Happy’s Best New Books (6th December – 12th December)
Updated weekly by the fine folk at Happy Mag, these are the best new books that this week has to offer from Australia and around the world!
Zoë Playdon – The Hidden Case of Ewan Forbes
In this remarkable investigation, Zoë Playdon sheds light on a landmark case that would go on to shape the transgender experience, decades on from its conclusion. Ewan Forbes, born to an aristocratic family in Scotland, underwent a successful transition process. Yet when he was set to inherit the family baronetcy, a court case threatened to derail the rightful succession. With this extraordinary story at its core, Playdon explains how the wider implications of this deliberately obscured case changed the course of transgender rights for decades.
9.6
BUY HERE
ZOË PLAYDON
THE HIDDEN CASE OF EWAN FORBES
Various Authors – The Marvel Comics Library. Spider-Man. Vol. 1. 1962-1964
In partnership with Marvel, TASCHEN has collated a stunning collection of the first 21 Spider-Man stories, stretching back to the early sixties. This definitive suite — including essays from comic aficionados like Marvel’s Ralph Macchio and David Mandel and painstaking photography of pristine vintage editions of the comic books — takes readers back to the true origin story of this cultural icon.
9.4
BUY HERE
VARIOUS AUTHORS
THE MARVEL COMICS LIBRARY. SPIDER-MAN. VOL. 1. 1962-1964
David Kilcullen and Greg Mills – The Ledger: Accounting for Failure in Afghanistan
Few are better placed to appraise the impact of the West in Afghanistan than David Kilcullen and Greg Mills. With deep experience in the analysis of counter-insurgency operations across the globe, they’ve examined the failings of the Western approach in the country post 9/11. The situation in the country is still urgent of course; The Ledger gives readers a vital understanding of how these situations manifest and the lessons we can learn from it.
9.4
BUY HERE
DAVID KILCULLEN AND GREG MILLS
THE LEDGER
Alan Cumming – Baggage: Tales from a Fully Packed Life
In Baggage, Scottish star of the screen and stage, Alan Cumming details the tumult of his professional career, his personal life, and the interaction between the two. Ultimately, it’s an inspiring tale of growth from a supremely gifted storyteller — one who has accumulated his fair share of Baggage but thrives nonetheless.
9.3
BUY HERE
ALAN CUMMING
BAGGAGE: TALES FROM A FULLY PACKED LIFE
Casey Michel – American Kleptocracy
It’s easy to assume that minuscule nation-states are doing all the dirty work when it comes to the tax-free cash that sloshes around the globe. But as Casey Michel explains in American Kleptocracy, the U.S. has made it an art form, inviting all kinds of corrupted foreign capital into the country. Supercharged under the Trump administration, Michel examines how, if possible, the damage can be mitigated now and in the future.
9.1
BUY HERE
CASEY MICHEL
AMERICAN KLEPTOCRACY
Neal Stephenson – Termination Shock
In this tantalising near-future thriller by star sci-fi author Neal Stephenson, global warming has triggered a state of chaotic storms. In the midst of the crisis, an “elemental” plan for the reversal of global warming has been hatched. But will this potential saviour come at a drastic cost?
9.0
BUY HERE
