helen of Troy: Goddess, Princess, Whore; The Hemlock Cup: Socrates, Athens and the Search for The Good Life – a New York Times bestseller – and Istanbul: A Tale of Three Cities – a Sunday Times bestseller. She is a Research Fellow at Kings College London and a Professor of History at the New College of the Humanities.
“As we like lists of ‘the best’ at Five Books, I’ll also mention The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, a new book by British historian Bettany Hughes. She traces where the idea of these ‘seven wonders’ came from, and then visits each of the sites. Hughes does a lot of TV documentaries, and that’s slightly the vibe of the book, you want to be there and see what she’s seeing.” Read more...
Nonfiction Books to Look Out for in Early 2024
Sophie Roell, Journalist
Istanbul: A Tale of Three Cities
by Bettany Hughes
A historic journey through one of the the world's most pivotal cities. We caught up with award-winning historian Bettany Hughes when she was chair of the 2019 Man Booker international Prize to talk about the best fiction in translation.
The Hemlock Cup
by Bettany Hughes
The Hemlock Cup by Bettany Hughes is a book that tries to recreate life in 5th century Athens using not only texts but also archaeological findings. It's about Socrates and the world he lived in, rather than his philosophy. If you're visiting Athens, it's an essential book to have with you.
Interviews with Bettany Hughes
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1
Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead
by Olga Tokarczuk, translated by Antonia Lloyd-Jones -
2
Celestial Bodies
by Jokha Alharthi, translated by Marilyn Booth -
3
The Years
by Annie Ernaux & translator - Alison Strayer -
4
The Pine Islands
by Jen Calleja & Marion Poschmann -
5
The Shape of the Ruins
by Juan Gabriel Vásquez, translated by Anne McLean -
6
The Remainder
by Alia Trabucco Zerán & Sophie Hughes (translator)
The Best Novels in Translation: the 2019 Booker International Prize, recommended by Bettany Hughes
The Best Novels in Translation: the 2019 Booker International Prize, recommended by Bettany Hughes
Bettany Hughes, author of Istanbul: A Tale of Three Cities and chair of this year’s Booker International Prize judging panel, talks us through the six books they have shortlisted for the title of best novel in translation.
The best books on Divine Women, recommended by Bettany Hughes
Ancient history was a man’s world – but women were considered closer to the gods. The historian and TV presenter Bettany Hughes reveals the secrets of Athenian priestesses, Byzantine empresses and Stone Age fertility goddesses.
Interviews where books by Bettany Hughes were recommended
The Best Classics Books for Teenagers, recommended by Olly Murphy
Caesar, Cicero, Achilles, Socrates, Plato: millennia later, we still talk about them. Olly Murphy, classics teacher at Wycombe Abbey, one of England’s top girls’ schools, recommends books and explains why classics remains one of the most exciting subjects for teenagers to study.
The best books on Renewable Energy, recommended by Juliet Davenport
The chief executive of Good Energy says we need to think big if we want to cut our use of high-carbon energy. She tells us about the intersection between business, politics and doing the right thing
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1
The Shortest History of Economics
by Andrew Leigh -
2
Maurice and Maralyn: A Whale, a Shipwreck, a Love Story
by Sophie Elmhirst -
3
Vagabond Princess: The Great Adventures of Gulbadan
by Ruby Lal -
4
How the World Made the West: A 4,000-Year History
by Josephine Quinn -
5
Third Millennium Thinking: Creating Sense in a World of Nonsense
Saul Perlmutter, Robert MacCoun and John Campbell
Nonfiction Books to Look Out for in Early 2024, recommended by Sophie Roell
Nonfiction Books to Look Out for in Early 2024, recommended by Sophie Roell
From the origins of sex to the effects of social media, from the invention of the wheel to the race against climate change, Five Books editor Sophie Roell gives an overview of the new nonfiction books appearing in January, February and March of 2024.
