The challenge of modern-day autocrats; the family drama of the Rogers telecoms empire; Joni Mitchell’s life and music in a fresh light; Charlotte Mendelson’s novel of coercive control; Camille Bordas’s comedy of stand-up comedians; Amitava Kumar’s tale of modern-day India; the invisible life of gases; a history of the Rhine — plus Nilanjana Roy on the centenary of James Baldwin’s birth and Suzi Feay’s pick of debut fiction
Alexandra Posadzki on the drama of a Canadian telecoms empire fractured by infighting — and a pocket-dial
An entertaining account of the role that invisible gases have played in the modern world, from neon illuminations to carbon dioxide’s role in global warming
Ann Powers’ portrait of the singer-songwriter is both personal and poetic, and brings a wealth of fresh insight
Mathijs Deen’s affectionate study of Europe’s second-longest river has the measure of a geographic and cultural force
With the French capital poised for the Olympics, two new books seek to expose the social challenges that have long existed at the margins of the city
The ‘City on Fire’ author returns with a full-blown tale of a troubled teen and her equally troubled father
From the bustle to the corset and the thong, under garments reveal a lot about society and ourselves
Chinese-British novelist Xiaolu Guo chooses East Sussex to explore themes of migration and memory
Robert Blackwill and Richard Fontaine give an authoritative, if bureaucratic, take on American foreign policy’s slow pivot to the east
Two very different but compelling books explain how the complex international supply chain works and affects the things we actually care about
A radical approach to the international economy; empowering local governance; and lessons from Poland and Vietnam
Medical historian Beth Linker provides a timely account of 20th-century America’s obsession with good posture
Catherine Fletcher’s history of the road-building prowess of the Romans
Part memoir, part science, part history, the Tasmanian novelist’s latest book rejoices in resisting definition
A story of gender, consumerism and the female pioneers who defied the patriarchy and helped shape the American dream
Raj M Shah and Christopher Kirchhoff’s thriller-like book reveals how the Pentagon came up to technological speed
Two impressive new histories about the Balkan neighbours show how the traumas of the past have left deep traces in the present
Paolo Zannoni’s history of how today’s monetary system evolved
Nicola Twilley explores how refrigeration turned the global food supply system into an unsustainable ‘cryosphere’
A family history that exposes China’s authoritarian regime and an era of repression
Harald Jähner’s vivid history depicts Germany’s dizzying era of change — and its catastrophic finale
Jane Robinson chronicles the achievements and taboo-busting life of 19th-century campaigner Barbara Bodichon
From Joan Didion to Toni Morrison: writers emerge most clearly in the memoirs of fellow authors
With ageing populations, falling birth rates and fewer workers to pay tax, the author calls for bold experiments to cope with the dizzying changes already upon us