My annual look back at the best books I’ve read / listened to this year. I only read about 80 books, the lowest number since 2016, and well down from my peak of 308 in 2020. I spent almost the whole year living in Timor-Leste, one of the poorest countries in the world, where printed books are a rarity and there are no lending libraries. I borrowed eBooks on my iPad through my New Zealand library account but I much prefer reading a physical book to looking at another screen. The majority of my reading has therefore been audiobooks, listened to while walking or doing many of the tasks by hand that would be mostly automated in New Zealand, such as washing dishes and washing clothes. These are the books that stayed with me the longest…
Travel related
Lost in the Valley of Death: A Story of Obsession and Danger in the Himalayas by Harley Rustad
A well researched and written account of the haunting story of American backpacker Justin Alexander Shetler who shared his increasing off the grid travels on social media until his disappearance and presumed death in the Indian Himalaya. Very much in the style of Into Thin Air, this is a compelling read.
Dear Bill Bryson* Footnotes from a Small Island by Ben Aitken
Bill Bryson’s Footnotes from a Small Island is a much loved classic but in many ways I found this an equal, just as funny. It is an entertaining and insightful travel book, particularly on how Britain has changed over the two decades between the two books being published.
Everest, Inc. The Renegades and Rogues who Built an Industry at the Top of the World by Will Cockrell
A fascinating history of the travel industry on Everest and how it has changed so much over the years. Jon Krakauer’s Into The Void remains the definite Everest book for many but this book shows how that was representative of a point in time, and how much the industry and submitting Everest has changed since. For anyone interested in mountaineering or adventure travel this is a must read.
Into Iraq by Michael Palin
I read this last year but listened to the audiobook this year, enjoying Palin’s familiar tone though missing the excellent photography in the book. It is amazing how at the age of 79 he was undertaking a trip which left me exhausted just listening to it. It presents a welcomingly different side of Iraq to endless war and conflict.
History
Blowout: Corrupted Democracy, Rogue State Russia, and the Richest, Most Destructive Industry on Earth by Rachel Maddow
How the oil industry is responsible for vast corruption, and environmental damage, captured in forensic detail this compelling, if horrific, book. The scale of state capture, and lack of responsibility for the pollution caused, is quite sickening.
A Very Short History of the Israel–Palestine Conflict by Ilan Pappe
Highly topical given the conflict in Gaza. This book was written by a prominent Israeli historian to give context to recent events, and in 4 hours (as an audiobook) it does an excellent job. I’ve read a lot about Israel and visited in 2023 but still learnt new things from this book.
War! What Is It Good For?: Conflict and the Progress of Civilization from Primates to Robots by Ian Morris
An enthralling book on why humans turn to war, and the perhaps unexpected benefits of doing so. Two thirds is a chronological history of warfare and empire, before digging into human psychology and genetics to try and understand this aspect of human behavior.
Politics
Why Is This Lying Bastard Lying to Me?: Searching for the Truth on Political TV by Rob Burley
A great read for anyone interested in how British politicians and the media have evolved over the past 50 years. It is understandable but also to the detriment of democracy how politicians increasingly seek to avoid accountability for their actions and decisions.
Politics: A Survivor’s Guide: How to Stay Engaged without Getting Enraged by Rafael Behr
A well written and constructive but also rather depressing account of how politics has changed got the worse, and the increasing mess that has been British politics in recent years.
Keir Starmer: The Biography by Tom Baldwin
It is too early to tell, but the now British Prime Minister appears to have the right background and mentality to make a positive change to how the country is run, portrayed in this sympathetic and persuasive biography.
Music
Holding the Note: Writing On Music by David Remnick
Anything that David Remnick writes is excellent, from a brilliant account of the fall of the Soviet Union (which I read last year), to this collection of his writings on musicians. His mini biographies bring fresh perspectives to his subjects.
Bowie: The Illustrated Story by Pat Gilbert
Much more than an attractive coffee table book, this perfectly marries a very good biography of Bowie with images that enhance the story telling, appropriately so for a musician with such a strong visual flair. It is particularly strong on his early years.
Other
The Bomber Mafia: A Dream, a Temptation, and the Longest Night of the Second World War by Malcolm Gladwell
The first of two Malcolm Gladwell books I listened to as audiobooks, and both have been designed with this format on mind, narrated by the author and employing much richer production design than usual, closer to a podcast than a typical audiobook. This tells the story of strategic bombing, the cast of characters involved, and why they had such an impact (and caused so much controversy) during WW2.
Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know about the People We Don’t Know by Malcolm Gladwell
Illustrated by many disturbing examples of violence against the innocent in America, this powerful book breaks down how and why simple interactions can quickly turn into nightmare situations resulting too often in injury or death.
Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl
I’d never heard of this book, despite it being a bestselling classic, and stumbled across it somehow on my library book app. It was written after WW2 by Jewish psychologist who spent time in Nazi concentration camps. He offers a brief personal history (which was subsequently disputed) followed by his logotherapy system which offered some interesting ideas and perspectives on the importance of leading a meaningful life.