History: A Very Short Introduction by John Arnold. Dr Chris Callow, Lecturer in Medieval History: If you haven’t read it already, it’s well worth buying and reading. It makes good sense to read it whatever stage you are at in your degree.
The 7th Function of Language by Laurent Binet. Josh Allen, Research Development Officer: Set in the early 1980s, this French hybrid of the spy thriller and campus novel genres is a) utterly hilarious and b) the perfect riposte to that annoying older relative you’ll doubtless have to spend time with over the summer who asks ‘so what can you do with that then?’ when you talk about your module on ‘kinship in (delete as applicable) West Africa/Classical Greece/early 19th-century America’. If The 7th Function of Language has a moral it is that spending time studying the humanities and the ability it gives you to read, understand and get along with people who are different from you is a real superpower in and of itself.
The Meursault Investigation by Kamel Daoud. Dr Simon Jackson, Lecturer in Modern Middle Eastern History: This novel revisits Albert Camus’ existentialist classic The Stranger by looking at the story from the point of view of the brother of the murdered and unnamed ‘Arab’ of Camus’ story. It’s a vivid and inventive tale that makes us think about how European colonialism has shaped literature and determined the power to name things and tell stories. For anyone who has read Camus’ novel or is interested in how empire shaped today’s world, this is a great read.
Sea of Poppies by Amitav Ghosh. Dr Mo Moulton, Lecturer in the History of Race and Empire: Set in mid-19th century India, this novel is a page-turner as well as a vivid view into the expansion of the British Empire. The rest of the trilogy takes you to Madagascar and China, and the Opium Wars. In addition to being a novelist and essayist, Ghosh is a cultural anthropologist. Alsorecommended: Trans Britain by Christine Burns. This one is on my summer reading list: a new history of a marginalized community, by a veteran campaigner. Finally, The Gathering by Anne Enright. It’s been called a weepie for intellectuals. A beautifully written story about families and Irish modernity.
Lords of the Horizons. A History of the Ottoman Empire by Jason Goodwin. Dr Philip Burton, Reader in Latin and Early Christian Studies: Ever wondered what happened after the fall of Constantinople in 1453? Marvellously written, packed with detail, by someone who clearly knows and loves his subject. If you’ve been to Turkey, or are going, or might go one day, this is for you. Also recommended: Venice by Jan Morris (this book is by Jan Morris. And it is about Venice. I don’t know what higher recommendation it needs) and Black Sea. Coasts and Conquests. From Pericles to Putin by Neal Acherson, a former Times journalist who’s written widely on European history, and clearly knows his classics too. Here he looks at how the Black Sea has served as a meeting-place between the Mediterranean, central Europe, and the Asian steppe. The first edition was subtitled ‘Birthplace of Civilisation and Barbarism’. Additionally, The Secret History by Donna Tartt. This is great fun. A novel all about what happens when a group of Ancient Greek students at a Vermont liberal arts college decide to murder one of their classmates, and what happens next. Don’t try this at home. Finally, Different Class by Joanne Harris. Another novel about classics teaching, but here set in a dysfunctional independent school somewhere in the north of England. A wonderful story about adolescence, ageing, and alienation, which resists reduction to a mere parable. By the author of Chocolat.
Angry White Men: American Masculinity at the End of an Era by Michael Kimmel. Dr Steve Hewitt, Senior Lecturer in American & Canadian Studies: From the rise of President Donald Trump to the frequent media appearances of academic and pop philosopher Jordan Peterson to the increasing authoritarianism in various countries in Eastern Europe, angry white men are everywhere. Some occupy positions of political, cultural, and economic power; smaller numbers engage in acts of extreme violence. All share a sense of grievance. Reflecting on this important phenomenon in an American and broader context is Michael Kimmel. His book is an essential tool for understanding the world around us.
Travels with a Tangerine by Tim Macintosh Smith. Dr Margaret Small (Lecturer in Europe and the Wider World): Macintosh Smith travels in the footsteps of Ibn Battuta, a 14th century Moroccan who travelled all over North Africa (and indeed the Islamic world although this book only traces the first part of his journey). It is beautifully written and vivid; by turns fascinating, informative and hilarious. (I must admit, it also left me with no desire to sample the Moroccan delicacy of rotten fish).
An Instance of the Fingerpost by Ian Pears. Dr Jonathan Willis, Senior Lecturer in Early Modern History: There are a few good reasons for an early modern historian to recommend this book: it’s set in 17th-century England, features historical characters like Robert Boyle and John Locke, and touches on big themes like the restoration and scientific revolution. But mainly it’s just a great murder mystery ‘whodunit’! Also see Marooned on an Island Monographs: an English Reformation Summer Reading List for my five must-read books on the English Reformation (especially useful for anyone planning on studying the the Reformation next year!).
Writing on Drugs by Sadie Plant. Dr James Pugh, Lecturer in Modern History: An intoxicating book in which Sadie Plant reveals humanity’s enduring and symbiotic relationship with drugs. As she notes, ‘even the most sober individual lives in a world in which drugs have already had profound effects’. One to ponder as you sip your cocktail by the poolside…
Ministry of Utmost Happiness by Arundhati Roy. Dr Manu Sehgal, Lecturer in South Asian History: Set in Delhi the book fluidly (even disquietingly) moves between the lives of characters and settings – a graveyard in the process of being converted into a haven for the outcasts of a callous world, the intertwined lives of religious and sexual minorities – a powerful retelling of the conflicts and humaneness that is the heart of the experiment of modern India. Also recommended: Quit India and Other Stories by Ismat Chughtai. The most creative and fearless short story writer of 20th century Indian literature that we should be paying much more attention to, Chughtai’s work has boldly ventured into themes that include gender, sexuality, class, religion, politics and the contested, intertwined terrains of storytelling and historical narratives. Finally, for non-fiction I recommend Sense And Solidarity – Jholawala Economics for Everyone by Jean Drèze. The most important, lucid and ethical social scientist-activist in contemporary India, Drèze’s critical commentary has been culled for the period 2000-17 into a collection of thematically organised essays on a range of debates/topics – public policy, spending, social justice movements, economics and ideas. The collection warns us about how ‘the idea that social spending in India is too high would be amusing if it were not so harmful’.
Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders. Tom White, School Administrator: This novel is set over the course of one night as Lincoln deals with the grief of losing his 11-year-old son Willie. It won the Man Booker Prize in 2017.
Pereira Maintains by Antonio Tabucchi. Dr Matthew Francis, Birmingham Teaching Fellow: A magnificent short novel set against the backdrop of 1930s Lisbon and Antonio de Oliveira Salazar’s Portugal. Pereira Maintains tells the story of how Pereira is shaken out of his apolitical stance into active resistance to the regime, and asks what it means to live under a dictatorship.