What are your favourite non-fiction books?

Goose · 6 Mar 2017 at 14:23

For some reason i've never really been particularly interested in reading fiction but I can happily plough my way through non-fiction by the truckload. I'm open to pretty much any subject really (I read a lot of biographies, history, true crime etc) and I was hoping you all might give me suggestions to load up my Kindle before I head off abroad.

Thanks

MikeTheNative · 6 Mar 2017 at 14:28

If you are interested in military history then all of Max Hastings' books I've read have been good.

DrToffnar · 6 Mar 2017 at 15:36

'Masters Of Doom' is a superb book if your into video games. The story of Doom's creation and the eventual downfall of old 'id Software'.

Leg · 6 Mar 2017 at 18:36

"Mars Rover Curiosity: An Inside Account from Curiosity's Chief Engineer" by Rob Manning. Good to read after you have seen The Martian.

TonyM19 · 6 Mar 2017 at 18:56

MikeTheNative said:
If you are interested in military history then all of Max Hastings' books I've read have been good.

I'd back this up. I found the Falklands and Korean War books to be really interesting. Well worth a read.

davethe11 · 7 Mar 2017 at 20:13

Easy Riders, Raging Bulls by Peter Biskind is a great read - about the movie industry in the 70's.

BradShort · 7 Mar 2017 at 20:25

The Moons a Balloon by David Niven. A rip roaring hilarious recount of the golden era of Hollywood and the antics they got up to. David Niven name drops just about everyone and the stories he tells are just superb. In fact, gonna read it again now

Oh and Bring on the Empty Horses as a follow up, same Author.

Chonky · 8 Mar 2017 at 08:33

I read more fiction than non-fiction, but I do enjoy factual military books. I read Waterloo by Bernard Cornwell which was superb. Written in the same manner to his fiction books (which I love), it had me engrossed from start to finish. As did Sniper on the Eastern Front: The Memoirs of Sepp Allerberger, and The Last Panther - Slaughter of the Reich by Wolfgang Faust. War by Sebastian Junger, about the US Army in Afghanistan, was also fascinating.

MookJong · 8 Mar 2017 at 15:13

Ghost In The Wires: My Adventures as the World's Most Wanted Hacker by Kevin Mitnick

I listened to it on audio-book about 2 years ago and there is probably not a month goes by when I don't think about something from it.

Honorable mentions to:

Agent ZigZag by Ben Macinyre - The crazy story of the most notorious double agents of WW2
Outlaws Inc by Matt Potter - Mercenary Russian pilots flying any cargo anywhere for anyone, a real eye opener.

RobDogDog · 8 Mar 2017 at 19:33

Mick Foley's Have a Nice Day.

Autobiography of a wrestler. He was a bit of a nutter back in the day and this book showcases it. I was big into my wrestling from about 1998-2007 and this book stills holds a place in my fond memory.