The Arab world before the discovery of oil
Copy: The National, Aug 2013 I get books in the post all the time. Nearly every day, if I’m honest. But not many are like Travels In Arabia Deserta by Charles Doughty. It’s a massive […]
Ben East
Interview: David Peace on Shankly novel
Metro, August 2013. David Peace’s novel about the obsessions of Liverpool manager Bill Shankly has certainly been dividing opinion. Friends of mine who heard Red Or Dead on BBC Radio 4’s book at bedtime said […]
Is Bundesliga now the best league in Europe?
Earlier this summer, I was asked by a new sports magazine in South Africa, SHM, to look at the increasing popularity and success of the Bundesliga in Germany. A great thrill, as I very much […]
Margaret Atwood to Stephen King: Summer reads 2013
The National, June 2013 >> It’s the time of year when filling long lazy days with a book seems both an indulgence and a completely natural state of affairs. Here’s a guide to the stories that should […]
Book review: The Wit And Wisdom Of Boris Johnson
The Observer, June 2013 >> On the very first page of this undertaking, staggering in its chutzpah,Boris Johnson is called a “great man”. On the second, a “phenomenon”. The introduction has barely begun as Harry Mount […]