What was the last non fiction book you bought/ read/enjoyed?

[LemonAndAPear]

I'm always looking for non fiction recommendations and I'd appreciate any suggestions. Even if you haven't read it yet I'd be interested to know what you've bought recently.

TIA

I tend to listen to non fiction books rather than read. Recent favourites have been

The Ticket Collector from Belarus about a British Rail ticket collector who was put on trial for Nazi War crimes in the UK. It was the only war crimes trial that took place in the UK. It was fascinating and also quite upsetting.

Berlin by Sinclair Mackay A history of the people of Berlin from the 1st world War until the late 1940s. I'm about halfway through this and it's fascinating.

What Lies Buried interesting stories from a forensic psychologist.

Find me New way to die a biography of Edith Piaf

Uncommon People defining moments if 40 rock and pop stars. I learnt a lot.

Marie Antoinette by Antonia Fraser

Young and Damned and Fair a biography of Catherine Howard

All that Remains by Sue Black. Actually any of her books they're amazing

Their Darkest Hour and Auschwitz by Laurence Rees.

Ok I'll stop now 😁

Entangled Life by Merlin Sheldrake Mind-blowing exploration of fungi and its importance to life on earth.

Putin's People by Catherine Belton Corruption, violence and complicity expertly explained.

Red Famine by Anne Applebaum Examination of the horrifying, man(Stalin)-made famine in Ukraine during the 1930s, history and consequences.

I really enjoyed the one by Anne Glencomer who was the lady in waiting to Princess Margaret. Think it was just called 'Lady in Waiting'.

Red Famine by Anne Applebaum Examination of the horrifying, man(Stalin)-made famine in Ukraine during the 1930s, history and consequences.

Oh that sounds interesting @Boiledeggandtoast I'll have to check if it's on Audible.

Idiots and Idiot by Laura Clery.

Jonnie Bairstow autobiography Under a Clear Blue Sky. Very good.

Just started The Year of the End by Anne Theroux about the year of marriage break up. I bought The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion at the same time.

I really enjoyed 1913: The Year Before the Storm chronologically relating what various famous people were up to in the year before the First World War. I found it very funny in places.

Sorry 1913 was written by Florian Illies

I would second previous posters recommending Invisible Women.
The other one which I've found fascinating and eye-opening recently is Empireland by Satnam Sanghera - Highly recommended!

Ditto. I loved it.

I'm a big non-fiction fan. Some I've enjoyed recently:

Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain - read by him on Audible

Kursk by Robert Moore

Fall by Robert Preston, about Robert Maxwell

My Rock n Roll Friend by Tracey Thorn

And my favourites ever include:

A Time Of Gifts by Patrick Leigh Fermor, detailing his walk as a young man across pre-WW2 Europe

Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee by Dee Brown - heartbreaking account of the deliberate extermination of the Native American people

Fatal Shore by Robert Hughes, fascinating history of Australia

The Worst Journey In The World by Apsley Cherry Garrard who was on Scott's doomed Antarctic expedition

Wonderland Avenue by Danny Sugarman,jaw dropping tales of rock 'n' roll excess

Ring Of Bright Water by Gavin Maxwell, trailblazer of nature writing

The Pike about the Italian poet and proto-fascist agitator (and generally deeply strange man) Gabriele d'Annunzio.

An African in Greenland, I bought a second hand copy but it has been republished - v interesting.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/432213.AnAfricanninGreenland

Jews dont count by david Baddiel.

Islands of abandonment. About what happens when humans leave and nature starts to take over again.

The Book of Tresspass Nick Hayes. About the history of land ownership in this country.

I’ve just started Unwell Women: A journey through medicine and myth in a man-made world by Elinor Cleghorn, which I’m sure will raise my blood pressure at certain points!

I read a great book last year called Prairie Fires about the life of Laura Ingalls Wilder and the history of the pioneers in the states.

Cold Cream by Ferdie Mount. It's an autobiography.. He was a Fleet Street journalist and his writing is very funny in places,with anecdotes about all sorts of people. He was also Margaret Thatcher's speech writer, but that's only a small part of the book. He says he respected her but never liked her.

I really enjoyed:

‘A carpet ride to Khiva’ by C. Alexander

‘Eastern Horizons’ by Levison Wood

‘ Syria’s secret library’ by Mike Thomsom

and found this one fascinating (read it during lockdown)

The plague cycle, by Charles Kenny

Stolen Focus - why you can't pay attention by Johann Hari
Old Rage by Sheila Hancock
Fix the System Not the Women by Laura Bates. (In progress).

I saw something like this on tv a few years ago. They did computer generated images of how places would look after years of nature looking after itself. Fascinating!

I'd second A Time of Gifts by Patrick Leigh Fermor (waves to MegBusset from the 50 Books thread).

I've just finished stolen focus. Some interesting ideas but ultimately a bit disappointing. I'm currently reading Bleaker House by Nell Stevens. It's about a writer who wins a three month fellowship to write anywhere in the world and chooses Bleaker Island in the Falklands which is fairly isolated, hardly populated and not much there.

The Hidden Life of Trees by
Peter Wohlleben
Brilliant, fascinating, depressing