We asked 4th Estate staff to write 30 words on one of 30 classic 4th Estate titles. Here’s Jack Williams on ‘Netherland’ by Joseph O’Neill
‘A different spin on the classic American dream novel, Joseph O’Neil’s Netherland follows a Dutch immigrant in post 9-11 New York while detailing his new love found love of Cricket.’
We asked 4th Estate staff to write 30 words on one of 30 classic 4th Estate titles. Here’s marketing assistant Candice Carty-Williams on ‘Stuart: A Life Backwards‘ by Alexander Masters
‘There aren’t many books that blur the lines between protagonist and antagonist, and that remind you that we have it in us to be both, in our own story.’
Reading Simon Armitage’s The Not Dead (2008) was, for me, a reminder of the beauty of war poetry and prose. Armitage spent no time working in the armed forces; however, his works cast my mind back to that of Siegfried Sassoon, Wilfred Owen and Rupert Brooke, phenomenal canons of British war poetry. Sometimes, those who have faced the most traumatic, brutal and violent of experiences are gifted with a remarkable set of literary talents. We have an endless fascination with physical war; our interest and never-ending exploration of this theme is instilled in us from a young age – the horrors of WWII discussed in History lessons, its territorial ramifications rediscovered in Geography, and, in no less effect its impact on language and prose debated over in English Literature classes. This year has seen war, once again, dominate our screens, from independent film noir productions such as Ida to movie blockbusters like Fury and 4th Estate’s very own book-to-screen adaptation Unbroken due in cinemas early next year. Petitions to extend The Tower of London’s poppy memorial exhibition, featuring 888,246 poppies to represent every single English casualty of WWI is a simple but pertinent example of the impact war has in shaping collective identities.
The impetus to write John the Pupil hit me when I was sitting in the British Library reading about the medieval Franciscan and magus Roger Bacon, who is often described as the first ‘modern’ scientist. I was researching writing something about bomb-making when a byway took me into a biography of Bacon, who had rediscovered gunpowder. The book contained the following footnote: ‘In 1267, Bacon sent his pupil John to Italy with two companions to deliver his book, the Opus Majus, to the Pope.’ Read more…
We asked 4th Estate staff to write 30 words on one of 30 classic 4th Estate titles. Here’s Hugo Hamilton, author of ‘Every Single Minute’ on ‘Purple Hibiscus’ by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
‘Purple Hibiscus remains unforgettable for the way in which it holds the inner family tyrannies up against the outer political landscape of Nigeria and the world, freeing a great writer.’
We asked 4th Estate staff to write 30 words on one of 30 classic 4th Estate titles. Here’s Key Account Manager Vanessa Bloor on ‘The Northern Clemency‘ by Philip Hensher
‘One of my all time favourite novels about English family life, The Northern Clemency is an extraordinarily accomplished novel featuring a fascinating and richly portrayed cast. It’s moving and also very funny – one scene in particular will stick with me forever. I could not put it down.’
We asked 4th Estate staff to write 30 words on one of 30 classic 4th Estate titles. Here’s Senior Editor Robert Lacey on ‘Bad Science‘ by Ben Goldacre
‘Ben Goldacre mercilessly but hilariously dissects the claims of media nutritionists, homeopaths and other purveyors of lucrative quackery. Required reading for anyone who cares about science – and anyone who thinks they don’t’
