Natasha's Dance - A Cultural History of Russia

Orlando Figes

This tremendously attractive, ambitious, dizzying book is in every way a worthy successor to Figes' bestselling "A People's Tragedy". The whole panorama of Russia's mighty culture is conjured up in a way that is fresh, intimate and immediate. Whether talking about music or novels, buildings or paintings...

The Life of Samuel Johnson

James Boswell

The most celebrated English biography is a group portrait in which extraordinary man paints the picture of a dozen moreAt the centre of a brilliant circle which included Burke, Reynolds, Garrick, Fanny Burney and even George III, Boswell captures the powerful, troubled and witty figure of Samuel Johnson...

Berlin Alexanderplatz

Alfred Döblin

The great novel of 1920s Berlin life, in a superb translation by Michael Hofmann. 'As long as he had money, he remained decent. But then he ran out of money'. Franz Biberkopf is back on the streets of Berlin. Determined to go straight after a stint in prison for doing some stupid stuff, he finds himse...