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Can anyone please recommend a good non fiction audiobook?

25 replies

VanillaEverytime · 20/07/2024 15:16

I have 2 Audible credits and I don’t know what to use them on.

I tend to prefer science and history books but I’m open to any suggestions.

TIA

OP posts:
WestrayWife · 20/07/2024 15:18

Invisible Women by Caroline Criado Perez - great book and the author reads the audiobook herself. Easy listen but incredibly insightful

SwayingInTime · 20/07/2024 15:18

Unruly is good fun
Spare Parts is really interesting
I also like the Prisoners of Geography books

Elephantsarenottheonlyfruit · 20/07/2024 15:18

I just read (on audible) Difficult Women a history of feminism in 11 fights by Helen Lewis, really good book, well researched and presented.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

Howtonamechange · 20/07/2024 15:19

The life of henierrietta lacks is brilliant

LifeofBrienne · 20/07/2024 15:22

A Bit of a Stretch, Chris Atkins

DramaLlamaBangBang · 20/07/2024 15:26

Another vote fir Unruly. Written and read by David Mitchell. His voice imo really adds to it. It's an easy and funny listen, especially if you like history

Another2Cats · 20/07/2024 15:27

Another vote for Unruly here.

AppleCream · 20/07/2024 15:30

I enjoyed The Code Breaker by Walter Isaacson, about gene editing.

timbitstimbytes · 20/07/2024 15:36

For history and science, Salt by Mark Kurlansky, it' about Salt and how important it was in shaping civilisation and covers ancient history, Cheshire and its role in the American Civil War. Prisoners of Geography I would second that one too, Butler to the World by Oliver Bullough about London and money laundering, We Don't Know Ourselves by Fintan O'Toole about the history of Ireland and The Price of Time by Edward Challenor about interest rates (trust me, way more interesting than it sounds!).

DramaLlamaBangBang · 20/07/2024 15:42

I have one audible credit and was wondering whether to spend it on ' Femina' by Janina Ramirez or ' normal women' by Phillipa Gregory. Or Difficult women by Helen Lewis All on the same topic.

VanillaEverytime · 20/07/2024 18:30

Thanks all! I’m grateful for the suggestions.

OP posts:
myflightiscancelled · 20/07/2024 18:46

Challenger by Adam Higginbotham is really really good about the shuttle and the events leading up to the Challenger disaster. Science and History boxes ticked !

Butteredtoast55 · 20/07/2024 18:49

I really enjoyed Killing Thatcher. The book, that is 😁DH is enjoying Rory Stewart's latest book.

OlgaBracley · 20/07/2024 19:22

Empire of Pain.

winkygirl · 20/07/2024 19:25

I am also a fan of Unruly by David Mitchell. Plus The Five by Halle Rubenhold.

piloqeula · 20/07/2024 19:34

Ultra-processed people

Labtastic · 20/07/2024 19:38

Politics on the Edge by Rory Stewart

Mercedes519 · 20/07/2024 19:42

If you like Harry Potter The History of Magi’s is based on the exhibition held in London. It explores real history and artefacts through the lens of the story, looking at magic, dragons and that kind of things. As an audio book it’s done really well with lots of different voices and the actual experts from the British Museum.

DurtBurd · 20/07/2024 19:44

I'm not usually one for memoirs but Limitless by Nuala Moore is a great read (listen).

SwayingInTime · 20/07/2024 20:08

Definitely Politics onthe Edge

Also remembered Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell which is done a bit like a longform podcast

Pathogenesis about germs in history

Any Jon Ronson if read by him

I'm a sucker for Bill Bryson

Centuries of Change looks at fastest developing periods in a fun way

About to start The Wager

SwayingInTime · 20/07/2024 20:10

Almost wish I hadnt read Henrietta Lacks as I bet the audio book is really good

Thisisthedawningoftheageofaquarius · 20/07/2024 20:13

Loved Outliers by Malcolm gladwell- one of my fave audiobooks ever.

it’s fiction but my actual fave audio book is demon copperhead if you’re interested!

Philandbill · 20/07/2024 20:16

Hitler, Stalin, Mum and Dad by Daniel Finkelstein is superb.
Also good is Hans and Rudolf by Thomas Harding.
I also enjoyed The Moment of Lift by Melinda Gates.
And like others I thought Politics on the Edge by Rory Stewart was superb and I would never vote Tory.
This is a great thread, thank you @VanillaEverytime

MojoJojo71 · 20/07/2024 20:35

All that remains - Professor Sue Black
War Doctor - David Nott
Becoming - Michelle Obama

Another2Cats · 20/07/2024 22:02

SwayingInTime · 20/07/2024 20:08

Definitely Politics onthe Edge

Also remembered Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell which is done a bit like a longform podcast

Pathogenesis about germs in history

Any Jon Ronson if read by him

I'm a sucker for Bill Bryson

Centuries of Change looks at fastest developing periods in a fun way

About to start The Wager

"Centuries of Change looks at fastest developing periods in a fun way."

I would also agree with this as well. The subtitle is "Which Century Saw the Most Change and Why it Matters to Us". It's by Ian Mortimer who also did the excellent "Time Travellers Guide to Elizabethan England" and "Time Travellers Guide to Medieval England".

All of these books are really interesting to listen to.

Another, maybe slightly unusual, recommendation would be "The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire" by Edward Gibbon published in 1772.

The narrator is rather dry but how Gibbon writes is very different to how historians write these days and his use of language is very interesting at times.

To be frank though, this wouldn't be in my top two if I only had two credits to use up. It's very interesting to listen to though.

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