Summer books of 2019: Politics

Dangerous Hero: Corbyn’s Ruthless Plot for Power, by Tom Bower, William Collins, RRP£20

As the title suggests, this is an unabashedly hostile account of the leader of Britain’s Labour party. Nonetheless, it paints a broadly convincing picture of the life and political milieu of a man who could soon be in 10 Downing Street.

The Rise of the Civilisational State, by Christopher Coker, Polity RRP£55 hardback/£17.99 paperback

The idea of the nation-state is familiar. But it is now fashionable for some countries to claim to represent distinct civilisations — a concept that has distinctly chauvinist implications. Coker, an LSE professor, examines the civilisation-state as it applies to Russia, China and the attempted Islamic caliphate.

The Great Successor: The Secret Rise and Rule of Kim Jong Un, by Anna Fifield, John Murray, RRP£20/Public Affairs, RRP$28

A superb inquiry into the life and politics of the North Korean dictator. The author, a Washington Post correspondent (formerly with the FT), has found family and regime sources that allow her to put together a detailed account of a regime and a personality that are normally shrouded in mystery.

The Future is Asian: Global Order in the Twenty-First Century, by Parag Khanna, Weidenfeld & Nicolson, RRP£20/Simon and Schuster, RRP$29.95

A serious and well-documented attempt to make the case that the American century is giving way to a century in which economic and political power is increasingly centred on Asia. Khanna is keen to challenge the Sino-centric view of Asia, insisting on the importance of other countries and regions.

Malevolent Republic: A Short History of the New India, by KS Komireddi, Hurst, RRP£20

Written with passion and savagery, this is a polemical and highly readable short history of modern India from Indira Gandhi to Narendra Modi. The author’s distaste for the current Indian prime minister is balanced by his contempt for most of his predecessors.

A Lot of People Are Saying: The New Conspiracism and the Assault on Democracy, by Russell Muirhead and Nancy L Rosenblum, Princeton RRP£21/$26.95

Two academics argue that “conspiracist thinking” was central to the rise of Donald Trump. While previous conspiracy theories (for example about 9/11 or the Kennedy assassination) attempted to use evidence, the new conspiracism relies on innuendo, repetition and social media to sow doubt.

A Short History of Brexit: From Brentry to Backstop, by Kevin O’Rourke, Pelican, RRP£20

It is clearly too early to write the definitive history of Brexit. But O’Rourke, an economic historian, provides a very readable account of how we got here — including contemporary issues such as the financial crash and the refugee crisis, and longer-term factors such as British attitudes to free trade, parliamentary sovereignty and empire.

Our Man: Richard Holbrooke and the End of the American Century, by George Packer, Jonathan Cape, RRP£25/Alfred A Knopf, RRP$30

Packer is one of the most talented non-fiction writers in America. In his hands, a biography of a diplomat who never quite made it to the top becomes a history of modern America’s entanglement with the world — from Vietnam to Afghanistan — with the mixture of good intentions, arrogance and over-reach embodied in the figure of Holbrooke.

Siege: Trump Under Fire, by Michael Wolff, Little, Brown, RRP£20/Henry Holt, RRP$30

A gossipy account of the Trump presidency, full of startling details that the president himself would doubtless dismiss as “fake news”. Perfect political reading for the beach, though not necessarily the seminar room.

Gideon Rachman is the FT’s chief foreign affairs commentator

For a look at the best summer books across genres, go to ft.com/summerbooks2019

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