Best books … chosen by Leslie Cockburn
Journalist and author Leslie Cockburn is a contributing editor at Vanity Fair. Her documentary about the economic crisis, American Casino, debuts this week at the Tribeca Film Festiva
Journalist and author Leslie Cockburn is a contributing editor at Vanity Fair. Her documentary about the economic crisis, American Casino, debuts this week at the Tribeca Film Festival.
Infinity in the Palm of Her Hand by Gioconda Belli (Harper, $24). With her latest novel, Belli rewrites the creation myth to give us Eve’s point of view. Her writing is deliciously sensual, like jumping into a vat of whipped cream.
Americans in Paris: Life and Death Under Nazi Occupation 1940-44 by Charles Glass (HarperPress, London). Before reading Charles Glass’ new book, it never occurred to me that so many Americans refused to leave Paris under Nazi occupation. Glass has uncovered a fascinating chapter of forgotten history.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The Master by Colm Toibin (Scribner, $15). Toibin writes about Henry James in the way that James tried to write about the American abroad. Toibin’s description of James’ being cruelly humiliated at an English dinner party is pure James, only better. Toibin is the master.
The Way to Xanadu by Caroline Alexander (out of print). Alexander takes Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s Kubla Khan and goes on a remarkable quest to track the origins of the poem, ending up in some very surprising places, including Florida.
The Dark Valley by Piers Brendon (Vintage, $20). It’s a really good time to read about the ’30s. Brendon takes the reader on a tour of that distressed decade, moving fluidly between Depression New York, Hitler’s Berlin, Il Duce’s Rome, and Franco’s Spain so that one can see things happening simultaneously.
The Cousins’ Wars by Kevin Phillips (Basic, $25). If you want some startling revelations about Anglo-American history that challenge everything you read in school, this is the book. At times, there was far less religious tolerance in 17th-century Puritan Massachusetts than there was in England. At other times, the English became more puritanical than their American relations, going so far as to ban Christmas and Easter in 1645.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Today's political cartoons - March 30, 2025
Cartoons Sunday's cartoons - strawberry fields forever, secret files, and more
By The Week US Published
-
5 hilariously sparse cartoons about further DOGE cuts
Cartoons Artists take on free audits, report cards, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Following the Tea Horse Road in China
The Week Recommends This network of roads and trails served as vital trading routes
By The Week UK Published
-
John McWhorter’s 6 favorite books that are rooted in history
Feature The Columbia University professor recommends works by Lyla Sage, Sally Thorne, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Abdulrazak Gurnah's 6 favorite books about war and colonialism
Feature The Nobel Prize winner recommends works by Michael Ondaatje, Toni Morrison, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Elliot Ackerman’s 6 favorite books on war and duty
Feature The Marine veteran recommends works by Robert A. Heinlein, John le Carré, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Xochitl Gonzalez’s 6 favorite books that shaped her storytelling
Feature The best-selling author recommends works by Stephen King, Julian Barnes, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Jason Isaacs's 6 favorite books that changed his perception on life
Feature The British actor recommends works by George Orwell, C.S. Lewis, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Tessa Bailey's 6 favorite books for hopeless romantics
Feature The best-selling author recommends works by Lyla Sage, Sally Thorne, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Pagan Kennedy's 6 favorite books that inspire resistance
Feature The author recommends works by Patrick Radden Keefe, Margaret Atwood, and more
By The Week US Published
-
John Sayles' 6 favorite works that left a lasting impression
Feature The Oscar-nominated screenwriter recommends works by William Faulkner, Carson McCullers, and more
By The Week US Published