Peter the Great: His Life and World by Robert K. Massie

LIVES WELL LIVED? A pick from biography and memoir, PAST PRESENT - Readings in History

Robert K. Massie’s Peter the Great: His Life and World (1980) is an acclaimed, Pulitzer-winning biography that reads like a vivid novel, yet still contains exhaustive research. It provides a comprehensive, balanced portrait of the complex Tzar, covering his reforms, personal life, and his efforts to modernize Russia. Massie begins with Peter’s early life, starting with his […]

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The Waiting by Michael Connelly

CRIMINALLY MINDED - Tales of the behaviourally challenged

Michael Connelly is an American author of detective novels and other crime fiction, notably those featuring LAPD Detective Hieronymous “Harry” Bosch and criminal defence attorney Mickey Haller. Connelly (Author Michael Connelly’s Biography) is the bestselling author of 38 novels and one work of non-fiction, with over 74 million copies of his books sold worldwide and translated into 40 languages. In

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Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews: A Jewish Life and the Emergence of Christianity by Paula Fredriksen

PAST PRESENT - Readings in History, SPIRIT MATTERS - Reaching for the Divine

Biographers, like historians, rely on sources to build a picture of their subject. Take Margaret Thatcher as an example. A biographer setting out on the task would have an excellent range of rich sources – television interviews, House of Commons speeches, memories of Thatcher’s family, friends and acquaintances, Parliamentary papers, Civil Service documents, newspaper and

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The Shadow of The Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón

LITERARY BENT - Writing at its best

Set in post-war Barcelona (1945), The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón (Carlos Ruiz Zafon – About | Carlos Ruiz Zafón Author – Official UK site) is a gothic mystery that follows Daniel Sempere, the son of an antiquarian bookseller. After losing his mother, Daniel is initiated into the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, a secret labyrinthine library where he ‘adopts’ a

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Super-Infinite: The Transformations of John Donne by Katherine Rundell

LIVES WELL LIVED? A pick from biography and memoir

John Donne (1571-1631) (John Donne | The Poetry Foundation) was born into a Catholic family at a time of persecution; family members were imprisoned and tortured. He moved between success and penury, with a stint in law, an unsuccessful foray as an adventurer in Spain, and a period at court that ended when he secretly

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The Frontiers of Knowledge: What We Know About Science, History and The Mind by A.C. Grayling

EXPERIMENTAL EVIDENCE - Science & Technology, PHILOSOPHY - The love of wisdom

The scope of modern science is so vast and complex that no one person can have a deep understanding of all topics. Should you wish for the best available summary between two covers, reach for The Frontiers of Knowledge by Anthony Grayling (A.C. Grayling). In very recent times humanity has learnt a great deal about

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