Larry Lamb shares his favourite books
Actor picks works by Neil Sheehan, Annie Proulx and Émile Zola
The actor chooses books from throughout his life. He will be talking about his own recent novel, "All Wrapped Up", at the Bradford Literature Festival on 28 June.
A Bright Shining Lie
Neil Sheehan, 1988
In 1968, I was selling encyclopaedias to American servicemen in Germany. Every one of them was either going to Vietnam, returning from Vietnam, or doing all they could to avoid it. Reading this history-biography 50 years later opened my eyes to the reality of the horror show that thousands of young men my age had wasted their lives for.
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.
Available on The Week Bookshop
The Earth
Émile Zola, 1887
I'd been rebuilding a dilapidated house in a tiny farming community in Normandy, and spoke just enough French to begin to understand the differences between me and my workmates. Then, recommended by a French friend, I read this and learnt how profound those differences really are.
Damascus Station
David McCloskey, 2021
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
A distinguished gentleman in the upper echelons of British government and counter-espionage recommended this, and I bought it on the spot. Although I'm not a regular reader of thrillers, I was hooked.
Available on The Week Bookshop
Barkskins
Annie Proulx, 2016
I once lived for two years in Canada in the tribal areas of the Micmac native people, but barely got to know anything of their story. Many years later I read this novel and marvelled at my ignorance. How could I have lived somewhere so important to North America's history and never asked questions of the people I saw every day? I consumed every word, barely pausing for sleep.
Available on The Week Bookshop
The Usual Desire to Kill
Camilla Barnes, 2025
I was involved in the evolution of this book from a series of written sketches to a play – both funny and deeply moving – and eventually into its final form. It was a fantastic lesson in the power of the novel, taking me into the minds of characters I thought I knew, and finally telling me the real story.
Available on The Week Bookshop
-
5 seriously spooky cartoons about HalloweenCartoons Artists take on the GOP boogeyman, a white sheet, and more
-
Political cartoons for October 25Cartoons Saturday’s political cartoons include hospital bill trauma, Independence Day, and more
-
Roasted squash and apple soup recipeThe Week Recommends Autumnal soup is full of warming and hearty flavours
-
Roasted squash and apple soup recipeThe Week Recommends Autumnal soup is full of warming and hearty flavours
-
6 well-crafted log homesFeature Featuring a floor-to-ceiling rock fireplace in Montana and a Tulikivi stove in New York
-
Film reviews: A House of Dynamite, After the Hunt, and It Was Just an AccidentFeature A nuclear missile bears down on a U.S. city, a sexual misconduct allegation rocks an elite university campus, and a victim of government terror pursues vengeance
-
Book reviews: ‘Gertrude Stein: An Afterlife’ and ‘Make Me Commissioner: I Know What’s Wrong With Baseball and How to Fix It’Feature Gertrude Stein’s untold story and Jane Leavy’s playbook on how to save baseball
-
Rachel Ruysch: Nature Into ArtFeature Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, through Dec. 7
-
Music reviews: Olivia Dean, Madi Diaz, and Hannah FrancesFeature “The Art of Loving,” “Fatal Optimist,” and “Nested in Tangles”
-
Gilbert King’s 6 favorite books about the search for justiceFeature The journalist recommends works by Bryan Stevenson, David Grann, and more
-
Ready for the apocalypseFeature As anxiety rises about the state of the world, the ranks of preppers are growing—and changing.