A roundup of the most enjoyable books I’ve read in 2018. Not up to my usual numbers, I usually try to manage 10-15 books a year, but this year due to completing my Masters Thesis I fell behind.
Ian Brady: The untold story of the Moors Murders by Alan Keightley
I’ve been fascinated with the Moors Murders case since watching a documentary a few years ago. Alan Keightley presents here a definitive account, based on his many meetings with Ian Brady whilst he was in prison. A sometimes harrowing read.
Auschwitz #34207 – The Joe Rubenstein Story by Nancy Sprowell Geise
I’ve read a few Auschwitz memoirs. I remember reading Elie Wiesel’s ‘Night’ for the first time a few years ago, and wondering how any human could endure the suffering the Jewish people did during those years. Joe Rubenstein’s story is another difficult read.
Frost/Nixon: Behind the Scenes of the Nixon Interviews by David Frost
I watched Ron Howard’s ‘Frost/Nixon’ when it came out and remember being fascinated by the battle of wits between the journalist and former US President. This book, written not long after the interviews give some good detail of how the interviews were put together and how they eventually became a success.
Archangel by Robert Harris
My once a year allowance of fiction. I read this about 10 years ago and it’s one of the best pieces of historical fiction in my opinion. Re-read in sunny Portugal in August.
CyberWars: Hacks that shocked the business world by Charles Arthur
A great book that gives a large amount of detail behind many of the most famous hacks such as HBGary, Sony Pictures and TalkTalk.
KL: A History of the Nazi Concentration Camps by Nikolaus Wachsmann
An absolutely astounding work of history of the camps, starting at their inception in 1933 to the liberation in the spring of 1945. I’ve never read a more detailed analysis of the camps and their legacy.
The Shortest History of Germany by James Hawes
Another holiday read, and a very good one at that. I read this in an afternoon, and it outlines the history of Germany from Roman times right up to the present day.
Currently Reading
The Death of Hitler: The Final Word on the Ultimate Cold Case: The Search for Hitler’s Body by Jean-Christophe Parshina & Lana Brisard
This is very enjoyable so far. In some parts I’m aware it’s been translated from French though. Looking forward to the conclusions it will draw, especially since the authors have been able to get access to GARF (the Russian State Archives), which contain documents from Hitler’s Fuhrer bunker, records and reports from Red Army soldiers involved in the capture of the bunker in Berlin, and reputedly fragments of Hitler’s skull.