Listmania!
My favourite books on history and politics
The Presidents: The Transformation of the American Presidency from Theodore Roosevelt to George W. BushThe Presidents: The Transformation of the American Presidency from Theodore Roosevelt to George W. Bush by Stephen Graubard
Buy used from: £3.40
A seminal work. This historical account will help any reader better understand the influences and motivations of Presidents in both the domestic and foreign fields.
Al-Qaeda: The True Story of Radical IslamAl-Qaeda: The True Story of Radical Islam by Jason Burke
Buy used from: £0.01
The one book that anybody seeking to better understand Islamic militancy should read.
Candide (Penguin Popular Classics)Candide (Penguin Popular Classics) by Voltaire
Buy new: £2.00 / Used from: £0.01
Forget the context and the intentions of this story and its a ripping read. Leave them in and its an incredible social and political commentary.
A History of the Middle EastA History of the Middle East by Peter Mansfield
Buy new: £8.08 / Used from: £4.50
So much history crammed into this book. Mansfield is a rare breed, he can write on the Middle East and stay largely objective and dispassionate.
On the Road to KandaharOn the Road to Kandahar by Jason Burke
Buy used from: £1.84
Part travel-guide, part political and historical analysis. A vivid recanting of experience of conflict throughout the Islamic World.
House of Bush House of Saud: The Secret Relationship Between the World's Two Most Powerful DynastiesHouse of Bush House of Saud: The Secret Relationship Between the World's Two Most Powerful Dynasties by Craig Unger
Buy new: £6.97 / Used from: £0.67
Investigative journalism rarely gets better than this.
The Prince (Oxford World's Classics)The Prince (Oxford World's Classics) by Niccolò Machiavelli
Buy used from: £0.93
Possibly the most misunderstood and misinterpreted work ever. May well still explain why our leaders do what they do.
Desert Shield to Desert Storm: The Second Gulf WarDesert Shield to Desert Storm: The Second Gulf War by Dilip Hiro
Buy new: £28.99 / Used from: £27.44
Well worth a read if the Gulf Crisis of 1990/91 is of interest. Extremely well-written with in-depth analysis and understanding.
Pilgrimage for Peace: A Secretary General's MemoirPilgrimage for Peace: A Secretary General's Memoir by Javier Perez De Cuellar
Buy used from: £3.73
A fascinating insight into the work of the UN Secretary General at a time of great change and new challenges. The one set of memoirs from a Secretary General that wasn't disappointingly tame.
Sleepwalking Through History: America in the Reagan YearsSleepwalking Through History: America in the Reagan Years by H Johnson
Buy new: £11.99 / Used from: £6.02
A brilliant critique of Reagan, his administration and the land he led at the time.
Why Do People Hate America?Why Do People Hate America? by Ziauddin Sardar
Buy new: £4.98 / Used from: £0.01
An interesting and impressively objective effort to answer a difficult question.
Why Peacekeeping FailsWhy Peacekeeping Fails by Dennis C. Jett
Buy new: £19.94 / Used from: £11.59
Deftly sheds light on the problems of UN peacekeeping, and for wider conflict resolution.
The Great War for Civilisation: The Conquest of the Middle EastThe Great War for Civilisation: The Conquest of the Middle East by Robert Fisk
Buy new: £9.04 / Used from: £5.99
Love him or hate him, Fisk makes for excellent and vivid reading. Anyone who cares about the Middle East will take pleasure in this extensive history.
Saudi Arabia in the Balance: Political Economy,Society,Foreign AffairsSaudi Arabia in the Balance: Political Economy,Society,Foreign Affairs by Paul Aarts
Buy new: £16.49 / Used from: £12.70
Not for the inexperienced, this is a very deep and rigid account of Saudi Arabia, its past, present and future. An important work.
Hug Them Close: Blair, Clinton, Bush and the 'special Relationship'Hug Them Close: Blair, Clinton, Bush and the 'special Relationship' by Peter Riddell
Buy used from: £2.33
A telling account of the 'Special Relationship' since the late 1990s. A very intelligent analysis and explanation of the Blair government's relationship with Clinton and Bush.
Strategies of ContainmentStrategies of Containment by John Lewis Gaddis
Buy used from: £8.99
A book that seems to account convincingly for most aspects of US foreign policy during the Cold War.
The Rise to Globalism: American Foreign Policy Since 1938The Rise to Globalism: American Foreign Policy Since 1938 by Stephen Ambrose
Buy new: £7.17 / Used from: £4.88
Reads almost like a soap opera. There's cliff hangers and this is one book that is hard to put down!
Pity the Nation: Lebanon at WarPity the Nation: Lebanon at War by Robert Fisk
Buy new: £8.36 / Used from: £5.52
From an author who has lived there for many years, this book lays bare the pain and strife of life in Lebanon.
The Clash of Fundamentalisms: Crusades, Jihads and ModernityThe Clash of Fundamentalisms: Crusades, Jihads and Modernity by Tariq Ali
Buy new: £8.38 / Used from: £3.70
An angry, ultra-leftist interpretation of the apparent clash between the West and the Islamic world that is nevertheless entertaining and intriguing.
Afghanistan: A Short History of Its People and PoliticsAfghanistan: A Short History of Its People and Politics by Martin Ewans
Buy used from: £7.43
Brings to life the history of a mysterious and misunderstood land.
Dude, Where's My Country?Dude, Where's My Country? by Michael Moore
Buy used from: £0.01
Moore cannot be relied upon for an objective reading of US politics and society. But his humorous anti-Bush, anti-Republican rants are wonderful entertainment, from both left and right perspectives.
The Cold WarThe Cold War by John Lewis Gaddis
Buy used from: £3.98
At times a strange read, Gaddis remains ever thorough in his analysis of the Cold War.
The Taliban: War, Religion and the New Order in Afghanistan (Politics of Contemporary Asia)The Taliban: War, Religion and the New Order in Afghanistan (Politics of Contemporary Asia) by Peter Marsden
Buy new: £11.99 / Used from: £3.01
The Taliban may have been removed, but this in-depth account explains their rise to power and sheds light on Pashtun culture.
The Arabs (Penguin History)The Arabs (Penguin History) by Peter Mansfield
Buy used from: £8.50
Fed up with the stereotypical image of Arabs found in most Western media? Want to understand the real Arab world? This is a great place to start.
Michael Moore is a Big Fat Stupid White ManMichael Moore is a Big Fat Stupid White Man by David Hardy
Buy new: £7.99 / Used from: £0.01
How amusing it is to see the American right try to beat Moore at his own game. It's all very childish, but its great fun.