146 | Best Political Novels

A break from Brexit this week: we talk to the novelist Richard T. Kelly, author of Crusaders and The Knives, about what makes great political fiction.  We discuss the research needed to make a political novel authentic, how to get inside the head of a politician and we ask whether May or Trump would make good fictional heroes.  Plus we pick some of our favourite political novels, with literary critic Kasia Boddy. 

Don't worry: more Brexit soon!

106 | Talking Politics Guide to ... Summer Reading

Regular Talking Politics contributors tell us about the books they’ve most enjoyed reading, and what they are looking forward to reading next. We've added the list of books mentioned below, but have deliberately not linked through to online purveyors: if you're shopping for summer reads, please take this list into your favourite local bookstore...

• What we have been reading:
  • Aaron Rapport: The Power by Naomi Alderman
  • Helen Thompson: The Radetzky March and The Emperor’s Tomb by Joseph Roth
    Memoirs of an Anti-Semite and The Snows of Yesteryear by Gregor von Rezzori
  • Andrew Preston: 1491: The Americas before Columbus by Charles Mann
  • Jennifer Cobbe: Repeal The 8th: A Collection of Stories, Essays, Poetry and Photography around the Movement for Reproductive Rights in Ireland, edited by Una Mullally
  • David Runciman: American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld;
    The Nominee by Curtis Sittenfeld
  • Chris Brooke: Emily Wilson’s new translation of The Odyssey
  • Chris Bickerton: The Rise and Fall of American Growth by Robert Gordon
• What we plan to read this summer:
  • Aaron: Hopefully the next in the Saga graphic novel series: written by Brian K. Vaughan, and illustrated by Fiona Staples
  • Helen: Crashed by Adam Tooze
  • Andrew: Watergate, A Novel and Finale, A Novel Of The Reagan Years by Thomas Mallon
  • Jennifer: Privacy’s Blueprint: The Battle to Control the Design of New Technologies by Woodrow Hartzog
  • David: The Way Of All Flesh by Samuel Butler
    The unabridged audiobook of Thomas Hobbes’ Leviathan read by Peter Wickham
  • Chris Brooke: Not Enough: Human Rights in an Unequal World by Samuel Moyn
  • Chris Bickerton: The Occupation Trilogy by Patrick Modiano

You can also find a carefully-curated reading list to support each of our summer guides over at lrb.co.uk/guides.

81 | Educated

David talks to Tara Westover about her incredible new book Educated, which tells the story of how a girl brought up by survivalists in Idaho and who never went to school ended up with a PhD from Cambridge.  Along the way we discuss what education means and what Tara's journey has taught her about politics and about life.  Really, this is a conversation about the important stuff.

75 | Books and Things

To ring in the New Year, before we get back to the serious business of talking politics, we talk about some of our favourite recent reading.  History books, novels, Asian politics, shameless plugs for our nearest and dearest - it's all here in one neat little package, from Aaron, Helen, Chris, Chris and David.
 

52 | Summer Reading 2

Regular panellists John Naughton and Aaron Rapport share their summer reading recommendations this week, joined by the podcast's intern Colby Smith. The list includes blogs and baseball. Listen out for an appearance from Maha Rafi Atal at the end, who helps Aaron brush up on his English history.