The Economist reads
Africa
Our Africa editor chooses five books, and one album, as an introduction to the great continent
For a first taste of Africa, begin with these
Language
Our language columnist, Johnson, picks five of his favourite recent reads
This is a golden age for good books about every facet of language
Silicon Valley
The five best books for understanding Silicon Valley’s history
Pentagon officials, hippies and whizzkids all feature
The Economist reads
Our former Moscow correspondent picks seven books on Russia
A readers’ guide to the mystery that is Vladimir Putin
France
Our Paris bureau chief picks seven books to make sense of modern France
A readers’ guide to understanding the paradoxical country at the heart of Europe
Biographies
Our obituaries editor picks the five best biographies ever written
Reflections on one’s own life and the lives of others, from Suetonius to Dylan Thomas