By Jake Weatherill from Lewisham Branch
I don’t know if you are aware, but this month is Non-Fiction November. Now I appreciate that I generally write about fiction, but I do enjoy a good Non-Fiction book. So in a change to your regularly scheduled posts I am here with five recommendations for this month!
 |
| Library copy of Tomorrow Will Be A Good Day |
1) Tomorrow Will Be A Good Day by Captain Sir Tom Moore:
Well this seems timely seeing as we’re all back in Lockdown. Back in March we were a nation locked down, and things felt very dark indeed. However in the midst of it all acts of kindness by many of the people in this country shone through like glimmering ray of hope. Amongst these everyday heroes stepping up was one who captured the public’s imagination. A Second World War veteran doing laps of his garden in the build up to his 100th birthday in the hope of raising £1000 for the NHS.
He would go on to raise over £30,000,000 during the course of his walks, and also go on to be the oldest person ever to score a UK number one single. This was Captain Tom Moore, and Tomorrow Will Be A Good Day is his story. Detailing his life from a youngster in Yorkshire to an officer serving in India, and his time after finishing his service with the Army Captain Tom’s boundless optimism makes for an up lifting read sure to life your spirits.
 |
| Library copy of Why I'm no Longer Talking to White People About Race |
2) Why I’m No Longer Talking To White People About Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge:
This is a very appropriate recommendation given what a year 2020 has been for highlighting longstanding racial inequality on a mass scale. Released in 2017 to critical acclaim, it followed in the vein of influential Black writers such as W. E. B. Du Bois, James Baldwin and bell hooks. With the increasing prominence of the Black Lives Matter movement globally, and a serious need for parts of the world to look more closely at the reality of the legacies of their past.
Eddo-Lodge’s work is a must read for those who wish to understand how we have ended up at this point, and what can be done to change it. This is a brutally honest and admirably open book drawing on the experiences and rich history of Britain’s BAME community to provide something enlightening to those who wish to further develop their social conscious.
3) Waterloo by Bernard Cornwall:
This recommendation is here partly because of my love of history, which meant I wanted to make sure there was a history book on this list, and partly because I have been watching a couple of YouTube series on the rise and fall of Napoleon Bonaparte. It also helps that this is written by the author of the successful Sharpe series Bernard Cornwall who made his name writing stories about the eponymous fictional serving British Rifleman set during the Napoleonic Wars.
It’s an interesting, if different, take on the history book. Cornwall’s naturally descriptive style as a novelist is combined with his passion for history to produce a riveting and engrossing take on the most significant battle in early 19th Century Europe. Loaded with detailed maps and contemporary sources this is a must read for any history buff.
 |
| Library Copy of Waterloo |
 |
| Library copy of Soho |
4) Soho by Dan Cruickshank:
As a proud Londoner I love the opportunity to learn a little bit more about this fascinating city. Its architecture, its famous residents, its secret history. Central London in particular is a veritable gold mine of these things. From Tower Hill to Westminster and in between you’re spoilt for choice in where to indulge yourself when deciding what part of Central to explore.
One of the most famous examples of London’s rich heritage is Soho. Dan Cruikshank’s Soho is a valuable resource for any Londoner looking to explore the narrow streets of one of London’s most iconic locations. Looking at the history and architecture of its streets, as well as a few of its people for good measure, Soho provides an enlightening read for any Londoner.
5) I Am Football by Zlatan Ibrahimovic:
The beautiful game has provided us with tonnes of iconic players, and the odd world class megastar too. But only the true greats of the game are known by a singular name that serves as more of a title dedicated to their brilliance with the ball. Maradona. Messi. Pele. Ronaldo. These legends known simply by their surname. However only one is on first name terms with the planet. Only one refers to themselves in the Third Person.
Only one is Zlatan. Zlatan Ibrahimovic is one of football’s most enduring personality with a career spanning four decades. Having played in six different countries and winning silverware in four of those has only fed Ibrahimovic’s cocky yet endearing personality, while his brilliant interviews are truly a piece of exceptionally performed theatre further cementing his legend. But my words can never do the man justice, so why not read about Zlatan in Zlatan’s own words in possibly the most modestly titles biography of all time.
 |
| Library copy of I am Football |
And that’s it from me. I hope you have enjoyed Five Books For Non-Fiction November. Who knows? Maybe I will have another list for you in the future. Ciao for now, and stay safe out there.
Comments