Nigel Hamilton's 6 inspirational books for fellow writers
The award-winning author recommends works by John Banville, Ann Patchett, and more

When you make a purchase using links on our site, The Week may earn a commission. All reviews are written independently by our editorial team.
Nigel Hamilton's new book, "Lincoln vs. Davis," is a study of its subjects as rival Civil War commanders. Below, the veteran U.S. biographer recommends five novels and a memoir that he's read this year for pleasure and professional inspiration.
'Snow' by John Banville (2020)
My wife read that Banville is now putting his name to his crime novels. I therefore tried this one and found myself fascinated by the Catholic-Protestant strains in 1950s Ireland and admiring of the anti-hero detective — a reminder to biographers not to make their subjects too goody-goody. Buy it here.
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.
'Chronicle of a Death Foretold' by Gabriel García Márquez (1981)
As I will be embarking on a new book about a murdered president, I thought to reread Márquez's famous novella. To my shame, I realized I'd never actually read it — the curse of the great title — and was bewitched. A reminder of how suspense can be created even when the reader knows the outcome in advance. Buy it here.
'The Memory Police' by Yoko Ogawa (1994)
I tried several other Ogawa novels, as I love the formal unfolding of Japanese storytelling, but found them…trying! This one, however, was stunning in its haunting Orwellian conceit, and the methodical, unhurried narrative of what we know will happen is a very useful reminder to the biographer not to hurry. Buy it here.
'Tom Lake' by Ann Patchett (2023)
This Covid-time story, set in Michigan, is wonderfully layered: a mother telling her daughters a story of her stage career, but not telling everything. A reminder to not reveal too much too soon. Buy it here.
'The Safekeep' by Yael van der Wouden (2024)
An amazing exploration of the sin of ownership — in this case house ownership — set in the context of the Holocaust as it has affected a Jewish family. A reminder to the biographer of the depths and veils covering human guilt. Buy it here.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
'Joseph Anton' by Salman Rushdie (2012)
When I was unable to obtain Rushdie's latest memoir, a friend recommended this earlier one — the story behind the Satanic Verses and the fatwa pronounced by Iran's Ayatollah Khomeini. Rushdie's portrayal of the British media's failure to stand fast by him and the British government's reluctance to provide security (too expensive, too diplomatically inconvenient!) is a potent reminder of how deep the biographer's forensic investigation into the soul and character of the subject must be if it is to be true. Buy it here.
This article was first published in the latest issue of The Week magazine. If you want to read more like it, you can try six risk-free issues of the magazine here.
-
Africa's largest dam is making diplomatic waves
Under the Radar Ethiopians view using the Nile as a 'sovereign right' but the vast hydroelectric project has 'fuelled nationalist fervour' in Egypt and Sudan
-
Jessica Francis Kane's 6 favorite books that prove less is more
Feature The author recommends works by Penelope Fitzgerald, Marie-Helene Bertino, and more
-
Trump's drug war is now a real shooting war
Talking Points The Venezuela boat strike was 'not a mere law enforcement action'
-
Jessica Francis Kane's 6 favorite books that prove less is more
Feature The author recommends works by Penelope Fitzgerald, Marie-Helene Bertino, and more
-
Book reviews: 'Baldwin: A Love Story' and 'The Fort Bragg Cartel: Drug Trafficking and Murder in the Special Forces'
Feature A loving James Baldwin biography and the drug crimes of two special ops veterans
-
Rigatoni with 'no-vodka sauce' recipe
The Week Recommends Comfort food meets a clever alcohol-free twist on a classic
-
6 blooming homes for gardeners
Feature Featuring a greenhouse in Illinois and 13 raised garden beds in New Mexico
-
The Roses: Olivia Colman and Benedict Cumberbatch star in black comedy reboot
The Week Recommends 'Acidly enjoyable' remake of the 1980s classic features a warring couple and toxic love
-
Film reviews: The Roses, Splitsville, and Twinless
Feature A happy union devolves into domestic warfare, a couple's open marriage reaps chaos, and an unlikely friendship takes surprising turns
-
Music reviews: Laufey, Deftones, and Earl Sweatshirt
Feature "A Matter of Time," "Private Music," and "Live Laugh Love"
-
Woof! Britain's love affair with dogs
The Explainer The UK's canine population is booming. What does that mean for man's best friend?