Anyone got any suggestions for non fiction books they've really enjoyed? One of my favourites is "Command and Control" by Eric Schlosser. It discusses mishaps with nuclear weapons and the tricky business of ensuring they only go off at the appropriate time. Fascinating book.
I'm reading Hugh Aldersey-Williams' Periodic Tales at the moment. I'm not a scientist (I got a C for Chemistry 'O' level in 1981) but it's generally an easy read, entertaining, and full of interesting anecdotes as well as educating me about occupants of the periodic table that I haven't thought about for 40 years or had never been aware of.
Barrows Boys by Fergus Fleming. My number one go to non fiction recommendation.
“Barrow's Boys: The Original Extreme Adventurers - A Stirring Story of Daring Fortitude and Outright Lunacy”
I’ve recently enjoyed Basil Mahon’s “The Forgotten Genius of Oliver Heaviside: A Maverick of Electrical Science”
Oliver Heaviside invented the “Heaviside Step Function”. Many people remember the “Dirac Delta” instead, which is a shame as it’s purely derivative of Heaviside’s work.
I love nature and adventure books. Redmond O'Hanlon's Borneo Adventure (and other books of his)
Recently read a book on the History of England. Currently enjoying Meadowland, the diary of an English field.
SPQR - history of Rome looked interesting and I thought I'd take a look once I polish off the two library books I have out.
Jonathan Haidt's first two books give scientific accounts of happiness (The Happiness Hypothesis) and morality (The Righteous Mind). Deep insights into the human condition that aren't guessing or opinion, they're actually based in rigorous research.
How To Change Your Mind by Michael Pollan is a fascinating read - but it will make you want to try LSD, if you haven't before.
Currently reading 'The Making of the English Landscape' by WG Hoskins
'This is one of those rare books that can produce a permanent and delightful enlargement of consciousness' - New Statesman
😊
"Longitude" by Dava Sobel is the only non-fiction book that I've read twice.
Another one for 'barrows boys' then carry on with 90 degrees north' with more "ice clumped lunatics"
Into The Black, by Rowland White - the history of the Space Shuttle and the people who developed and flew in it. Called "The Right Stuff of our Times" by a reviewer. Also The Right Stuff itself is a great read.
The Greatest Knight - Thomas Asbridge
Biography of William Marshal - a peerless warrior and paragon of chivalry, right hand man of 5 English Kings and heavily involved with Magna Carta. Fascinating read.
"Vietnam: An Epic History of a Tragic War" by Max Hastings
A fascinating detailed history of what went on; nobody comes out of it well.
Melvyn Bragg has just reminded me (Radio 4) about "The Strangest Man" by Graham Farmelo - a biograpy of Paul Dirac, mathematician and physicist.
I suspect anything by Dava Sobel will be good - Galileo's Daughter certainly is, and another vote for Longitude.
mountain days and bothy nights for a good light read. Would second Pete meads suggestion of 'the strangest man'
Guns germs and steel is a classic, has stayed with me for years
The Five - Hallie Rubenhold. About the five women known to be Jack the Ripper's victims, although the murders are almost incidental. It focuses on pulling together everything known from coroner's reports, witness statements and interviews to piece together their lives and describe how they became the vulnerable destitute people walking alone in a ridiculously dangerous part of the city. It challenges the received view that they (much like the misrepresentation of the Yorkshire Ripper's victims 100 years later) were "just prostitutes". Angry and poignant writing.
They're talking about Dirac on R4 right now.
Surely you're joking Mr Feynman. Especially the safe cracking chapter.
Just about anything by Stephen Pinker, but the Language Instinct, How the Mind Works and Better Angels of our Nature are phenomenal.
For a bit of light relief I often return to 1000 Years of Annoying the French, and An Utterly Impartial History of Britain by John O'Farrell is both educational and very funny.
I've been having to read a crazy amount of non-fiction in the last five years in connection with my latest project, but one book that's very different from the rest, because it relates to all books and all writing, I would single out as a very useful and rather beautiful read. About the English language from a writer's point of view. It's a bit uneven, in that some parts I think are much better than others, but I can't see anybody who's interested in our language not benefiting from it:
'First You Write a Sentence. The Elements of Reading, Writing ... and Life' by Joe Moran.
+1 for Longitude
Also re-reading Rachel Hewitts Map of a Nation, a history of the Ordnance Survey
The Map That Changed the World - Simon Winchester is also good and fits in well with the above two suggestions. About one mans tireless production of the geological map of Great Britain.
I've also just read John Burn's books:
The Last Hillwalker
Bothy Tales
There's a third that I haven't yet read.
Now I'm also reading Mountains of the Mind - Robert Macfarlane, a fascinating look into the way we perceive mountains and how this has changed through time.
> I’ve recently enjoyed Basil Mahon’s “The Forgotten Genius of Oliver Heaviside: A Maverick of Electrical Science”
The same author wrote a good short biography of Maxwell, entitled 'The Man Who Changed Everything.'
> Anyone got any suggestions for non fiction books they've really enjoyed? One of my favourites is "Command and Control" by Eric Schlosser. It discusses mishaps with nuclear weapons and the tricky business of ensuring they only go off at the appropriate time. Fascinating book.
If you haven't read it, I recommend 'The Making Of The Atomic Bomb' by Richard Rhodes.
I have enjoyed reading the Penguin series on the history of Europe. Highly informative, and totally different from the stuff I have to think about professionally.
I particularly loved the volumes dealing with the Dark Ages and the transition to the early medieval period (The Inheritance of Rome by Chris Wickham) and the end of the medieval period and the transition to modernity (Christendom Destroyed by Mark Greengrass).
CB
I'm currently reading The worst journey in the world, by Apsley Cherry-Gerrard. About his experience in the Scott expedition to Antarctica. Never mind type two fun, this is type three or four, but a fantastic read.
On the theme of nuclear weapons Sam Harris released a really great Podcast last week titled 'The Bomb' that you will surely enjoy.
> I'm currently reading The worst journey in the world, by Apsley Cherry-Gerrard. About his experience in the Scott expedition to Antarctica. Never mind type two fun, this is type three or four, but a fantastic read.
Have you got to the chapter on the Winter Journey, when it all goes pear-shaped and the suffering is off the scale?
That's where I am now. They are making a mile and a quarter a day, it's pitch dark 24 hours a day, -70 and it takes an hour of pummeling to get the sleeping bag flexible enough to get into it. He steps out one morning and looks up, only to be frozen into that position for the rest of the day.
But when the leader suggests they turn back, it's unthinkable. Utter madness.
"They all love Jack" A book by Bruce Robinson where he explores in forensic detail the Jack the Ripper murders. A complete tour de force.
A classic, but read it if you haven't: The Periodic Table by Primo Levi.
A great book, but to be fair some of it is fiction. If this is a man / The truce is a must read though.
> That's where I am now. They are making a mile and a quarter a day, it's pitch dark 24 hours a day, -70 and it takes an hour of pummeling to get the sleeping bag flexible enough to get into it. He steps out one morning and looks up, only to be frozen into that position for the rest of the day.
> But when the leader suggests they turn back, it's unthinkable. Utter madness.
Believe me, it gets worse!
I just finished Edward Snowden's autobiography 'Permanent Record' which details his life up until his disclosures on global surveillance in 2013. It is a fascinating read and you don't have to be technical to understand/enjoy it.
> But when the leader suggests they turn back, it's unthinkable. Utter madness.
Yet it's divine madness.
Be prepared for your heart to break...
Mick
Thanks, just listened to it, really absorbing and the apparent apathy towards reducing the threat of nuclear war is really disturbing. Especially as there are no grown ups in charge anymore!
I can just remember the last page. A complete classic (like the end of Whymper and Mummery's books).
Many thanks for all the interesting suggestions. Plenty to go at here if we end up confined to barracks!
"Catch Me If You Can" was one of my favourites. Its a crazy story and I brings up good points about the justice system.
"Packing for Mars" is about the difficulties of getting humans into space and really interesting.
"The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town" is a great book and quite scary.
Finally "The World Without Us" is a nice and interesting read.
I get books second hand from a church nearby and also browse in the local library for things which catch my eye. I do get through some varied stuff. Recently enjoyed:
The Sound of Laughter by Peter Kay
Bambi and Me by Jonny Kingdom
Guy Gibson by Richard Morris
Return of a King by William Dalrymple
Trying to get through The Paranormal by Stanley Gooch but can't decide if the guy was a crackpot or onto something.
Landscape and Memory By Simon Shama is at times wonderful
True, bit of an undertaking however.
> Guy Gibson by Richard Morris
Assuming we're talking about the Guy Gibson, the bomber pilot, his 'Enemy Coast Ahead' is one of the greatest war books I've ever read. Very succinctly and beautifully written. An absolute must-read.
> Assuming we're talking about the Guy Gibson, the bomber pilot, his 'Enemy Coast Ahead' is one of the greatest war books I've ever read.
Yes, Gordon - the man himself. I don't think I've read 'Enemy .... ' but the Morris book gives some very interesting information regarding the background of the writing of Gibson's book. I'd recommend it, as it does humanise the man behind the legend but not in a nasty, puncturing way. I've read stuff verging on character assasination (Robert Scott seems to be a favourite for this) which I always find unappealing but Morris seems to be fairly even-handed.
> Very succinctly and beautifully written. An absolute must-read.
Yes, I'll try and get hold of a copy. According to Richard Morris, the original version(s) of what Gibson wrote are quite different in many ways to what eventually emerged in 'Enemy Coast Ahead'.
The man who loved dogs.
A novel, but it is a very detailed history of the killing of trotsky. A fantastic book.
Failure is not an option, Gene Kranz. Apollo from the mission control perspective. Carrying the Fire, Michael Collins.
The Last Enemy, Richard Hilary. Recovery mental and physical in a burns unit after being shot down. Put like that it sounds awful but it is a very good and inspiring book.
Cox's Navy, the story of the salvage of the German High Seas fleet from Scapa Flow. Fascinating.
Must make a note of a lot of these. I really enjoy military and polar history and the space race. It's a shame that the weather is getting better so less inclined to stay in.