AIR MAIL’s 10 Best Books of 2025
The story of the man who created Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde; a bio of William F. Buckley Jr.; a revealing look inside Facebook; a slice of New York history that laid the groundwork for Zohran Mamdani; and more holiday nonfiction reading for every taste!
Editor’s Picks
This week, don’t miss the true story of a family wilderness trip gone wrong, a re-examination of one of Britain’s most misunderstood monarchs, and an illustrated guide to Broadway
Dolly Parton’s Guide to Nashville
The country singer shares her go-to spots in the city where it all began
David Duchovny Can’t Say No …
… to new projects, self-revelation, and showing up nude on camera
The Art of the New Deal
Long before East Wing demolitions and Trumpian Arc de Triomphes, Franklin D. Roosevelt commissioned a series of murals to employ artists amid the Great Depression. A social-media account pays tribute
Buried Alive with Peter Sellers
When the great comedic actor agreed to star in The Blockhouse, a grim World War II drama, it seemed like his chance to be taken seriously—but the production turned into a comedy of errors
The Princess Deception Program
Thirty years on, the journalist who first broke the story of Diana’s betrayal by the BBC’s Martin Bashir reveals the true extent of the cover-up—and why her brother believes its consequences were lethal
Ballet’s North Star
Holiday tradition! Cash cow! George Balanchine’s production of The Nutcracker has involved audiences in the magic of dance every year since its premiere, in 1954
An American in Paris
After crash-landing in occupied France during World War II, a bombardier from Jacksonville, Florida, refused rescue and joined up with the French Resistance instead
“Always Be a Yes”
How the wellness cult OneTaste turned consciousness-raising into alleged sex slavery
Britain’s Hidden Gem
Long forgotten since his death in 1949, the painter William Nicholson is being revived in Chichester, a small coastal town turned unlikely sanctuary for 20th-century English art
Deadly Pleasures to Read and Watch
This month in mysteries: a detective novel that foresaw Trump’s spat with his neighbor up north, and a scintillating new season of The Diplomat
Hail, Caesar!
A new book tells the story of Sid Caesar, the often-overlooked Jewish sketch comedian who inspired everyone from Woody Allen to Conan O’Brien
Thelma Golden’s Guide to New York
As the Studio Museum in Harlem re-opens its doors, its director and chief curator shares her go-to spots in the neighborhood
Nuremberg, Two Ways
James Vanderbilt’s new film shares a title and a subject with a Russian feature from 2023. A side-by-side comparison speaks volumes
The Bastard Sons of Hunter S. Thompson
In an excerpt from his memoir, the former Viacom and MTV C.E.O. recalls getting pitched by Vice’s infamous co-founder, Shane Smith
Diary of a Southern Grande Dame
Patricia Altschul—the richer-than-God, twice-divorced Charleston matriarch who inspired Parker Posey’s White Lotus character—tells all on her run-ins with royals, Trump, and America’s gilded circles
The Cowboy King of Hollywood
How Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan went from a struggling actor living in a one-bedroom apartment to the recipient of an unprecedented $1 billion television contract
