Epoch Booklist: Recommended Reading for Sept. 20–26

This week, we feature a heartwarming children’s book that looks at the seasons of farm life and a nail-biting novel of a true story: a Japanese soldier who surrendered decades after World War II.

Biographical Fiction 

‘The Twilight World’

By Werner Herzog

Thinking World War II had not yet ended, Japanese Lt. Hiroo Onoda remained isolated in the Philippines until 1974. Here, celebrated filmmaker Herzog, who befriended Onoda, recreates his jungle years of survival and resistance, mixing fact and memory with surreal images of life lived on the run. His three comrades eventually die, and Onoda carries on his war alone until finally tracked down by Norio Suzuki, who convinces him to surrender. An amazing portrait of loyalty and love of country.

Penguin Press, 2022, 144 pages

Novel

‘Bomber’

By Len Deighton

This is a classic novel of a World War II night bombing raid gone wrong. It covers a 24-hour period from the raid’s inception to the after-action analysis. Everything about the raid is fiction: the airbases, the units involved, the target city; even the date: June 31, 1943. What is authentic is its depiction of the raid. It captures the horror of the raid, the fears and hopes of the aircrew on both sides, the inevitable confusion in battle, and its effects on those on the ground and in the air.

Grove Press, 2023, 512 pages

Biography

‘History’s Most Influential Inventors: From the Early 1900s to the Mid-1900s’

By Robert Curley, editor

This slim volume is part of a series of biographies of inventors. The series is ordered chronologically. This edition focuses on 13 prominent inventors between 1900 and 1950. The book provides a four- to six-page biography of each, with the inventors’ fields ranging across a broad spectrum of technology. Entries discuss how each developed their creations, the challenges they overcame, and their impact on the world. Like extended encyclopedia entries, the profiles introduce each man.

Britannica Educational Pub, 2024,‎ 64 pages

Historical Fiction

‘The Pillars of the Earth’

By Ken Follett

Originally published in 1989, this sweeping epic is set in the 12th century, in the fictional English village of Kingsbridge. It put Ken Follett on the map as a writer of great repute. The book follows several storylines: a deeply conflicted architect; a beautiful but shame-riddled woman; and a monk driven to build the world’s greatest cathedral. Spanning the era between the sinking of the White Ship and the martyrdom of Thomas Becket, the novel is the first in the thus-far five part Kingsbridge series

Penguin Books, 2007, 1008 pages

Classics

‘Shakespeare and the Idea of Western Civilization’

By R.V. Young

Dubbing Shakespeare “the poet of Western civilization,” literature professor Young defends both the Bard and Western culture from their present-day detractors. In chapters like “Freedom and Tyranny in ‘Julius Caesar and ‘Hamlet,’” he creates mirrors reflecting Western values and concerns. An added bonus: Young intends his book for a general audience. He gives us insights into Shakespeare’s plays while reminding us of their unique standing in English letters and how they serve as a vehicle for humanistic education.

The Catholic University of America Press, 2022, 280 pages

For Kids

‘The Year at Maple Hill Farm’

By Alice and Martin Provensen

This tour around the farm takes readers from January through December. Varied and sweet illustrations show what farm life is like throughout each season. From hunkering down in the winter to the birthing of animals in the spring, there’s a host of farmyard delights. Originally published in 1981, this lovely picture book is something the whole family can enjoy.

Aladdin reissue, 2001, 32 pages 

What arts and culture topics would you like us to cover? Please email ideas or feedback to [email protected]