'The Party's Interests Come First' by Joseph Torigian
The work is the first biography of Xi Zhongxun, the father of China's present-day president, Xi Jinping, written in English. The book deeply explores the many aspects and intricacies of the Chinese Revolution and throws light on the first several decades of the People's Republic of China.
Through the eyes of Xi Jinping's father, Author Torigian highlights the strong organisational, ideological, and coercive power of the Chinese Communist Party and the cost of human suffering that came with it.
'Vatican Spies: From the Second World War to Pope Francis' by Yvonnick Denoël
The book throws light on eighty years of secret wars and dirty tricks based on the freshly released archives of foreign services that worked against or for the Holy See (the central governing body of the Roman Catholic Church, headquartered in Vatican City).
The work highlights many phases, including the infiltration of Russian-speaking priests into the Soviet Union, negotiations between John XXIII and Khrushchev, the secret Vatican bank funds that were directed to combat communism in South America, and later channelled to support solidarity in Poland.
The book also explores struggles between the Jesuits and Opus Dei, deciphering the machinations that marked the pontificate of Benedict XVI, among many other interesting incidents.
'Revolusi: Indonesia and the Birth of the Modern World' by David Van Reybrouck
The Revolusi is based on Indonesia's struggle for independence. On a Friday morning in August 1945, a handful of struggling people hoisted a homemade cotton flag and, on behalf of 68 million fellow citizens, announced the birth of Indonesia.
Based on hundreds of interviews and eye-witness testimonies, the author turns Indonesia's vast and complex history into an utterly gripping narrative.
'Get In' by Patrick Maguire and Gabriel Pogrund
From electoral wipeout in 2019 to Herculean success in 2024 and over Labour’s first hundred days in government, the book is a notable work on exposing the significant political transformation in the UK.
Based on unrivalled access across the party and leaks of internal party documents and WhatsApp texts, Get In shows how Corbyn and his followers were betrayed and marginalised. It also explains Starmer’s rise as fuelled by focus groups and psephological arithmetic rather than his charisma.
'A Historian in Gaza' by Jean-Pierre Filiu
The book is an unforgettable, unbearably intimate account of Jean-Pierre Filiu, an acclaimed historian, in one month of stay in a place shattered by Israel's all-out war in 2024.
Filiu’s portrayal of the betrayed land is an exemplary work of war reportage, documented with the acuity of a historian and a lyrical narrative of human suffering.
'Mirages of Reform: The Politics of Elite Protectionism in the Arab' by Steve L. Monroe
The book explains why neoliberal trade policy reform in the Arab world has been varied, selective, and often ineffective. Mirages of Reform: The Politics of Elite Protectionism in the Arab also reflects how international and domestic factors shape the Arab world's trade policy terrain.
Based on interviews, firm and industry-level data, and evidence from Jordan to Morocco, the book is insightful and well researched, indeed.
