With people doing a lot of reading, I decided to present my 100(ish) top books from my bookshelves.

Rules are:
– It must be sitting there on my shelves!
– No more than two pure author.

A must as possible the covers used are the ones on my shelves.

This is clearly just a sample – hundreds more on the shelves I could have included! And obviously this is my collection, so skews to my personal interests…

Topics covered:
– British Monarchs
– UK Politics
– US Politics
– Israeli Politics
– Australian Politics
– General Non Fiction
– Science & Philosphy
– Sport
– General – Autobiographical
– General Fiction
– Science Fiction
– Science Fiction related Biographical

I hope you get some ideas!

 

Non Fiction

British Monarchs

King John: Treachery, Tyranny, and the Road to Magna Carta
Marc Morris

This one cuts beneath the assumed knowledge and myth and presents a well researched and balanced account of the period.

 

Edward II: The Unconventional King
Kathryn Warner

All Warner’s history books are excellent, but this is a definitive work on Edward II.

 

Richard III & the Princes in the Tower
Alison Weir

Weir is another wonderful author of English history, and this is another book that uses proper research to explore a controversial set of events.

 

Henry VIII: King & Court
Alison Weir

Edward VI: The Lost King of England
Chris Skidmore

A pivotal but underwritten period of English history.

Elizabeth
David Starkey

If you read one Starkey book, make it this one. He goes into detail on the early life of Elizabeth I.

 

Victoria The Queen
Julia Baird

 

UK Politics

The Tories and the Nation State 1922-97
Alan Clark

If you want to understand the Conservative Party and Europe, read this.

The Prime Minister
Peter Hennessy

A neat summary of post-war leaders of Britain, and how the office has evolved.

William Pitt the Younger
William Hague

An incredibly good piece of work on a political hero of mine.

 

Robert Peel
Douglas Hurd

Gladstone
Roy Jenkins

Another excellent and well written book on one of my political heroes.

Churchill
Roy Jenkins

The best book I’ve personally read on the subject.

Rab Butler: The Best Prime Minister We Never Had?
Michael Jago

Decades of Conservative Party government explored through the influential MP who twice just missed out on being Prime Minister.

Downing Street Diary
Bernard Donoghue

An insider look at Harold Wilson’s time as Labour PM in the 1970s.

Jeremy Thorpe
Michael Bloch

Scandalous!

The Path to Power/The Downing Street Years
Margaret Thatcher

Combined one of the very best political autobiographies out there. The Path to Power is an especially insightful look at the Conservative party between the 1950s and 1980s, and developed of Thatcher as a politician and leader.

The Alan Clark Diaries
Alan Clark

Witty and honest and interesting; a look inside the Thatcher/Major Governments from MP and junior Minister.

A Political Suicide
Norman Fowler

Senior Cabinet Minister gives his take on the decline and end of the Conservative Government in the 1990s.

John Major: The Autobiography
John Major

The Third Man
Peter Mandalson

The best book I’ve yet read on the Blair-Brown years of the Labour Party, including the lead up under Kinnock.

Coalition Diaries
David Laws

 

US Politics

Second Acts
Mark K. Updegrove

This is a fascinating look at the role of US Presidents after the Presidency.

John Adams
David McCullough

Definitive work on a lesser known founding father.

Truman
David McCullough

One of the best Presidential biographies I’ve read.

Kennedy & Nixon
Christopher Matthews

This is a really interesting book which looks and the close friendship and parallels between these men in their time before the Presidency.

An Unfinished Life: John F Kennedy
Robert Dallek

Dallek is one of the best writers, and this is the best book on JFK I’ve yet read.

RFK: A Candid Biography
C. David Haymann

Simply one of my favourite books.

Flawed Giant: Lyndon Johnson
Robert Dallek

Another great work from Dallek, and the best book on LBJ, in my opinion.

In Retrospect
Robert S. McNamara

When the Centre Held
Donald Rumsfeld

Rumsfeld gives an honest and inside view of an overlooked President.

Jimmy Carter
Peter G. Bourne

Another favourite of mine, this is a work that tracks Carter from State politics to President and beyond, with a detailed look at primaries, elections, the Camp David accords, etc.

Ronald Reagan: An American Life

Read it.

George Bush: The Life of a Lone Star Yankee
Herbert S Parmet

The definitive work on arguably the most qualified President of the 20th century.

41: A Portrait of My Father
George W Bush

Clinton: The President they Deserve
Martin Walker

A bare and honest account of Clinton making it to the Presidency.

Primary Colors
Anonymous

Technically fiction, but a barely disguised story of Clinton’s primary campaign in 1992.

Inventing Al Gore
Bill Turque

Written in the lead up for Gore’s 2000 campaign, and interesting look at Democrat politics in the 80s and 90s.

Shadow
Bob Woodward

Woodward is an amazing author with incredible access. If you read just one of his books, read this one.

Decision Points
George W Bush

Bush chooses not to write a standard life story, instead framing his memoirs around several key decisions and leadership moments.

Bush At War
Bob Woodward

Woodward explores in detail the early years of the war on terror.

In My Time
Dick Cheney

The sheer expanse of Cheney’s role in Government over four decades makes this a really interesting read.

Worth the Fighting For
John McCain

An honest look at McCain’s life and his thoughts on his failed 2000 Presidential run, as well as the best assessment on US foreign policy I’ve read.

Double Down
Halperin & Heilemann

Account of the 2012 Obama and Romney campaigns. Game Change by the same authors is also very worth a read.

The Shortest Way Home
Pete Buttigieg

Mayor Pete!

 

Israeli Politics

The Prime Ministers
Yehuda Avner

Ally
Michael B Oren

A close look at US-Israeli relations.

 

Australian Politics

Head of State
David Smith

THE work on the office of Governor-General and all the debate which flows from it.

The End of Certainty
Paul Kelly

THE book on Australian politics in the 1980s.

Menzies’ Child
Gerard Henderson

A look at the founding and development of the Liberal Party in each state.

The Menzies Era
John Howard

The Chance of Politics
Paul Hasluck

Posthumously published extracts from former Governor-General and Foreign Minister’s private assessments of other politicians.

Hayden
Bill Hayden

This is a very well written insight into ALP politics in the 60s, 70s, and early 80s former the former ALP leader and Governor-General.

As it Happened
John Button

After a decade as Senate Leader in the Hawke and Keating governments, this is a very entertaining autobiography!

Keating: The Inside Story
John Edwards

Its really very good.

The Kennett Revolution
Brian Costar & Nick Economou

An academic look at the Kennett Government and Victorian politics in the 1990s.
(My copy signed of course by both authors, and Jeff!)

Lazarus Rising
John Howard

Amazing.

Loner: Insider a Labor Tragedy
Bernard Lagan

Easily the best work on the 2004 election.

Betrayal: The Underbelly of Australian Labor
Simon Benson

This is an incredible and brutal insight into NSW Labor politics, and beyond.

General Non Fiction

The Defence of the Realm: The Authorised History of MI5
Christopher Andrew

Eichmann
David Cesarani

Stalin’s Englishman
Andrew Lownie

A look at the Cambridge spies.

East & West
Chris Patten

Written more than twenty years ago, but perhaps more relevant that ever?

Line of Fire
Darren Goodsir

The detailed account of the Roger Rogerson/Michael Drury shooting and related events in the NSW police.

Ten Caesars
Barry Strauss

Of all the books on Roman history I have, this is the one to start with.

Twentieth Century Speeches
Brian MacArthur (editor)

 

Science & Philosophy

God, No!
Penn Jilette

Entertaining, but a lot of unexpected depth to this one.

Cosmos
Carl Sagan

Inspiring

The Blind Watchmaker
Richard Dawkins

I have several of Dawkins’ books, but this is surely the most important?

The Justice Game
Geoffrey Robinson

Sport

Broadside
Stuart Broad

No Regrets
Steve Waugh

Twists and Turns
Matthew Mitcham

 

Autobiographical-general

Beautiful Boy
David Sheff

Empire of the Sun
JG Ballard

I mean, they based my favourite movie on this one…

Catch Me if You Can
Frank W Abagnale

Beautiful People
Simon Doonan

Unreliable Memoirs
Clive James

Fiction – General

The Hound of the Baskervilles
Arthur Conan Coyle

The one Sherlock Holmes book I really like….

The Halfmen of O
Maurice Gee

Classic young adult fantasy.

Kidnapped
Robert Louis Stevenson

My pick of his excellent collection of work.

The Once & Future King
TH White

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
JK Rowling

In my view the peak of this series.

The Magican’s Nephew
CS Lewis

The 6th book in the series, and in my view the best.

The Ancient Solitary Reign
Martin Hocke

A bizarre bit gripping story about a colony of owls…

Watership Down
Richard Adams

Its a classic….

On the Road
Jack Kerouac

Defining…

Animal Farm
George Orwell

In my view cleverer and more subtle than 1984, but I have them both and both worth a read.

The Picture of Doreian Grey
Oscar Wilde

The most brilliant work but this brilliant mind.

The Day of the Triffids
John Wyndham

Almost included Chocky, but went with this to represent Wyhndham collection of great books.

A Christmas Carol
Charles Dickens

Again, could just as easily have been Oliver Twist, but this is the Dickins I most come back to.

I, Claudius
Rupert Graves

Incredible novel set in the time of the early Ceasers.

We Need to Talk About Kevin
Lionel Shriver

Chilling. A mum struggles to raise a psychopathic child.

The Night of the Scorpion
Anthony Horowitz

Another piece of YL fiction of which I’m very fond.

Moby Dick
Herman Melville

As good as its reputation says.

Seven Little Australians
Ethel Turner

To Serve Them All My Days
RF Delderfield

Wonderful story of a school master between the wars.

Brideshead Revisited
Evelyn Waugh

Simply my favourite novel

Brave New World
Aldous Huxley

If you’re going to read one dystopian novel, make it this one!

 

Love, Simon
Becky Albertalli

Call Me By Your Name
Andre Aciman

 

Science Fiction

Star Trek: The Next Generation – Boogeymen
Mel Gilden

One of my favourite’s of this series, along with Q-in-Law. Both fun, capture the spirit of the show, and plenty of Wesley!

Star Trek: The Next Generation – Imazdi
Peter David

Easily the best of the “hardcover” novels from this time (although Reunion is a close second).

Star Trek: Prime Directive
Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens

Another favourite Trek book, this time from the original series.

Doctor Who novelisations:
– The Cave Monsters (Malcolm Hulke)
– The Dinosaur Invasion (Malcolm Hulke)
– Remembrance of the Dalerks (Ben Aaronovitch)

My top 3 of these books (yes, I have the full set).

Doctor Who: The New Adventures/The Missing Adventures
– Timewyrm: Exodus (Terrence Dicks)
– The Highest Science (Gareth Roberts)
– Bad Therepy (Matthew Jones)
– The Romance of Crime (Gareth Roberts)
– Killing Ground (Steve Lyons)

Again, my favourites of this range (and again, I have the complete sets!).

Lethbridge Stewart: The Laughing Gnome – Rise of the Dominator
Robert Mammone

A very involving original novel!

Blake’s 7
Trevor Hoyle

Novelisation of the first four epsiodes of my favourite TV series.

Life, the Universe, and Everything
Douglas Adams

ANY of Adams’ books could be on this list, but I’ve picked my favourite to represent him.

Red Dwarf Omnibus
Grant Naylor

This book goes way beyond the TV series, and is an incredable book in its own right.

Star Wars – The Timothy Zahn Thrawn Trilogy
– Heir to the Empire
– Dark Force Rising
– The Last Command

The best Star Wars story ever. Full stop.

 

Science Fiction Related Biography

JNT: The Life and Scandalous Times
Richard Marson

An amazing read, going into detail about Dr Who, its 1980s producer, but also just about UK television in general at that time.

Blue Box Boy
Matthew Waterhouse

Memories of the Future
Wil Wheaton

Child out of Time
Hayden Gribble

Thank you for reading!