Books & Poetry

In 2006, former Granta editor Bill Buford published ‘Heat’, a testosterone-fuelled account of working for renowned chef Mario Batali. Now Michael Booth puts his Y chromosome to the test...

David Bowie’s so-called ‘Berlin Trilogy’ of albums represented an acute reaction to an LA lifestyle which, as early as 1975, had brought the singer to the brink of full-blown...

For those who prefer their fiction astringent, this book of short stories is the equivalent of a vat of whiskey sours. I sucked it back (all 400 pages) in a couple of long sessions and emerged high...

A book subtitled ‘A History of Women and the Mind Doctors from 1800 to the Present’ is never going to be full of laughs, but Lisa Appignanesi’s engaging and important study, which...

Edward Ardizzone wrote and illustrated ‘Tim and the Brave Sea Captain’ – first published in 1935 – for his children, drawing on boyhood memories of exploring the Ipswich...

There are certain presents that most parents think twice about giving their offspring: chemistry sets, cuddly toys that ‘talk’, and glittery hair colour that isn’t quite as...

This enormous novel luxuriates in its spaciousness, not by cramming in crowds of extras, but by allowing its unassuming protagonists to stretch and flex. Hensher has chosen the suburbs of Sheffield...

While sharing a forename with the eponymous rock group invented by Doug Johnstone for his second novel isn’t a prerequisite for enjoying it, I found it quite handy. To those who need...

Péter Zilahy’s uncategorisable book – an illustrated blend of reportage, memoir and dictionary – has been a bestseller in many European countries. Taking part in the...