Newt Gingrich
Newt Gingrich served 20 years as a member of Congress, and was speaker of the House of Representatives from 1995–99. He is currently a political analyst for Fox News Channel. His official Web site is www.newt.org.
It is impossible for me to pick five all-time favorite books, because there are simply too many possibilities. I will list five favorite books that I would recommend to anyone interested in good reading:
Shogun by James Clavell (Bantam Doubleday, $15). A brilliant introduction to medieval Japan, the process of modernization, cross-cultural communications, the nature of being alien (as seen through both Japanese and English eyes), and a tremendous study of power and intrigue. One of the best and most useful books I have read.
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.
Naturalist by Edward Osborne Wilson (Island Press, $25). A terrific introduction to how a young person can fall in love with nature and end up as one of the world’s leading biologists.
The Effective Executive by Peter Drucker (HarperCollins, $13). Based on lectures Drucker gave to the Kennedy administration about being effective. It introduced me to George Catlette Marshall, Alfred Sloan, and Theodore Vail back in 1969 and changed my life by orienting me towards effectiveness and away from either efficiency or effort as measurements of activity.
The Unvanquished by Howard Fast (Sharpe M.E. Inc., $25). One of the finest novels of the American Revolution and a vivid portrait of the courage, discipline, and patience it took for Washington to create first an army and then a country.
Killer Angels by Michael Shaara (Random House, $20). Simply the best military novel about the Civil War (thus sidestepping any comparison with Gone With the Wind). It captures the poignant portrayal of Gettysburg as seen from both sides; worth reading for its vivid introduction of Joshua Chamberlain, the most idealistic icon of the Union side.
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
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
Trump gets $289M break, first criminal trial date
Speed Read The former president's fraud bond has been reduced to $175 million from $464 million
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Today's political cartoons - March 26, 2024
Cartoons Tuesday's cartoons - the House GOP abandon ship, Joe Biden sets his stall, and more
By The Week US Published
-
US-Israel rift widens after UN cease-fire resolution
Speed Read The U.S. declined to veto a U.N. resolution calling for a two-week "immediate cease-fire" in Gaza
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Keith O'Brien's 6 must-read books about significant moments in sports history
Feature The best-selling author recommends works by Laura Hillenbrand, Jonathan Eig and more
By The Week US Published
-
Lauren Oyler's favorite collection of essays that will leave you deep in thought
Feature The author recommends works by Elif Batuman, Mark Greif, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Rebecca Serle's 6 favorite books about interpersonal relationships
Feature The best-selling author recommends works by J.D. Salinger, Dolly Alderton, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Cristina Henríquez's 6 popular books with historical themes
Feature The novelist recommends works by Min Jin Lee, Kurt Vonnegut, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Mark Greaney's 6 favorite suspenseful books about espionage
Feature The author recommends works by Tom Clancy, John le Carré, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Hisham Matar's 6 favorite books that are part of a collection
Feature The Pulitzer Prize-winning author recommends works by Jean Rhys, Michael Ondaatje, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Yangsze Choo's 6 favorite works about love and human connection
Feature The best-selling author recommends works by Cho Nam-Joo, Hiro Arikawa and more
By The Week US Published
-
Kwame Alexander's 6 must-read books about the art of poetry
Feature The poet recommends works by E.E. Cummings, Clint Smith and more
By The Week US Published