Sarfraz Manzoor: my five best books
The journalist, broadcaster and screenwriter picks his favourite books
Sarfraz Manzoor’s latest book, They: What Muslims and Non-Muslims Get Wrong About Each Other is published by Wildfire at £20.
American Pastoral by Philip Roth (1997)
Roth’s reputation has taken a battering but I am a huge fan, especially of the trilogy of novels, published in the 1990s, which revisit key moments in postwar American history. This novel is about many things – politics, family, class – but above all it is about the dark side of 1960s’ idealism and the souring of the American Dream. It is gorgeously written with passages of breathtaking beauty filled with wisdom and pathos. Vintage £9.99
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.
One on One by Craig Brown, (2011)
Craig Brown is a stone-cold genius and I am endlessly recommending this book. He writes of 101 unusual celebrity encounters that together form a daisy chain of 20th-century history: Kipling meets Twain, Twain meets Helen Keller, and so on. The result is ridiculously entertaining. Fourth Estate £9.99
American Dreams: Lost and Found by Studs Terkel (1980)
Terkel was an American oral historian whose books feature an extraordinary range of so-called ordinary people. Here he asks them to articulate their version of the American Dream. What emerges is a portrait of the US in all its conflicted and complex glory. Out of print
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
Footsteps: The New York Times (2017)
This collection of New York Times pieces sees writers taking literary pilgrimages around the world, from Philip Roth’s Newark to Elena Ferrante’s Naples. Reading this book has been my way of travelling while stuck at home. Three Rivers Press £11.99
My Song by Harry Belafonte (2011)
I was lucky enough to interview Belafonte a few years ago. He is an extraordinary individual who has led an astonishing life, from double dating with Marlon Brando to advising Martin Luther King and JFK. He has been a singer, actor and activist, but more than anything he has been an agent of hope and change. Canongate £14.99
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
Shardlake: a 'tightly plotted, gorgeously atmospheric piece of television'
The Week Recommends Arthur Hughes captivates in this 'eminently watchable' Tudor murder mystery
By Irenie Forshaw, The Week UK Published
-
Major League Baseball is facing an epidemic of pitcher's injuries
Under the Radar Many insiders are blaming the pitch clock for the rise in injuries — but the league is not so sure
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
8 movie musicals that prove the screen can share the stage
The Week Recommends The singing and dancing, bigger than life itself
By Scott Hocker, The Week US Published
-
Daniel Wallace's 5 favorite books that should not be forgotten
Feature The author recommends works by Italo Calvino, Evan S. Connell, and more
By The Week US Published
-
6 picturesque homes in Arizona
Feature Featuring a glass elevator in Sedona and a grotto waterfall in Paradise Valley
By The Week Staff Published
-
Baffin Island: looking for narwhal in Arctic Canada
The Week Recommends An exploration of this island between mainland Canada and Greenland is ideal for the adventurous at heart
By The Week UK Published
-
Knife: Salman Rushdie's 'mesmeric memoir' of brutal attack
The Week Recommends The author's account of ordeal which cost him his eye is both 'scary and heartwarming'
By The Week Staff Published
-
Sarah Langan recommends 6 women-centric horror books
Feature The horror novelist recommends works by Stephen King, Gillian Flynn, and more
By The Week US Published
-
6 spacious homes for car lovers
Feature Featuring a 14-car showroom in Oregon and a Bentley-style apartment in Florida
By The Week Staff Published
-
6 serene homes in Vermont
Features Featuring a four-level Shaker barn in Hartland and a Scandinavian-inspired home in Stowe
By The Week US Published
-
Amanda Montell's 6 favorite books that will expand your knowledge
Feature The linguist recommends works by Mary Roach, Alice Carrière, and more
By The Week US Published