True Stories & Other Essays by Francis Spufford – review
This career-spanning collection brings lucid thought and prose to subjects as various as landscape, books and religion
Write to the Point by Sam Leith review – a useful, persuasive guide to English usage
Language has rules but no umpire – and the standard approach changes all the time
The Origins of Creativity review – stick to the ants, professor
Entomologist EO Wilson’s meandering attempt to forge a new philosophy from arts and science is irritating rather than enlightening
Logical Family: A Memoir by Armistead Maupin review – in search of a second family
The Tales of the City author relives the pain of his parents’ struggle to accept his sexuality in this lively autobiography
The 15 best political biographies and diaries: from Alan Clark to Citizen Clem
Personal journals and nuanced profiles offer unparalleled insights into national events and the MPs who shaped them
The Story of the Jews: Belonging, 1492-1900 review – the long fight to survive
The second volume of Simon Schama’s profoundly illuminating history depicts a people caught in a cycle of persecution
The best books on North Korea: start your reading here
A literary tour of North Korea shines a light on the absurd realities and grim horrors of life in this cruel and capricious regime over the past 30 years
Ma’am Darling by Craig Brown review – being royal is bad for the character
Princess Margaret was bossy, petty and volatile, looked down on and lusted after. She is perfect material for Britain’s best parodist and satirist
The Tin Drum review – Kneehigh turn Grass’s fable into chaotic cabaret
The company’s surreal and gleefully inventive adaptation transforms the Günter Grass novel into a riot of theatre, puppetry and music
American War by Omar El Akkad review – terrorism in a future US
Set in a late-21st century US ravaged by global warming, this ambitious debut encourages western readers to put themselves in the shoes of the world’s displaced peoples
The Earth Gazers by Christopher Potter review – the missions to the moon
A new telling of the story of the Apollo astronauts between 1968 and 1972 involves nervous breakdowns, a former Nazi and an atheist church
The Snow Angel by Lauren St John – review
This no-holds-barred tale of a Kenyan girl who finds refuge from poverty and disease is a hymn to the human spirit
A Patient Fury by Sarah Ward review – classic police procedural
A maverick cop who just won’t let a case go is catnip for crime lovers in the third DC Connie Childs book
The Future of War: A History by Lawrence Freedman – review
One of our leading military thinkers reflects on the risk of nuclear Armageddon
The Lost Words by Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris review – sumptuous
A book combining meticulous wordcraft with exquisite illustrations restores language describing the natural world to the children’s lexicon