Best books… Andy Hamilton
Andy Hamilton, the scriptwriter behind Drop the Dead Donkey and Outnumbered and a regular on Have I Got News for You, picks his favourite books. His debut novel, The Star Witness, is published by Unbound at £7.99
Catch-22 by Joseph Heller, 1961 (Vintage £9.99). The story of a sane man’s attempt to escape an insane world. I read this in my teens and I remember the excitement of realising that a story could be dark, funny and moving all at the same time.
The Worst Journey in the
World by Apsley CherryGarrard, 1922 (Vintage £11.99). A gripping account of two polar expeditions that went disastrously wrong, one with fatal results. During the first expedition, to collect the eggs of Emperor penguins, the characters display the stoicism, whimsicality and occasional stupidity that make me proud to be English.
Genius by James Gleick, 1992 (Abacus £14.99). A thrilling journey through the colourful life and theories of the brilliant physicist Richard Feynman. This book turned me into a Feynman anorak, and inspired the character of the Professor in my Radio 4 series Old Harry’s Game.
Adventures in the Screen
Trade by William Goldman, 1983 (Abacus £12.99). The bible for many an aspiring screenwriter, or indeed any creative person who’s had to negotiate the rapids of getting something made. Its infamous opening line, “Nobody knows anything,” has been the comforting mantra for tens of thousands of scribblers.
Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood, 1996 (Virago £9.99). A riveting novel woven around the true story of a woman accused of murder in the 1840s. Atwood’s flawless judgement on when and how to take risks in her prose results in an extraordinary intimacy. She’s a superb writer who makes it look so easy. I hate her.
How Mumbo-jumbo
Conquered the World by Francis Wheen, 2004 (Harper £9.99). A brilliant, funny, thoughtful analysis of how our civilisation got seduced by empty bullshit. It’s a rare skill for someone with the moral anger of an investigative journalist to write with such a lightness of touch.