My ten favourite non-fiction books of 2023

I actually found it harder to compile my list of ten favourite non-fiction books read this year than I did the list of novels even though I read many fewer of them. The quality of what I have read has been excellent and I have read some great books. I read mainly history, travel, biographies and memoirs, and true crime and this list includes bits of them all..

Anyway here they are. All new to me this year and listed in no particular order but with my favourite as book ten. Click on the title to find the original review and when you’ve finished looking at them you may like to consider my ten favourite novels of the year which you can find here.

Keep reading ….

• Wavewalker by Suzanne Heywood – A memoir of the author’s childhood which she spent at sea following her father’s dreams and having to ignore her own. Chilling in many ways.

• The Wager by David Grann – At sea again, but this is a true tale of shipwreck, mutiny and betrayal. An amazing tale.

• Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight by Alexandra Fuller – A childhood spent in Rhodesia at the time of war. Fascinating insight to a different way of life.

• The Life of Stuff by Susannah Walker – A biography of the author’s mother, who was a hoarder, by looking at what she chose to keep. Really interesting and will get you thinking about your own habits.

• Ruskin Park by Rory Cellan-Jones – Biography of the author’s mother who parented alone and left her life story in letters and documents for her son to read after she was gone. Touching and very interesting about the BBC.

• Unfollow by Megan Phelps-Roper – The story of the Westboro Baptist Church and their campaign against sin in America by the granddaughter of the founder and her story of leaving the fellowship. Very interesting.

• Great-Uncle Harry by Michael Palin – A biography of the author’s relative who died in WW1. A story of an ordinary man who really wasn’t. Beautifully told.

• Under the Banner of Heaven by John Krakauer – The story of polygamy in the Mormon church in the past and today, and how it lead to oppression and murder. Absolutely fascinating.

• Hitler, Stalin, Mum and Dad by Daniel Finkelstein – A memoir of the author’s parents and their oppression as Jews under two totalitarian regimes. A gripping read but very sad in places.

• 1923 by Ned Boulting – MY NON-FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR. During lockdown the author bought a small snippet of film from the 1923 Tour de France. He then determined to find out all he could about the riders, the places they raced through and even the people standing at the road. His quest is a fascinating look at France at the time and a lesson on historical research. Not just for cycling fans.