Soviet Sojourn
A new coffee-table book collects photographs of dachas, colorful cottages that have dotted the Russian countryside since the 18th century
All That Jazz—and More
A never-before-seen early scrapbook belonging to Ella Fitzgerald sheds fresh light on the jazz singer who transformed American music
Don’t Judge a Book by Its Advance
Publishers are handing out six-figure book deals to young, debut authors. How long can the bubble last if nearly all of them are losing money?
Confessions of a Yakuza Boss
The Tokyo Vice author, whose new book, The Last Yakuza, is out now, details how he won—and kept—the trust of Japan’s Mafia
Murder, They Wrote
A pair of rollicking mystery books to get you in the holiday spirit. Plus, the best Christmas episodes of ITV’s beloved Midsomer Murders
AIR MAIL’s Best Coffee-Table Books of 2023
Dazzling volumes on Karl Lagerfeld’s homes, vintage cars, and an artists’ amusement park, plus photography collections from Mary Ellen Mark, Lee Miller, and Nick Waplington, and a cookbook or two
AIR MAIL’s 12 Best Mystery Books of 2023
Richard Osman, John Banville, Janice Hallett, Val McDermid, and more …
AIR MAIL’s 12 Best Books of 2023
David Grann’s shipwreck tale, Sam Wasson’s Hollywood history, Mona Simpson’s latest novel, Tim Alberta’s foray inside the Evangelical Right: holiday reading for every type
His Last Bow
Much to his annoyance, Basil Rathbone became inseparable from his on-screen Sherlock Holmes. Now he’s back, reimagined as the debonair protagonist of a new novel
Where the Wild Things Are
A new book of images by more than 90 wildlife photographers raises awareness of the dangers faced by leopards right now
Yesterday Once More
Forty years after Karen Carpenter’s death, a biography of the 1970s superstar explores the singer’s grit and tenacity
Striking It Rich
Sports agent to the stars Rich Paul attributes his success—his friendship with LeBron James, his relationship with Adele—to luck. Turns out it’s anything but
The Kingmaker
Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis sealed Colonel Tom Parker’s reputation as greedy and conniving. In truth, Presley’s manager was the opposite—someone who would do anything for his client and friend
The Comeback King
How a housewife from Edinburgh solved one of the great mysteries of English history—and cleared King Richard III’s name
Finding Albert Ballin
How a German-Jewish businessman helped make possible the emigration of 1.5 million Jews from Eastern Europe—then largely disappeared from history
