FictionFan Awards 2013 – History/Biography/Politics

Drum roll please…

 

…for this year’s nominees and winners of the annual FictionFan Awards of 2013.

What, I hear you all asking breathlessly, are the FictionFan Awards? (Oh, you didn’t ask? Never mind, I’ll tell you anyway…)

THE CRITERIA

 

All nominees must be books I’ve read and reviewed between November 2012 and October 2013 regardless of publication date, but excluding re-reads. The books must have received a 5-star rating.

THE CATEGORIES

 

There will be Honourable Mentions and a Winner in each of the following categories

History/Biography/Politics

Crime/Thriller

Science/Nature/Environment

Literary Fiction

 

…and…

Book of the Year 2013

 

THE PRIZES

 

For the winners!

I guarantee to read the authors’ next book even if I have to buy it myself!

For the runners-up!

Nothing!

THE JUDGES

Me!

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So, without further ado, here are this year’s runners-up and winner in

HISTORY/BIOGRAPHY/POLITICS

HONOURABLE MENTIONS

 

Live from Downing Street: The Inside Story of Politics, Power and the Media by Nick Robinson

The BBC’s own Political Editor tells the history of the symbiotic relationship between politicians and the press, from its earliest days through to the end of the Gordon Brown era. A fascinating and very readable account given added interest by Robinson’s own involvement in the media over the last couple of decades. He gives a thoughtful analysis of the BBC’s reputation for unbiased reporting and argues that bias may become unavoidable in the internet era. The later parts of the book have an introspective air about them, as Robinson seems to re-assess some of his own actions throughout his career.

Click to see the full review

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The War that Ended Peace by Margaret MacMillan

A thoughtful, well-balanced and detailed account of the decades prior to the First World War, showing the fears and power-plays that led to a devastating war that nobody wanted. A very accessible book that focuses on the individuals involved as much as the nations, and tells us not just about the politics, but also how both military planning and public opinion impacted on the drive towards war. A salutary reminder that peace can’t be taken for granted.

Click to see the full review

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The Men Who Lost America by Andrew Jackson O’Shaughnessy

Scholarly but accessible, this book looks at the inevitability or otherwise of Britain’s loss in the American War of Independence. O’Shaughnessy introduces us to each of the British commanders and politicians (including George III) who were in charge of the running of the war, and argues that in most cases they don’t deserve the opprobrium heaped on their individual heads. Well written, informative and enjoyable, the book tells as much about the military and naval campaigns as it does about the politics.

Click to see the full review

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Wealth and Power: China’s Long March to the Twenty-First Century by Orville Schell and John Delury

An absolutely fascinating book that takes an in-depth look at the psyche of China through the words and writings of its leading thinkers. Starting from the mid-19th century and bringing us up to the present day, the authors show how the encroachment of the Western empires and defeats at the hands of enemies within and without led, not just to the fall of the empire at the beginning of the twentieth century, but to the creation of a national mind-set that has kept the aim of achieving ‘wealth and power’ at the heart of Chinese politics ever since. Illuminating and thought-provoking, this explains (without justifying) some of the excesses carried out as China sought to regain her position as a world power.

Click to see the full review

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FICTIONFAN AWARD WINNER 2013

 

Unfinished Empire: The Global Expansion of Britain by John Darwin

In this immensely interesting book, Darwin covers the last 500 years of history to show how the British Empire grew to its enormous size and then gradually contracted in the late-19th and 20th centuries. He does this by breaking the huge subject down into a series of themed chapters that makes it approachable and easy to follow. He shows how similarities and differences in the approach to controlling the empire depended on local circumstances; and gives a very clear picture of the global and historical context, placing the British Empire as one of a line of empires that have risen and fallen throughout history. In fact, while obviously the book is primarily about the British Empire, its scope and clarity of presentation made me feel almost as if I were reading a history of the world over the last half-millennium.

In what has been a great year for histories, biographies and political books, this one stands out because of its sheer scope and Darwin’s ability to present a vast amount of information in a way that made it accessible and enjoyable.

Click to see the full review

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Next week: Best Literary Fiction Award