Emerald Fennell: my six best books
The actress and writer chooses her favourite books, from Jane Austen to Nick Cave
Justine Picardie’s new book, Miss Dior (Faber £25) – about the designer’s sister, a heroine of the Resistance – is out now.
Paris Was Yesterday by Janet Flanner (1934)
Flanner began writing her “Letter from Paris” for The New Yorker in 1925, and this anthology takes the reader up to the outbreak of the War in 1939. I first read Flanner while researching my biography of Coco Chanel, and when I was writing Miss Dior, I immersed myself yet again in these evocative vignettes of Paris, the city of light in its golden years between two World Wars. Virago £10.99
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.
Dior by Dior by Christian Dior (1956)
Christian Dior wrote his masterly memoir the year before his death from a heart attack at the age of 52, when he was still at the height of his fame. This English translation by Antonia Fraser appeared in 1957, and it captures his inimitable voice with panache and style. V&A £8.99
Les Parisiennes by Anne Sebba (2016)
A gripping account of the German Occupation of Paris, seen through the eyes of dozens of different women – whether they chose to collaborate with the Nazis, to risk their lives in the cause of the Resistance, or decided simply to keep their heads down, in the daily struggle to survive. W&N, £9.99
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
Paris After the Liberation by Antony Beevor & Artemis Cooper (1994)
A remarkable tapestry of history that draws together the tumultuous period from 1944 to 1949, in the aftermath of the Occupation. We’re whisked between couture salons and communist gatherings by two authors who make the liveliest of guides. Penguin £10.99
A Life in Secrets by Sarah Helm (2005)
During the Second World War, 41 female agents were sent by Britain’s Special Operations Executive to operate behind enemy lines in France. This book traces the story of 12 young women who did not return from their missions, and the ensuing search to discover their fate in German concentration camps. Abacus £10.99
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
Today's political cartoons - October 5, 2024
Cartoons Saturday's cartoons - gathering funds, juggling tariffs, and more
By The Week US Published
-
5 category 5 cartoons about hurricane Helene
Artists take on precarious conditions, planning ahead, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Wolfs: 'comedy thriller' stumbles despite George Clooney and Brad Pitt
While the crime caper might 'pleasingly pass a Saturday night' its star-studded duo cannot ultimately salvage it
By The Week UK Published
-
Wolfs: 'comedy thriller' stumbles despite George Clooney and Brad Pitt
While the crime caper might 'pleasingly pass a Saturday night' its star-studded duo cannot ultimately salvage it
By The Week UK Published
-
Unleashed: Big Dog Boris Johnson fights back
Talking Point New memoir is packed with 'derring-do, jolly japes' and 'alluring alliteration'
By The Week UK Published
-
Silk Roads at The British Museum: a 'mesmerising' exhibition
The Week Recommends 'Epic' show explores the many routes connecting East and West, through a collection of 'beautiful, unusual, intricate' treasures
By The Week UK Published
-
Sarah Moss picks her favourite books
The Week Recommends The author shares works by Virginia Woolf, Dorothy Wordsworth and Ross Gay
By The Week UK Published
-
Giant: 'stylishly crafted' Roald Dahl play is 'spectacularly good'
The Week Recommends Mark Rosenblatt's 'fearless' debut examines the character of the controversial children's author
By The Week UK Published
-
6 historic homes in the colonial style
Feature A home in Connecticut
By The Week Staff Published
-
Rivers Solomon's 6 chilling books about the dark side of motherhood
Feature Rivers Solomon is the author of "Model home," and "Sorrowland"
By The Week US Published
-
Giant thin and crispy brown butter chocolate chip cookies recipe
The Week Recommends These delicious chocolate chip cookies will please your sweet tooth
By The Week UK Published