If you read non-fiction, what do you read?

[NotPennysBoat]

Doing lots more reading at the moment for obvious reasons, and wondering if I could actually be using the time more productively to learn something and broaden my horizons!
So if you read non fiction, please share with me what you read! Genres and specific book recommendations welcome.

If you like history, read Dan Jones' books. He writes about medieval history and has written definitive books about the Plantagenets, the Templars and his latest one is about the Crusades.

Alison Weir is another author who writes history, but she can be hit and miss as her likes and dislikes are always blatantly obvious. Amy Licence also writes books about women in history and she is very good.

I love history - Peter Ackroyd’s books ‘London‘ and ‘Thames‘ are really interesting. They’re structured thematically rather than chronologically which makes them a bit different - sort of compendiums of interesting facts rather than trad history books.

I like travel books - Bill Bryson for funnies, Colin Thubron for heavy and then anything I can get my hands on really. Levison Wood's books that accompany his tv shows are good too.

www.amazon.co.uk/Prisoners-Geography-Everything-Global-Politics/dp/1783961414?tag=mumsnetforu03-21

I also enjoyed this. This is more DH's realm - geopolitics. The author has written a few good books that DH has liked.

I’m just settling down with Antonia Fraser’s bio on Mary Queen of Scots so I’m pleased she got a name check up thread! I love historical biogs and particular favourites are The Strangest Family by Janice Hadlow (about George III and Queen Charlotte) and Queen Anne by Anne Somerset.
Just to jump on the thread, would love some other suggestions of what to read next in this genre.

I read mostly fiction but recently really enjoyed Educated by Tara Westover.

Autobiography’s / Biographies and a lot of music history books. Particularly enjoying Sarah Pascoes first book at the moment and Kaleidoscope Eyes: Psychedelic Rock from the '60s to the '90s which is niche but very interesting if you’re into music.

I love to read travel books, particularly ones about train journeys. Paul Theroux is a excellent author for this type of book for example. I also like to read books about prehistory, I can recommend After the Ice by Steven Mithen if that kind of thing interests you. I probably read more non fiction than fiction now I think about it :)

Another Antonia Fraser one: her biography of Marie Antoinette. Antonia Fraser's mother Elizabeth Longford was also an accomplished historical biographer. It's been a while, but I remember enjoying her biographies of Queen Victoria and Elizabeth II.