Simon Mayo's Books Of The Year

Ben MacIntyre writes fantastic books about real life spies. Agent Sonya is another one. Ursula Kuczynski Burton was a spymaster, saboteur, bomb-maker and secret agent - who spent a large part of her career in rural Oxfordshire. Codenamed 'Agent Sonya', her story has never been told - until now. From planning an assassination attempt on Hitler in Switzerland, to spying on the Japanese in Manchuria, to preventing nuclear war (or so she believed) by stealing the science of atomic weaponry from Britain to give to Moscow, Ursula conducted some of the most dangerous espionage operations of the twentieth century. Simon Mayo, Matt Williams and all Books of the Year affiliates would like to make it very clear that Ben MacIntyre is not a spy and never has been a spy.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The author of V2, Fatherland and Munich tells us about about his favourite books and authors...which include Just William, Maigret, Kingsley Amis and and AJP Taylor  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Simon and Matt chat to the best-selling author of Fatherland and Munich. Robert Harris's new novel is a WWII thriller about a German rocket engineer, a former actress turned British spy, and the Nazi rocket program. It's November 1944, Willi Graf, a German rocket engineer, is launching Nazi Germany's V2 rockets at London from Occupied Holland. Kay Connolly, once an actress, now a young English Intelligence officer, ships out for Belgium to locate the launch sites and neutralize the threat. But when rumours of a defector circulate through the German ranks, Graf becomes a suspect. Unknown to each other, Graf and Connolly find themselves on opposite sides of the hunt for the saboteur.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

One of the key figures in British politics for the past 30 years, Alastair Campbell tells us about his favourite books and authors. Alastair is a British journalist, broadcaster and political aide. He worked as Tony Blair's spokesman and campaign director (1994–1997), then as Downing Street Press Secretary (1997–2000) for Blair, who was then Labour Prime Minister. He then became Downing Street Director of Communications and spokesman for the Labour Party (2000–2003). He resigned in August 2003. Since then he has been a prolific writer and speaker - and an advocate for mental health.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

"Last Christmas I almost killed myself. Almost. I've had a lot of almosts. Never gone from almost to deed. Don't think I ever will. But it was a bad almost." Living Better is Alastair Campbell's honest, moving and life affirming account of his lifelong struggle with depression. It is an autobiographical, psychological and psychiatric study, which explores his own childhood, family and other relationships, and examines the impact of his professional and political life on himself and those around him. But it also lays bare his relentless quest to understand depression not just through his own life but through different treatments. Alastair Campbell is a writer, communicator and strategist best known for his role as former British Prime Minister Tony Blair's spokesman, press secretary and director of communications and strategy. A former 'Mind Champion of the Year', he is an ambassador for several mental health charities.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In a peaceful retirement village, four unlikely friends meet up once a week to investigate unsolved murders. But when a brutal killing takes place on their very doorstep, the Thursday Murder Club find themselves in the middle of their first live case. Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron might be pushing eighty but they still have a few tricks up their sleeves. Can our unorthodox but brilliant gang catch the killer before it's too late? Richard Osman is an author, producer and television presenter. The Thursday Murder Club is his first novel. He is well known for TV shows including Pointless and Richard Osman’s House of Games. As the creative director of Endemol UK, Richard has worked as an executive producer on numerous shows including Deal Or No Deal and 8 Out of 10 Cats. He is also a regular on panel and game shows such as Have I Got News For You, Would I Lie To You and Taskmaster.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

TV producer and presenter - and now author... Richard Osman tells us about some of his favourite books and authors...which include Ben MacIntyre, Marian Keyes and Viz!  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

One of the world's most prolific and successful authors takes over presenting duties to interview Simon Mayo (Itch, Mad Blood Stirring, Radio 1 Roadshow). Simon's new thriller is Knife Edge. In a series of coordinated attacks, seven men and women across London have been targeted. For journalist Famie Madden, the horror unfolds as she arrives for the morning shift. The victims have one thing in common: they make up the investigations team at the news agency where Famie works. The question everyone's asking: what were they working on that could prompt such brutal devastation? As Famie starts to receive mysterious messages, she must find out whether she is being warned of the next attack, or being told that she will be the next victim...  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Lee Child, the 100 million selling author of the Jack Reacher novels, takes over presenting duties to interview fledgling author Simon Mayo about his new book Knife Edge. In this clip they talk about the perils of rolling news. And how Jack Reacher would wear a mask  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Sabine Durrant is a former assistant editor of The Guardian and a former literary editor at The Sunday Times. She is currently a magazine profile writer for The Sunday Telegraph and a contributor to The Guardian’s family section. Her latest novel is the thriller Finders, Keepers. In our Q&A Sabine tells us about her favourite books and authors which include Georgette Heyer, Robert Harris and Jilly Cooper  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Hoarding, how to write endings, ice cream vans - and Matt's desire to kill  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The best selling author and Peep Show star tells us about his favourite books and authors, which include Huckleberry Finn, Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy, Clive James and Mr Uppity.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The No 1 best selling author of How Not To Be A Boy releases his debut novel Come Again - where his heroin finds herself back in 1992, trying to save the life of her future partner. "It's mean to be funny" R Webb 2020  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The best selling author chats about his favourite books and authors - including Agatha Christie, Charles Dickens, Ian Fleming, Ben MacIntyre and Ian Rankin  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Anthony Horowitz has written over 40 books including the bestselling teen spy series Alex Rider, estimated to have sold 19 million copies worldwide. Anthony is also an acclaimed writer for adults and was commissioned by the Conan Doyle Estate to write two new Sherlock Holmes novels, and more recently he was commissioned by the Ian Fleming Estate to write new James Bond novels. Simon Mayo is a greedy guts jelly baby guzzler  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.