MLAs’ books of the year
As thoughts turn to Christmas reading, Assembly members share their favourite reads of 2011.
Conall McDevitt
Walter Isaacson’s biography of Steve Jobs is an epic tome. It chronicles and dissects with brutal honesty and openness the life and works of one of the most complex and driven business leaders and innovators of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. I would commend to anyone who is really interested in pushing the boundaries, be that in business, government or society.
Paul Girvan
My favourite book is the Bible. It is worthwhile, because it has stood the test of time, and as we celebrate the 400th anniversary of its translation, it is still relevant today, as it was back then.
John Dallat
‘End of Term Report’ by Paddy O’Hanlon. For any reader, irrespective of party or politics, this is a fascinating book which takes the reader right behind the scenes running up to the Good Friday Agreement and sets out in modest terms the critical role Paddy played as one of the principal architects of that Agreement.
End of Term Report is beautifully written, giving an insight into the life of one of the most wonderful people I ever had the privilege of knowing.
Mike Nesbitt
‘The Element’ by Professor Ken Robinson, a specialist in creativity. I share his belief that schools ask pupils the wrong question i.e. “How intelligent are you?” We need to start asking: “In what way are you intelligent?” and not over value academic over vocational, or sport over art. 21st century education systems must deliver for the individual not the institution.
Kieran McCarthy
My reading for 2011 was ‘A Tragedy of Errors: The Government and Misgovernment of Northern Ireland’ by Kenneth Bloomfield. I found this book to be a sincere attempt by someone who was in the thick of political goings-on from as far back as 1956. A real insight of how politicians behaved and opportunities missed. Had these government officials both at Westminster and Belfast any foresight, the horrendous 30-40 years of murder and mayhem would not have happened. The lack of wisdom, foresight and courage gave us all years of misery and mistrust: lessons must be learnt from reading this book which is a factual account of what took place at Stormont. It must not be repeated and future leaders of Northern Ireland would do well to read Ken Bloomfield’s contribution.
Stewart Dickson
My best read this year is ‘Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace … One School at a Time’, a book by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin published by Penguin in 2006. For four years, the book remained on the New York Times nonfiction bestseller’s list. ‘Three Cups of Tea’ describes Mortenson’s transition from a registered nurse and mountain-climber to a humanitarian committed to reducing poverty and promoting education for girls in Pakistan and Afghanistan. This has been my best read for a very long time. I could not put it down. I would recommend it as a must read.
Stephen Moutray
‘True Compass: A Memoir’ by Edward M Kennedy. This book was bought as a Christmas present by my wife last year. I commenced reading it in the summer past whilst on holidays in Cape Cod which very much brought the book to life and, although I would have little politically in common with the Kennedys, it was a captivating read. ‘True Compass’ was written in the last months of its author’s life as he struggled against his terminal illness, cancer. I have to say, as any politician would, that I enjoyed reading about the legislative battles, the policy debates and his foreign travels to meet with powerful people throughout the world. Overall it was an enjoyable and pleasurable read.
Daithí McKay
‘Armed and Dangerous’ by Ronnie Kasrils. The book is an autobiography of Ronnie Kasrils, a Jewish white lad from South Africa who became a leader in the ANC military wing during the struggle against apartheid and a Minister in the new Government. A rollercoaster of a read it not only charts his own experiences of loss and elation living under the regime but also the challenges of political reform in a new South Africa.
Alex Easton
‘Remembering Their Sacrifice in the Great War’ compiled by Barry Niblock. This is just new out and records every single person that made the ultimate sacrifice in World War One, who lived in the North Down and the Ards area. It is a reminder of people who live in the likes of Bangor and Holywood who walked the same streets as I do today and reminds me of the huge sacrifice made on our behalf. It also brings to mind quotes that mean a lot to myself: “I am not an Ulsterman but yesterday, the 1st. July, as I followed their amazing attack, I felt that I would rather be an Ulsterman than anything else in the world.” (Captain Wilfred Spender at the Battle of the Somme) “Greater love has no man than this that he lay down his life for a friend.” (John 15.13)
Trevor Lunn
I recently re-read Harper Lee’s 1960 novel To Kill a Mockingbird about prejudice in the deep south of America. Sometimes you need to revisit a book to really appreciate its power and this one , in its quiet and thoughtful way, exposes the ingrained hatred in America in the early 20th century and one mans stand against it. Gregory Peck starred in the film adaptation as Atticus Finch, and was excellent, but the film rarely surpasses the book and this is no exception.
Jim Wells
The world at our feet: Northern Ireland in Sweden by Ronnie Hanna is an epic tale of how the Northern Ireland minnows took on soccer giants and reached the quarter finals of the World Cup in Sweden in 1958. Footballing legends such as Billy Bingham, Danny Blanchflower and Bertie Peacocke put ‘our wee country’ on the soccer map, humbling the mighty Italy on their way to Scandinavian glory.
Brenda Hale
My best read this year was ‘Anna Karenina’ by Leo Tolstoy. I last read this over 20 years ago, when it was nothing but a romantic and complicated love story. To read it again as an adult with much more life experience was thrilling. The complexity of the characters dragged me in and I had no choice but to fully engage with them and their situations whether it was Anna and her lover, or Levin and his farm workers gathering the harvest. A real sense of Russian society with their passions and petulance, this book was real escapism, and a real treat.
Stephen Farry
One book I would recommend is ‘The Bridge: The Life and Rise of Barack Obama’ by David Remnick. It was published in 2010, but I am behind with my reading, especially since the Assembly election. Three years on from his election as US President, it is easy to forget how extraordinary and groundbreaking it was. Next year’s presidential election will obviously be of major global significance.
David McClarty
‘The Lost Symbol’, Dan Brown’s latest thriller involving hero Robert Langdon was my read of the year. I am a consistent fan of Brown’s pacy conspiracy novels. Having read his previous work, his most recent installment did not disappoint. This story builds around the fascinating details of freemasonry, whilst revealing the secrets of the architecture in its setting of Washington DC. In typical Brown style, the gripping fiction is drawn out from well-researched fact, making it a truly captivating read. Highly recommended.
