In 2023, Foreign Policy further broadened the range of our Books section, featuring essays covering a diverse array of new titles. These included novels, historical works, and essential foreign-policy releases. Their reviews encompass a blend of criticism, reporting, and personal narrative.
Explore Foreign Policy's top book picks of the year below.
Timothy Garton Ash's book 'Homelands: A Personal History of Europe' tells a sad story from those who saw the Berlin Wall collapse. The book mixes stories from his life with history, looking back at the past 50 years, exploring what went right and wrong with ideas of freedom and Europe becoming one. It also talks about the job of political writers and their duty to shape what is first said about significant historical events.
Amid ongoing conflicts in Europe's eastern regions and the rise of anti-liberal populism, Jan-Werner Müller suggests that Garton Ash's book is a potent antidote for those disheartened by Europe, providing a passionate defense against forces seeking its destruction.
Imelda Marcos, known in the Philippines as the extravagant queen of camp, is celebrated for her opulent fashion and jewelry. Her story, from rags to (ill-gotten) riches, remains captivating. A former rice mill in Manila, transformed into a shoe museum, displays 250 pairs from her renowned size 8 1/2 shoe collection. Additionally, a Broadway musical recounts her dramatic rise and fall against the backdrop of disco music.
Sheila Coronel, a member of NYSEAN and director of the Toni Stabile Center for Investigative Journalism at Columbia University, reviews Nathan Go's debut novel, 'Forgiving Imelda Marcos.' The book explores themes of redemption for historical and personal wrongs, emphasizing that forgiveness must be actively sought and earned, a step the Marcoses are perceived not to have taken.
The book 'This Is Not America: Why Black Lives in Britain Matter' by Tomiwa Owolade explores the impact of recent U.S. debates on race on the global stage, particularly in the United Kingdom. Journalist Angela Saini, in her review of Owolade's polemic, delves into the influence of the United States on anti-racist activism and race discussions in the U.K. Saini, an author on race science, questions whether this influence is as detrimental as Owolade contends.
Saini suggests that despite differences in the manifestation of racism in Britain and the United States, both nations have built their racial ideologies on the same foundational principles. The review explores the nuanced relationship between the two countries in shaping conversations around race and activism.
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Shehan Karunatilaka's book 'The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida' examines the aftereffects of Sri Lanka's civil war, which raged from 1983 to 2009. Set seven years into the fighting, it follows a dead man named Maali after he passes, navigating a strange afterlife place with a task to make sure some essential photos he took get to who needs to see them. Set during the conflict, Maali is on a mission in the afterlife world to help important pictures he shot as a photographer reach specific people.
V.V. Ganeshananthan, in a beautifully rendered review, describes the afterlife depicted in the novel as a 'merciless, madcap version' that serves as a poignant window into a country marked by historical and political wrongs. Ganeshananthan's writing of a book set during the conflict emphasized Karunatilaka's skill of mixing personal lives and the events happening in the country, pointing out how the chance of lives not being lived still lingered.
The U.S. Federal Reserve's massive role as the central bank and final place to borrow strongly affects the worldwide economy, David Wessel, a journalist, points out while discussing their profound impact, especially during the worldwide recession and sickness time.
Wessel reviews two recent books by Fed reporters, Jeanna Smialek's 'Limitless: The Federal Reserve Takes on a New Age of Crisis' and Nick Timiraos's 'Trillion Dollar Triage: How Jay Powell and the Fed Battled a President and a Pandemic-and Prevented Economic Disaster.' As a seasoned Fed reporter, Wessel explores the nuances of both accounts, unveiling key decision-makers and their impact on the global economy, effectively peeling back the curtain on significant financial events.
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