As always, our journalists have been busy this year. In addition to producing thousands of words to meet their deadlines, they have somehow found time to write books — and pretty good books, at that. Here are the side projects of the biggest hustlers at The Times and The Sunday Times.
In this witty parody, our columnist Hilary Rose provides an amusing fictionalised account of Queen Camilla as a straight-talking, hairspray-using, chainsmoking member of the rural Wiltshire set. Rose evokes the Queen’s daily life at Clarence House and Highgrove, imagining a footman who stands all day in the flowerbed beneath the drawing-room window, holding up an urn into which she flicks the ash from her surreptitious cigarettes. In her review, Ysenda Maxtone Graham called it “a life-enhancing little book, celebrating a certain aristocratic but down-to-earth Britishness”.
Constable £18.99
Buy a copy of The Secret Diary of Queen Camilla here
Rabbits by Hugo Rifkind
Rabbits is a novel, but our columnist Hugo Rifkind was quick to admit that he lifted most of his material straight out of his own upbringing. In his own words: “My novel is about the posh. Specifically, the Scottish posh. More specifically, the rural Scottish posh. With further specificity, it’s about the youth of the Scottish posh back when I moved among them, which was in the early Nineties.” It’s got drugs, air rifles, and inheritance disagreements — quite different to the matters Rifkind discusses on Times Radio every Monday morning. The mighty Scottish novelist Allan Massie praised it as “a fine novel, sometimes sad, often funny”.
Birlinn £14.99
Buy a copy of Rabbits here
The Ladder: Life Lessons from Women Who Scaled the Heights & Dodged the Snakes by Cathy Newman
The Times Radio presenter Cathy Newman stitches together a selection of inspiring stories about women who overcame the odds, from politicians such as Angela Rayner and Nicola Sturgeon to scientists, activists, film-makers and religious leaders. She also wrote about feminism and purpose in her first book, Bloody Brilliant Women, but this one is an empowering discussion and manifesto rather than an archival history.
William Collins £18.99
Buy a copy of The Ladder here
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Royal Audience: 70 Years, 13 Presidents — One Queen’s Special Relationship with America by David Charter
Throughout her 70 years on the throne, Elizabeth II came face to face with 13 American presidents, starting with Truman and ending with the leaders of the past decade: Obama, Trump and Biden. This fascinating history by the Times’ Washington editor, David Charter, takes a closer look at Her Majesty’s special role in the maintenance of transatlantic affections, from horse riding with Reagan to sharing scone recipes with Eisenhower. This book is a tribute to the monarch, her sense of humour and her legacy.
Putnam £24.99
Buy a copy of Royal Audience: 70 Years, 13 Presidents here
Out: How Brexit Got Done and the Tories Were Undone by Tim Shipman
It’s been eight years since the appearance of All Out War, the Sunday Times chief political commentator’s instant history of the Brexit referendum and the Tory civil wars. Out is the fourth instalment of the series, an Iliad of Tory misery, infighting and political failure, covering the implosion of the Johnson, Truss and Sunak premierships. In his review Sam Freedman praised its “mix of serious analysis, gossip and eye-opening anecdotes”.
William Collins £30
Buy a copy of Out: How Brexit Got Done and the Tories Were Undone here
Empireworld by Sathnam Sanghera
Sathnam Sanghera’s previous book, Empireland, was a bestseller, explaining in shocking detail how “modern Britain is rooted in our imperial past”. With this sequel, “a mix of memoir, travel, history and opinion”, our writer looks further afield to consider “British imperial legacies beyond Britain”. “There are plenty of new ideas, argued with passion,” wrote Alice Loxton in her review.
Penguin £10.99
Buy a copy of Empireworld here
Dear England: The Real Story of the Three Lions Rebirth by Jonathan Northcroft and Rob Draper
For this perky account of the England men’s football team’s resurrection, the chief Sunday Times football correspondent, Jonathan Northcroft, has teamed up with the reporter Rob Draper. Have you ever wondered how the players broke their streak of penalty shoot-out bad luck? Or what Gareth Southgate did to transform the culture? Or how Harry Kane rose up through the ranks to become captain? Through meticulous research and countless interviews with players and managers, the authors answer these questions and more.
Blink £22
Buy a copy of Dear England here
Churchill: A Portrait of the Life and Legacy of Britain’s Most Influential Leader by James Owen
In this gorgeously illustrated account of the more than 60 years Winston Churchill spent in the public eye, our thriller reviewer, James Owen, brings together a compelling selection of published and unpublished material, including letters, photographs and articles from the Times archive and impressive wartime artwork. November 30 was the 150th anniversary of Churchill’s birth.
Times Books £30
Buy a copy of Churchill: A Portrait of the Life and Legacy of Britain’s Most Influential Leader here
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Street-Level Superstar by Will Hodgkinson
Lawrence — the single name of the artist behind the cult bands Felt and Denim — has spent decades trying and failing to become a star. It has fallen to the Times rock critic Will Hodgkinson, who dedicated a year to accompanying him on this quest, to write his legend. Blurring the lines between comedy and tragedy, triumph and defeat, it’s a humane portrait of a man and his myth. A hit, finally.
Nine Eight £22
Buy a copy of Street Level Superstar here
Diddly Squat: Home to Roost by Jeremy Clarkson
In this fourth instalment of his Diddly Squat series, Jeremy Clarkson tells the tale of yet another year on his Oxfordshire farm. His crops fail, his mushrooms go mouldy, and his livestock prove as unprofitable as ever, but still he manages to keep readers entertained with stories of chaos and catastrophe. Clarkson achieved yet another bestseller with this latest book, which accompanies the TV series Clarkson’s Farm.
Michael Joseph £22
Buy a copy of Diddly Squat: Home to Roost here
Sir: The Year in Letters by Andrew Riley
For the second year in a row, the Times letters editor, Andrew Riley, has collected the best of the past 12 months’ correspondence, covering everything from musings on prime ministers to practical hiccup remedies. While the rest of the newspaper focuses on the most pressing daily affairs, the Letters page has a reputation for dealing with the things that really matter.
Times Books £9.99
Buy a copy of Sir: The Year in Letters here
Lives Behind the Music: Era Defining Obituaries of Rock and Pop Icons edited by Nigel Farndale
Death, drugs and rock’n’roll: like a supergroup, they are all here in this collection of Times obits of rock and pop stars. It includes Jimi Hendrix, Freddie Mercury, David Bowie, Nina Simone, Elvis Presley, Amy Winehouse, Kurt Cobain … you get the idea.
Times Books £14.99
Buy a copy of Lives Behind the Music here
The Times Guide to the House of Commons 2024: The Definitive Record of Britain’s Historic 2024 General Election edited by Ian Brunskill
The Times Guide to the House of Commons was first published in 1880 and since then has given a definitive, fair-minded account of each general election. This volume includes all the facts and figures from this year’s landslide, plus analysis, constituency profiles and revealing mini-biographies of each MP. Where else would you discover that the new Tory MP for Leicester East was a semi-finalist in the 2017 Miss India UK beauty pageant?
Times Books £75
Buy a copy of The Times Guide to the House of Commons 2024 here
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Explore more of The Times and Sunday Times best books of 2024 with our complete guide. Then see who’s topping The Sunday Times Bestsellers List — the UK’s definitive sales chart
★ Visit mytimesplus.co.uk for your chance to win a Books of the Year bundle
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