Books

Former spin doctor divulges on India’s ruling dynasty

Sanjay Jha’s new book reveals the degeneration of the oldest party in the world’s largest democracy

Beyond parody

I have been de-platformed by Titania types and accused of every single phobia listed here

Bedtime reading for boomers

You will search in vain for a new life of any rocker who made his name after the advent of punk

Poignant power of cheap food

Would I read it if the subject wasn’t famous? One has to say yes, with chips and curry sauce

Mapping the past

The new edition of Tom Harper’s ‘Atlas: A World of Maps’ is an instructive as well as attractive volume

A foodie in his element

The author is evenhanded and accurate about the nouvelle cuisine movement, says Paul Levy

Memoir of a troubled woman

Friends and Enemies by Barbara Amiel is an extraordinary work of self-revelation

A feast, plain and simple

You wait ages for a decent Irish cookbook, then two arrive together, says Melanie McDonagh

A warning to the curious

Why M R James is still the greatest ghost story writer

Vintage volume: The Story of Wine

The story of wine is a glorious story which illuminates the topics of more conventional histories