Bookbenchers: Michael Fallon

Fleur Macdonald

Saturday, 5th November 2011

This week's Bookbencher is Michael Fallon, MP for Sevenoaks.

What book's on your bedside table at the moment?

David Abulafia The Great Sea: A Human History of the Mediterranean (2011) – a magisterial successor to Fernand Braudel’s survey of mare nostrum.

What book would you read to your children?

Winston Churchill My Early Life (1930) – inspirational.

What literary character would you most like to be?

George Smiley – public duty over private.

What book do you think best sums up 'now'?

Blake Morrison South of the River (2005) – captures the misplaced hopes of the early Blair years.

What was the last novel you read?

Pascal Mercier Night Train to Lisbon (2008) - haunting.

What book would you most recommend?

George Orwell Essays - including “Why I Write”, and “Politics and the English Language”. 

Given enough time, which book would you like to study deeply?

Edward GibbonThe Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (1776-88)– often dipped into, still to finish.

Which books do you plan to read next?

Sarah Bakewell A life of Montaigne (2010)
Robert Macfarlane The Wild Places (2007)
Matt Ridley The Rational Optimist (2010)

If the British Library was on fire and you could only save three books, which ones would you take?

Shakespeare The Plays
Milton Complete Works
T.S.Eliot Collected Poems

Fleur Macdonald is editor of The Omnivore.

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