10 best non-fiction books of 2020: From Obama’s memoir to Nigella Lawson’s cookbook
Find out about life in the White House or take a journey through Sixties Scotland in Deborah Orr’s posthumous tome
(The Independent)The celebrated author and journalist Tom Wolfe once declared that non-fiction was “the most important literature to come out of the second half of the 20th century”.
It’s clear that non-fiction is flourishing in the 21st century too. In 2020 we have turned to non-fiction in our droves, choosing books that made us smile, made us cry and made us think during challenging times.
But what types of non-fiction did we go for this year? A vast array of titles, it seems – from heavyweight biographies and historical tomes to self-help guides and cookery books.
Waterstones’ bestselling hardback non-fiction title of 2020 (as of 17 December) is A Promised Land by Barack Obama, an astonishing feat considering it was only published on 17 November. It’s followed by Women Don’t Owe You Pretty by Florence Given, the Private Eye Annual 2020 (edited by Ian Hislop), 7 Ways by Jamie Oliver, Pinch of Nom: Everyday Light by Kate Allinson and Kay Featherstone, Me and White Supremacy by Layla Saad, A Year at the Chateau by Dick and Angel Strawbridge, The Wild Silence by Raynor Winn, How Animals Saved My Life: Being the Supervet by Noel Fitzpatrick and My Garden World by Monty Don.
IndyBest’s own choice of the best non-fiction titles of 2020 is eclectic and wide-ranging.
We judged the best of the best non-fiction books on their originality, their writing and their sheer readability. Our selection includes everything from memoirs about life in the White House, farming in the Lake District and being banged up in jail to a warning about the terrible things mankind has done to the planet.
You can trust our independent reviews. We may earn commission from some of the retailers, but we never allow this to influence selections, which are formed from real-world testing and expert advice. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.
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‘English Pastoral: An Inheritance’ by James Rebanks, published by Allen Lane
James Rebanks admits that farming is a “crushingly hard way of life”. His first book about farming in the Lake District’s picturesque Matterdale valley, The Shepherd’s Life: A Tale of the Lake District, was an instant bestseller. In the follow-up he writes about the changing landscape and his decision to return “to an older type of farming life – one of sweat, blood and hard work” by rewilding huge areas and dispensing with pesticides and artificial fertilisers. Lyrical and illuminating, Rebanks’s observations will fascinate city dwellers and country lovers alike.
Buy now £13.49, Amazon
‘A Bit of a Stretch: The Diaries of a Prisoner’ by Chris Atkins, published by Atlantic
One minute you’re laughing at the surreal world that acclaimed documentary-maker Chris Atkins found himself in when he was jailed for five years for his involvement in an illegal tax scheme to fund his latest film. The next you’re rendered speechless at the deplorable state of the prison system – the drugs, violence, low literacy levels, filthy cells, terrible food and much, much more. Atkins’s shocking yet entertaining diary of his time behind bars is a must-read.
Buy now £7.49, Waterstones
‘Motherwell: A Girlhood’ by Deborah Orr, published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson
Deborah Orr, who died in October 2019, was a journalist in a million. She was a columnist for The Independent for 10 years, admired for her integrity, originality and wit. Here she chronicles her childhood in Motherwell, the steel capital of Scotland. She and her mother were completely different – one free-spirited and original, the other old-fashioned and dissatisfied – but Orr’s humanity shines through her poignant account of growing up in the Sixties and Seventies.
Buy now £15.79, Bookshop
‘A Promised Land’ by Barack Obama, published by Viking
Dedicated to Michelle – “my love and life’s partner” – and daughters Malia and Sasha, the powerful first volume of Barack Obama’s presidential memoirs sold nearly 890,000 copies in the US and Canada on the day it was published. Obama’s aims are “to give an honest rendering” of his time in office and “to pull the curtain back a bit and remind people that, for all its power and pomp, the presidency is still just a job”. The result is riveting, elegantly written and, unlike many political memoirs, ultra-readable.
Buy now £32.55, Bookshop
‘Let’s Do It: The Authorised Biography of Victoria Wood’ by Jasper Rees, published by Trapeze
Victoria Wood was a comedy legend. “The Ballad of Barry and Freda”, her much-loved song about an amorous wife trying to get her husband into bed brought the house down whenever she performed it, particularly the infamous line “beat me on the bottom with a Woman’s Weekly”. But despite her genius, Wood was shy and reserved offstage. In this affectionate biography, Jasper Rees describes two Victorias – one “bouncing for joy on the piano stool of life” the other “guarded” and difficult to get to know.
Buy now £15.00, Amazon
‘Just Ignore him’ by Alan Davies, published by Little, Brown
Alan Davies, the star of Jonathan Creek and comedy quiz show QI, recalls the harrowing story of his childhood. His adored mother died of leukaemia when he was six, then two years later his father abused him for the first time. Davies explores the complexity of his youth, lifting the lid on a time when countless abuse victims suffered in silence. It’s a sad, brave and beautifully written memoir.
Buy now £16.99, Waterstones
‘One Two Three Four: The Beatles in Time’ by Craig Brown, published by 4th Estate
Countless books have been written about The Beatles but Craig Brown’s tome stands out from the crowd. Packed with stories, interviews and first-hand accounts, it deservedly won this year’s Baillie-Gifford prize, the UK’s top award for non-fiction. One Two Three Four also features some not-so-famous people who played a part in the Fab Four’s story, including the girl who inspired the lyrics for “She’s Leaving Home”.
Buy now £20.00, Foyles
‘Cook, Eat, Repeat: Ingredients, Recipes and Stories’ by Nigella Lawson, published by Chatto & Windus
Nigella Lawson’s latest book is a pleasure to read. “I don’t think a bad meal can ruin a good day, though it can make a dent in it, but I do believe a good meal can save a bad one,” she writes in this collection of essays and favourite recipes. Highlights include festive comforts like Christmas bread and butter pudding and pomegranate fizz although Lawson reveals that “as long as I have my children around my table, I could eat gruel and be happy”.
Buy now £17.31, Blackwells
‘The Ratline: Love, Lies and Justice on the Trail of a Nazi Fugitive’ by Philippe Sands, published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson
Senior Nazi official Otto Wachter spent three years on the run after being indicted for mass murder in 1945. He planned to escape to a new life in Argentina but died suddenly in Rome in 1949. Sands’s meticulously researched and compelling volume recounts Wachter’s life before and during the Second World War, as well as the events leading up to his mysterious death.
Buy now £20.00, Foyles
‘A Life on Our Planet: My Witness Statement and a Vision for the Future’ by David Attenborough, published by Witness Books
Sir David Attenborough doesn’t hold back as he reflects on the changes to the natural world he’s witnessed during his 94 years. In this important, very personal book, he details the terrible things humanity has done to the planet, warns of the ecological catastrophe that will befall us if we don’t mend our ways and, on a more optimistic note, sets out his vision for the future.
Buy now £14.00, WHSmith
The verdict: Non-fiction titles of 2020
It was a tough call but for its lyrical writing and first-hand portrayal of farming life in the Lake District English Pastoral: An Inheritance by James Rebanks is an outstanding read. However, the prize-winning One Two Three Four: The Beatles in Time by Craig Brown deserves a special mention for its originality and verve. These fine books are fine examples of non-fiction at its best.
If The Beatles book caught your eye, check out our round-up of the best books about the band
