Best books… Andrew Mitchell

The Tory MP and former international development secretary chooses his favourite books related to parliament. His memoir, Beyond a Fringe: Tales from a Reformed Establishment Lackey (Biteback £20), is out now

A Good Man in Africa by William Boyd, 1981 (Penguin £8.99). I re-read this brilliant novel on an annual basis. The riotous exploits of Morgan Leafy, a junior diplomat serving in Africa, is just the tonic for lifting spirits.

Living Better by Alastair Campbell, 2020 (John Murray £10.99). This book makes a double contribution to one of the most important health issues of our time: Campbell continues the de-stigmatisation of depression, while giving hope and encouragement to those who live with it.

An Imperfect Offering by James Orbinski, 2008 (Rider £14.99). Rooted in the searing pain of the Rwandan genocide, this book charts the international community’s failure to meet its humanitarian obligations and the devastation that results – as seen through the eyes of a Médecins Sans Frontières doctor.

We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, 2014 (Fourth Estate £5.99). Project Umubano, the Conservative party’s social action project in Rwanda, donated copies of this essay on feminism to help teach English and reinforce a basic message about gender equality. The country now elects more women than men to its parliament.

Munich by Robert Harris, 2017 (Arrow £8.99). This novel is gripping from start to finish – I felt like a fly on the wall as the drama of the 1938 Munich negotiations plays out. It’s utterly authentic, and Harris does much to correct the erroneous historical caricature of Neville Chamberlain.

A Very British Coup by Chris Mullin, 1982 (Serpent’s Tail £8.99). Twice adapted for television, this superb political thriller charts the rise and fall of a left-wing prime minister (uncannily similar in character to Jeremy Corbyn) and the way the British Establishment would probably do him in!

Titles in print are available from The Week Bookshop on 020-3176 3835. For out-of-print books visit biblio.co.uk