22 new books for 2024
From a Keir Starmer biography to new fiction by Ali Smith – here are the books to look out for…
ByNon-fiction
Discover the latest non-fiction books and must-reads with the New Statesman’s expert reviews. Including biographies, music books, political writing and more.
What is Labour for?
Two new books show that a century after it formed its first government, the party is once again wrestling with…
By
From Bettany Hughes to Aniefiok Ekpoudom: new books reviewed in short
Also featuring Our Moon by Rebecca Boyle and Trapped in History by Nicholas Rankin.
By
The Amazon guide to burnout
Kristi Coulter’s account of her 12-year career at the tech firm lays bare the toxic work culture of the 2010s.
By
Who runs the show?
As the power in Hollywood has moved from film to TV, so has the much-mythologised alpha male auteur.
By
The white heat of politics
Thirteen years of Tory rule, a season of scandal and Labour on the rise – the hectic Britain of 1963…
By
From Nathalie Olah to Stephen Marche: new books reviewed in short
Also featuring Alexandria by Islam Issa and The Factory by Hiroko Oyamada.
By
From Naomi Alderman to Francis Spufford: new books reviewed in short
Also featuring The Revolutionary Temper by Richard Darnton and The Wisdom of Sheep by Rosamund Young.
By
How the centre right was lost
Shattered by Brexit, the Tory party has been captured by populist disrupters. Can true conservatives win it back?
By
Inside the mind of Hilary Mantel
The novelist’s collected non-fiction reveals her extraordinary range, depth and independence of thought.
By
From Thurston Moore to Camilla Nord: new books reviewed in short
Also featuring The Book at War by Andrew Pettegree and a collection from the Complete Works Poets.
By
Why we go to war
Two new studies of the evolution of warfare reveal the fragility of peace in a world ruled by irrational actors.
By
The bones that built Britain
Winchester Cathedral’s mysterious “bone chests” tell a story of how warring kings and queens forged a new nation.
By
From Gordon Brown to Natalie Haynes: new books reviewed in short
Also featuring Family Meal by Bryan Washington and Pure Wit by Francesca Peacock.
By
Myths of the miners’ strike
An oral history of the bitter Eighties dispute reveals a conflict that went far deeper than just government vs trade…
By
Who owns your face?
How the shadowy start-up Clearview sold the power of facial recognition to corporations and states across the globe.
By
From Ben Lerner to Simon Heffer: new books reviewed in short
Also featuring Land of Milk and Honey by C Pam Zhang and Stay True by Hua Hsu.
By
Bernie Taupin: good lyricist, bad writer
The songs he wrote with Elton John may be works of art. His bloated memoir is not.
By
Hobbes was wrong
John Gray’s latest book argues that the new Leviathans of liberalism have led to a war of all against all.
By
Europe’s race delusions
Built on imperial amnesia and competing nationalisms, the EU has never been the beacon of inclusion it claims to be.
By