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New Statesman
23-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New Statesman
The best summer reads 2025
Illustration by Eiko Ojara Story of a Murder: The Wives, the Mistress and Doctor Crippen by Hallie Rubenhold The story of how in 1910, Dr Crippen murdered his wife, fled with his lover on an ocean liner, was caught using a transatlantic telegram, and was tried and hanged, is pure penny dreadful sensation. Hallie Rubenhold's deft study looks at the personnel involved in the drama and the backstories, by turns nondescript, seedy and startling, that led them to tragedy. Read our review here. Doubleday, 512pp, £25. Buy the book A New New Me by Helen Oyeyemi There are seven Kinga Sikoras, or seven versions of her – including a matchmaker, a perfumier and a window cleaner – and each keeps a diary informing the other Kingas of what she got up to. The latest novel from Helen Oyeyemi is a dizzyingly funny narrative, where slapstick surrounds a central mystery. But the story's crowning jewel is her ability to create seven unique voices belonging to one individual. Read our review here. Faber & Faber, 256pp, £16.99. Buy the book Lives of the Caesars by Suetonius, translated by Tom Holland Just a single copy of Suetonius's short but vivid biographies of the Caesars had been preserved in a Frankish monastery, yet it became the model for how to write about powerful rulers for succeeding generations. Tom Holland's exemplary translation of this collection shows how strikingly modern they are in their mix of personal details, politics and power. Read an excerpt from the book here. Penguin Classics, 448pp, £25. Buy the book Call Me Ishmaelle by Xiaolu Guo In her feminist reimagining of Moby-Dick, the 2020 Goldsmiths Prize-shortlisted author Xiaolu Guo follows a similar plotline to Herman Melville's great novel, but with a slightly changed cast, including Ishmaelle, a 17-year-old girl who takes the identity of a 15-year-old boy. Guo deftly incorporates philosophical questions about our relationship with nature and gender dysphoria into the plot, with affecting results. Read our review here. Chatto & Windus, 448pp, £18.99. Buy the book Malick Sidibé's Painted Frames: the Malian photographer's portraits of African modernity, reframed as social and cultural objects. Photo by Malick Sidibé 2025 courtesy Loose Joints Peak Human by Johan Norberg The decline of all great civilisations is cyclical, notes Johan Norberg in Peak Human, yet inevitably another great dynasty seems always to emerge from the wake of previous eras. Norberg views history through seven 'golden ages', ranging from Ancient Greece to the Anglosphere by way of the Renaissance and Song China. However familiar the territory may be, he manages to place something surprising at every turn. Read our review here. Atlantic, 512pp, £22. Buy the book Open, Heaven by Seán Hewitt The British-Irish writer Seán Hewitt has won awards and acclaim for his first two collections of poetry. Now, he publishes a mature and complete debut novel. It is a sore and delicate love story about two teenage boys in a fictional northern village. Hewitt's poetic facility makes easy music of his atmosphere. The central relationship is revealed with a light, sensitive touch, and reaches impressive emotional depths. Read our review here. Jonathan Cape, 240pp, £16.99. Buy the book The Brothers Grimm: A Biography by Ann Schmiesing Jacob and Wilhelm, the Brothers Grimm, were responsible for the most disturbing collection of fairy stories ever published. Their tales were not just entertainment, for children and for adults, but a means by which to preserve both the German language and its folk past. Compiled in the age of Romantic nationalism, the stories are united by their strangeness and brutality, according to Ann Schmiesing. Read our review here. Yale University Press, 360pp, £25. Buy the book Subscribe to The New Statesman today from only £8.99 per month Subscribe Don't Forget We're Here Forever by Lamorna Ash How younger generations are confronting and embracing religion is the focus of Lamorna Ash's study of contemporary faith. Sparked by two of her friends who converted, she combines her personal religious journey with interviews with people who have redefined their understanding of Christianity or are turning to it for the first time, as well as visits to Quaker meetings and Jesuit retreats. Read our review here. Bloomsbury Circus, 352pp, £22. Buy the book Beartooth by Callan Wink The characters of Callum Wink's highly readable second novel are Thad and Hazen, two young Montana brothers who begin to discover new things about themselves, and each other, after an injury. The book is at once thoroughly wild and thoroughly intimate. The modest poetry of Callan's prose does justice both to the beauty of the wilderness and to the complexity of the brothers' relationship. Read our review here. Granta, 256pp, £14.99. Buy the book Daughters of the Bamboo Grove: China's Stolen Children by Barbara Demick Drawing on the story of two identical twins separated between China and the US as infants, Barbara Demick shows the dark side of China's international adoption programme. In it, many babies were taken from the arms of their parents by government officials and trafficked. Chinese bureaucracy remains opaque, with affected families still unable to find their children. Read our review here. Granta, 336pp, £20. Buy the book Zed Nelson's The Anthropocene Illusion: visualising the environmental cost of human development. Photo by Zed Nelson Friends in Youth: Choosing Sides in the English Civil War by Minoo Dinshaw This fine work of narrative history follows the careers of two friends who found themselves on opposite sides during the English Civil War – the parliamentarian Bulstrode Whitelocke and the royalist Edward Hyde (the future Earl of Clarendon). They met as students and both worked within their respective parties to temper extremism, later writing accounts of their turbulent times. Read our review here. Allen Lane, 544pp, £30. Buy the book A Quiet Evening: The Travels of Norman Lewis – selected and introduced by John Hatt Norman Lewis is best known for his wartime memoir Naples '44. However, much of his other writing, suffused with deadpan humour, where beauty and absurdity sit side by side, deserves wider recognition. This selection of 36 pieces takes in everything from an encounter with bandits in Guatemala to conversations with Cossack prisoners of war facing death. Read our review here. Eland, 504pp, £25. Buy the book Underdogs: The Truth About Britain's White Working Class by Joel Budd When did the working class become racialised? In classical Marxist scholarship, it didn't need to be – the working class was generally assumed to be white. But with mass immigration, a new category, the 'white working class', has been invented. Joel Budd's mixture of reportage, travelogue and enquiry is one of the most searching studies into this contested subcategory yet. Read our review here. PanMacmillan, 336pp, £20. Buy the book The Alienation Effect: How Central European Émigrés Transformed the British 20th Century by Owen Hatherley Owen Hatherley's new book is a history of the central-European émigrés who fled fascism in the 1930s, from Ernst Gombrich to Ernő Goldfinger. If you've ever picked up an orange Penguin paperback, taken a walk down the South Bank or moaned about the Trellick Tower, you've registered how they transformed Britain. Read our review here. Allen Lane, 608pp, £35. Buy the book The Boys by Leo Robson Staff at the New Statesman love to see a former colleague graduate from book critic to book author. It is even more pleasing to see the book in question receive wall-to-wall praise. With a large canvas (London at the time of the 2012 Olympics), and a small cast (centred on two brothers attempting reconciliation after life has separated them), Robson has pulled off a tricky career swerve. Read our review here. Riverrun, 304pp, £16.99. Buy the book Abundance: How We Build a Better Future by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson Affordable housing, infrastructure and climate crisis action: these are things we all want, so why do we never get them? Derek Thompson and Ezra Klein's book is a galvanising attack on the over-regulation of the US economy, which could be applied to Britain too. This is an argument that has too often been made by the right; the authors point the way towards a progressive developmentalism. Profile, 304pp, £16.99. Buy the book Malaparte: A Biography by Maurizio Serra, translated by Stephen Twilley 'Malaparte' is such a perfect name for a laureate of violence and fascism that it's a shame it was invented – by Kurt Suckert. It means 'bad side' in Italian and this biography reveals a writer whose travelogues, written while following the Eastern Front of the Second World War, are evidence of the 'bad side' of humanity he saw with grim clarity. Read our review here. New York Review of Books, 736pp, $39.95 Irascible: The Combative Life of Douglas Cooper, Collector and Friend of Picasso by Adrian Clark and Richard Calvocoressi The collector and Picassophile Douglas Cooper was not a nice man (acid tongued, bitchy, prickly) but he was an interesting one. He befriended – and fell out with – many of the greatest artists of the mid-20th century, was a wartime Monuments Man, and art historian and proselytiser with a sometimes dangerous gay lifestyle. Read the review here. Yale University Press, 592pp, £45. Buy the book [See also: Kemi Badenoch isn't working] Related
Daily Record
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Netflix adds seasons of 'exceptional' period drama fans did not want to end
Netflix has added a period drama that has been compared to Bridgerton and Shameless All episodes of a simmering period drama often compared to a fusion of Bridgerton and Shameless will soon be dropped by Netflix. Originally crafted through collaboration between ITV and Hulu, Harlots first graced screens in 2017 and is slated for release on the streaming giant starting this Tuesday (July 1). The series draws its inspiration from Hallie Rubenhold's non-fiction work 'The Covent Garden Ladies'. Although Starzplay initially introduced it to UK viewers, the BBC snapped up the rights in 2020. Now, as the show settles into its new residence on Netflix, it stands ready to captivate a fresh audience. Harlots dives into the tale of Margaret Wells, who runs a brothel and ambitiously seeks to cater to the affluent crowd of Soho, London. However, her endeavours pitch her against Lydia, a fierce rival madam, and Wells' former boss. In 2019, The Guardian ran a critique hailing Harlots as 'the best show you're not watching'. These words were penned shortly before the curtain fell on its third and conclusive season, reports Surrey Live. Yet, the drama has garnered acclaims far and wide, leading to an impressive 97% score on Rotten Tomatoes. One review read: "This is a new style of historical drama, comparable perhaps to The Favourite but faster moving - and it's also differently inflected in being a show almost entirely created by women." Another critic raved: "Harlots is a jaw-dropping drama that won't give you easy answers or trite comforts, though it will take you on an emotional ride through the ups and downs of being a sex worker (of any status) in 18th century England." A third reviewer enthused: "Come for the strong female-driven storylines and stay for the truly memorable costumes." Viewers who have already devoured the show are equally effusive in their praise. One fan shared their thoughts online, saying: "Initially, you might think this is a risqué, late-night series, but I'm so glad I stumbled upon it. This is an exceptional period drama that explores themes of patriarchy, survival, sexual empowerment, social status, and class. With few likeable characters, the tension is palpable from start to finish." Another fan described the series as a mashup of 'Bridgerton meets Shameless', while someone else gushed: "AMAZING! it's so addictive, the story line is absolutely fabulous and you're always wondering what will happen next!". A fellow viewer confessed: "I'm finally getting around to watching this show and I'm obsessed. Can't believe there won't be a season 4. Brilliant character development, wonderful acting. I am on the edge of my seat to see what the characters will do next. I don't want it to end."
Daily Record
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
'Seductive' and 'provocative' period drama leaves fans 'breathless'
Harlots is a British period drama that first aired in 2017 and has since been a hit with viewers, who have been left 'screaming at the TV like a crazy person' This hidden gem of a TV series has been garnering heaps of praise from fans, with its celebration of stellar actresses bringing to life the risqué tale at its core. Harlots transports viewers to 18th-century London, drawing inspiration from The Covent Garden Ladies by British historian Hallie Rubenhold. Samantha Morton shines as Margaret Wells, who bravely runs a brothel while contending with the few options available to women - marriage or sex work. Religious officials are hell-bent on shuttering the 'houses of ill-repute', urging police to clamp down and conduct raids. An fan shared their thoughts on Rotten Tomatoes, saying: "Harlots is a spectacular show that helps us understand what life was like for women in 1763. There is drama, murder, sex, and money. What's not to love? "If you haven't checked this show out yet. Please do! You are missing out. Season 2 stepped up its game. I am on the edge of my seat every episode, screaming at the TV like a crazy person", reports Surrey Live. The acting chops demonstrated by the ensemble cast really shine through and it's quite the line-up. With BAFTA laureate Lesley Manville, Lord of the Rings alumnus Liv Tyler, along with Jessica Findlay, Dorothy Atkinson and more, Harlots boasts an array of characters that resonate deeply with the portrayal of the female experience of those times. One captivated viewer wrote: "This show continues to be incredible. Its nonstop, raucous, vibrant, glam energy showcases stories about the most objectified, vulnerable women refusing to relinquish their inner power to a system hellbent on squashing them beneath its boot heel. These women aren't perfect, but they inspire. Samantha Morton is amazing." Others were left astounded by the show's sensual allure. "Provocative doesn't even begin to describe properly this smooth zeal of this show," they noted. "The costumes, the colour in the clothes, and the art of how they speak – it is all together a suspenseful and seductive ride." First hitting screens in 2017, Harlots enjoyed three successful seasons before drawing to a close in 2019. It appears the series bowed out on a high note, with viewers praising the "strong" conclusion of the third and final season. And now I'm disappointed that it seems the series is over. ". To join in on the buzz, all episodes of Harlots are available for streaming on Amazon Prime with a premium subscription.
Daily Mirror
04-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
6 true crime books with major twists that'll have you gripped all summer
True crime reads are - both new and old - are expected to be a holiday essential this summer. Whether you're new to the genre or a long-time fan, these titles should be on your radar. True crime reads are experiencing a renaissance, just in time for summer. According to new research from digital magazine and subscription app Readly, two-thirds of Brits say they will read the genre over the summer, with nearly half of readers excited to read about high-profile crimes with major twists and turns. Back-to-back celebrity trials and the release of TV shows based on tragic cases are no doubt putting crime on the mind for many. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing, as some psychologists suggest true crime is a 'coping mechanism' for many. If you're stumped on where to get started or want to get ahead of the major film and TV releases of the year, here are the true crime books that should be on your radar. I'll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara Many know I'll Be Gone in the Dark thanks to the brilliant six-part documentary series from HBO that was based on the book. But even if you've already seen the show, true crime journalist Michelle McNamara's detailed investigation into The Golden State Killer will leave you gripping the pages. What's your favourite true crime read? Let us know your recommendations in the comments. McNamara took on the case nearly three decades after the elusive serial rapist-turned-murdered who terrorised California disappeared. While she died tragically in the middle of her investigation, the book showcases her determination to seek justice for her victims but is also a meditation on one woman's obsession. The Five: The Untold Lives of The Women Killed by Jack The Ripper by Hallie Rubenhold The infamy of Jack the Ripper is well-documented, but the women whose lives he claimed have been shamefully unexplored until Hallie Rubenhold's The Five. Rubenhold's work centres on the unique lives of the victims - Polly, Annie, Elizabeth, Catherine and Mary-Jane - and highlights the misogyny behind the Ripper myth. The Five is a captivating biography of Victorian womanhood and the poverty and abuse that coloured their lives. The damning study has won numerous awards including the Baillie Gifford Prize 2019 and was shortlisted for the Wolfson History Prize 2020. Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland by Patrick Radden Keefe Showcasing exceptional reporting from Patrick Radden Keefe (who went on to pen Empire of Pain about the opioid crisis and the role of the Sackler family), Say Nothing starts with the disappearance of a mother of ten, Jean McConville, in 1970s Belfast. But this is more than just a story of one woman's disappearance. Keefe masterfully puts the crime in the larger context of The Troubles and weaves in portraits of various Irish Republican Army members, including the infamous Price sisters. Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann Killers of the Flower Moon tells the story of some of the members of the Osage Nation in Oklahoma, who were the richest people per capita in the world in the 1920s. That is until, one by one, the Osage were mysteriously killed off - along with anyone that attempted to investigate the deaths. Only just created, the FBI worked with an undercover team to expose what turned out to be one of the most egregious conspiracies in American history. The star-studded Scorsese-directed film of the same name is also compelling but Grann's masterful writing should not be missed. The Red Parts by Maggie Nelson Maggie Nelson's memoir, The Red Parts, documents how the murder case of her aunt was reopened after three decades after the discovery of new DNA findings. But the new evidence did more than just reopen the investigation and trial, it also revealed old wounds for Nelson and her family. The provocative account highlights American's obsession with violence and missing white women, as well as themes of grief and immense empathy. Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud, and the Last Trial of Harper Lee by Casey Cep Furious Hours sheds light on the mysterious years after Harper Lee published To Kill a Mockingbird when she worked on a true crime book. Despite spending a year in her home state of Alabama to cover the trial of the Reverend Willie Maxwell for the murder of his family, Lee never published her story. Casey Cep's book details the story that Harper Lee wanted to write and why it never saw the light of day.
Telegraph
30-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
BBC drama ‘rewrote history to turn scandalous aristocrat into a feminist'
The BBC rewrote the story of an 18th century heiress to wrongly paint her as a feminist heroine, the historian Hallie Rubenhold has claimed. Rubenhold, an award-winning historian, was delighted when her biography of Seymour Fleming, styled Lady Worsley, was turned into a BBC Two drama starring Natalie Dormer. In a case that scandalised society in 1781, Seymour left her husband, Sir Richard Worsley, to elope with his best friend. Sir Richard sued for damages and the case became a sensation when Seymour revealed in court that she had taken many other lovers. This 'devalued' her in the eyes of the law and Sir Richard was awarded only a shilling in compensation. The BBC told this story in The Scandalous Lady W, which aired in 2015. After years of speaking diplomatically about the adaptation, Rubenhold confided her feelings to an audience at the Hay Festival. She said it was 'spine-tingling' to see her work transferred to the screen but went on: 'It is an act of negotiation. For me, one of the most difficult things about that was the desire to make Lady Worsley into a feminist when she absolutely was not a feminist. 'She was a rich heiress who wanted her money back. And she did what she could to get it back. 'She wasn't doing these things for the good of womankind or anybody else other than herself, and there was this desire to frame her as a feminist so she could speak to a modern audience, and that made me slightly uncomfortable.' Rubenhold shared the stage with fellow historian Joshua Levine, who was a historical consultant on Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk and Steve McQueen's Blitz. The pair discussed the historical inaccuracies found in film and television period dramas. Levine singled out Downton Abbey for its 'really modern characters with modern attitudes who are very anti-racism and very inclusive, and it's really frustrating to watch. It's nice, it's cosy but it's not right.' Rubenhold reserved her greatest ire for a Hollywood blockbuster. 'I absolutely cannot stand Titanic. I hate everything about Titanic. I really was glad that Jack died,' she said. 'James Cameron was so obsessed with the technicalities of the ship – moment-by-moment, how it was sinking, how at this point it split in half, at this point that collapsed, these people slipped that way and this room flooded. 'Why did nobody pay any attention to the believability of the characters? Because these were not characters from 1912. The entire plot was just stupid.'
