The latest paperback releases.
Untold Stories
Alan Bennett
Faber & Faber, £9.99
The success of Alan Bennett's previous memoir, Writing Home, has guaranteed a warm welcome for this "long-forgotten annual" of personal recollections and diary entries. Untold Stories lays bare 10 years of the author and actor's life, ranging from the titular story of his grandfather's suicide to accounts of a homophobic attack in Italy and of recovery from cancer. An unassuming man who once hoped to become a history don, Bennett's voice is one of uncompromising honesty: "I'd quite happily have betrayed my parents to the Gestapo if it meant getting centre stage." From the cocktail sticks which represented his mother's aspirations for social betterment to the scattering of his uncle's ashes on a popular tourist spot full of picnicking families, Bennett's prose flows effortlessly from deep poignancy to black comedy. The tale of an everyman who confesses "I was not suited to epic . . . I suspect I resemble the general run of humanity", Bennett's skill is to turn the ordinary into the extraordinary.... Freya McClements
DC Confidential
Christopher Meyer
Phoenix, £8.99
Future generations will examine closely the events that led to war in Iraq, and this book will undoubtedly become a principal primary text in such an examination. That, unfortunately, doesn't make it all that compelling in its own right. As British ambassador to the US from 1997 to 2003, Meyer observed the later struggles of the Clinton administration, 9/11 and its aftermath and the early stages of the war on terror from a uniquely privileged position. His insider status alone means there are plenty of juicy revelations, but while Meyer was undoubtedly a canny diplomat, he is a considerably muddled storyteller. In retelling his journey from his time as John Major's press secretary to his stay in Washington, Meyer consistently manages to mangle his chronology with meandering digressions. And while often critical of Blair and New Labour, he absolves both Bush and Blair of the most serious charges of war-mongering.... Davin O'Dwyer
The Divide
Nicholas Evans
Time Warner, £6.99
Nicholas Evans is best known for his strong, emotional male characters, and his particular attention to the divide between men and women. The author's statement about The Divide clearly has his largely female readership in mind. In it, he outlines his long-standing desire to incorporate three disparate plot lines into his fiction: the break-up of a marriage, Bush's controversial decision to drill for oil in the Rocky Mountains, and a woman's body frozen in the wilderness. There is something for everyone: enough of the domestic-drama Evans to please his many fans, Bush-whacking for those who can't get enough, and a snow-bound murder mystery juxtaposed with trips to the gritty streets of New York City. ... Nora Mahony
Cleared for Disaster
Michael O'Toole
Mercier, €12.99
A measure of how airline travel has become so safe and mundane is that whenever an aircraft crashes it still makes headline news. It wasn't always so safe, as the late Michael O'Toole's gripping chapters chronicling the history of Ireland's most horrific air crashes testifies; from the little-remembered and very mysterious mid-Atlantic disappearance of a giant Globemaster in 1951, rumoured to have an atomic bomb on board, to the still unexplained Tuskar Rock crash involving the Aer Lingus Viscount St Phelim in 1968. A qualified pilot, O'Toole approached his brief with all the required technical knowledge, and his meticulous eye for detail makes for an informative read. However, the vignettes about passengers and crews set it apart, and a journalist's nose for the human story also make it an entertaining read. ... Martin Noonan
The Painted Drum
Louise Erdrich
Harper Perennial Original, £7.99
Louise Erdrich's wonderfully subtle novel is one of life and death, people and objects passing from one state of being to another, where the spiritual and the material are co-existing aspects of reality. It is a gentle lesson in the art of paying attention to the small things in life. The painted drum of the title is a symbol of the life of the North Dakota Ojibwe Community. Faye Travers acquires it by less than proper means, but for all the right reasons, and vows to return it to the family of its maker. The reverence in which the drum is held, its power and central role in the contemporary community, are based on the people's faith and their willingness to participate in a life that goes beyond what they are ordinarily aware of. As Faye discovers: "You are here to risk your heart."... Claire Looby
The Trial: A History from Socrates to OJ Simpson
Sadakat Kadri
Harper Perennial, £9.99
In an ambitious legal journey, barrister Sadakat Kadri chronicles the evolution of the criminal trial and its often illusory perception of "justice". Spanning centuries of western legal history, Kadri critiques court cases stretching from ancient Athens to the Middle Ages, the Papal inquisitions and the media circus of the OJ Simpson trial. With a witty running commentary veering from moments of dark humour to moral outrage at unjust convictions and wrongful acquittals, Kadri marvels at the warped logic and flawed reasoning employed by judges and juries throughout history. He highlights disturbing parallels between barbaric medieval practices and the recent abuse of suspected terrorists by the US in Guantanamo Bay. An ingenious and morally intriguing work, The Trial presents us with a cautionary tale of judicial fallibility, while championing the efforts of those who campaign tirelessly to defend the innocent. ... Kevin Cronin