In Three Great Books, we highlight must-reads for a topic or place.

The northern reaches of North America have been inspiring visitors to write about their experiences since the earliest European explorations. Writers from Jack London to Jon Krakauer have told stories of adventure and tragedy in the Arctic, stories that always seem to boil down to the idea of challenging ourselves and testing our ability to survive in one of the harshest and most unforgettable landscapes on earth. My picks range as far south as the northernmost parts of the Prairies, but I think anyone who’s watched the migration of the polar bears through Churchill, Manitoba would argue that they were given a glimpse of life in the Arctic. Three great books:

Continue reading >>

In Three Great Books, we highlight must-reads for a topic, city or country.

The German philosopher Friedrich Schiller believed that periods of oppression and tyranny produce the greatest works of art; in his words, that “truth and beauty, with their own indestructible vitality, struggle triumphantly to the surface.” In South Africa’s case, at least, he just may have been right. The apartheid era and its aftermath have inspired a wealth of high-quality literature from the likes of Alan Paton, Zakes Mda and Nobel Prize winners Nadine Gordimer and J.M. Coetzee. Three great books:

Continue reading >>

Beyond being the world’s most popular sport, soccer—or football, as it’s called in most of the English-speaking world—reverberates well beyond the fields and stadiums where it’s played. The sport often reflects centuries-old ethnic, nationalist and religious tensions. It’s a global business. Its fans are wildly—and sometimes violently—passionate about their teams. In short, soccer is far more than just another game. While some writers have explored the subject as part of larger works—Ryszard Kapuscinski’s The Soccer War features (despite what its title might suggest) one compelling chapter on the soccer-inspired war between El Salvador and Honduras, for example, and Paul Theroux’s “The Old Patagonian Express” includes a terrific passage about a soccer-related riot in San Salvador—other writers have devoted entire books to soccer and the culture that surrounds it. Herewith, just in time for World Cup 2006 in Germany, three great books:

Continue reading >>

This week we introduce a new weblog feature, Three Great Books, which highlights a few must-reads for a particular city or region or country. We’re talking about books worth picking up before a trip to that particular place, or to read purely for pleasure. These could be travel narratives, but also memoirs, novels, histories, perhaps even a book of poetry from time to time—anything that evokes a place or speaks to its essence. We begin with Los Angeles. The city might be best known as a movie town, but Los Angeles is far more than that. It has a proud literary history that includes the likes of Charles Bukowski, Joan Didion, Carolyn See, John Fante, Carey McWilliams and Walter Mosley. Three great books:

Continue reading >>