Want to know what books Alastair Campbell recommends on their reading list? We've researched interviews, social media posts, podcasts, and articles to build a comprehensive list of Alastair Campbell's favorite book recommendations of all time.
1
Lance Armstrong, Sally Jenkins | 3.61
The five-time Tour de France winner and Number 1 New York Times bestselling author returns with an inspirational account of his recent personal and professional victories—and some failures—and an intimate glimpse into how almost dying taught him to really live.
Since the release of his megabestseller, It’s Not About the Bike, Lance Armstrong has enjoyed a new series of thrilling rides, culminating with the extension of his string of Tour de France victories to a record-tying fifth in 2003. Continuing the inspiring story begun in his first book, Every Second... more The five-time Tour de France winner and Number 1 New York Times bestselling author returns with an inspirational account of his recent personal and professional victories—and some failures—and an intimate glimpse into how almost dying taught him to really live.
Since the release of his megabestseller, It’s Not About the Bike, Lance Armstrong has enjoyed a new series of thrilling rides, culminating with the extension of his string of Tour de France victories to a record-tying fifth in 2003. Continuing the inspiring story begun in his first book, Every Second Counts captures the mind-set of a man who has beaten incredible odds and considers each day an opportunity for excellence.
Armstrong’s previous book recounted his journey from a grim diagnosis of testicular cancer to a stunning recovery that culminated in his winning the 1999 Tour de France. His new book addresses the equally daunting challenge of living in the aftermath of this experience and making the most of every breath of life.
A fresh perspective on the spirit of survivors everywhere, Every Second Counts will invigorate and enthrall Armstrong’s millions of admirers.
“A joyous, triumphant book, a celebration of all the things that make life good.” —Booklist
“There’s something of a vicarious thrill in being along with Armstrong for the ride.” —San Antonio Express-News less See more recommendations for this book...
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The story of the most controversial Test series in cricket's history. more The story of the most controversial Test series in cricket's history. less 
Alastair CampbellI’m interested in leadership and it most obviously counts in politics, but it’s also very important in sport. And the reason I chose Bodyline Autopsy, is because this is the nearest you’ll get to cricket history. A bit like Team of Rivals, Frith has talked to everybody, read everything, looked at everything from every possible angle and has then written what is probably a very fair and balanced... (Source)
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3
A serious crisis in the environment assumed the proportions of a global menace. This was pinpointed by the U.N. Commission's report, Our Common Future. The global challenge involved in this crisis was aggravated by the economic crisis of monetarism and debt. Gorbachev addressed the same themes in a powerful message to the U.N. The power of separate nation states was no longer sufficient to meet the world-wide threat. more A serious crisis in the environment assumed the proportions of a global menace. This was pinpointed by the U.N. Commission's report, Our Common Future. The global challenge involved in this crisis was aggravated by the economic crisis of monetarism and debt. Gorbachev addressed the same themes in a powerful message to the U.N. The power of separate nation states was no longer sufficient to meet the world-wide threat. less Alastair CampbellIf you look at Obama, part of what made him a huge success as a campaigner in opposition was his books, partly because of the way they described his background but also his political views. I cannot remember whether this book by Gorbachev, which came out in 1987 while he was General Secretary of the Communist Party, I cannot remember whether it had an impact at the time. It is called Perestroika:... (Source)
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4
Inspired by a true story, Hans Fallada's Alone in Berlin is the gripping tale of an ordinary man's determination to defy the tyranny of Nazi rule. This Penguin Classics edition contains an afterword by Geoff Wilkes, as well as facsimiles of the original Gestapo file which inspired the novel. Berlin, 1940, and the city is filled with fear. At the house on 55 Jablonski Strasse, its various occupants try to live under Nazi rule in their different ways: the bullying Hitler loyalists the Persickes, the retired judge Fromm and the unassuming couple Otto and Anna Quangel. Then the Quangels receive... more Inspired by a true story, Hans Fallada's Alone in Berlin is the gripping tale of an ordinary man's determination to defy the tyranny of Nazi rule. This Penguin Classics edition contains an afterword by Geoff Wilkes, as well as facsimiles of the original Gestapo file which inspired the novel. Berlin, 1940, and the city is filled with fear. At the house on 55 Jablonski Strasse, its various occupants try to live under Nazi rule in their different ways: the bullying Hitler loyalists the Persickes, the retired judge Fromm and the unassuming couple Otto and Anna Quangel. Then the Quangels receive the news that their beloved son has been killed fighting in France. Shocked out of their quiet existence, they begin a silent campaign of defiance, and a deadly game of cat and mouse develops between the Quangels and the ambitious Gestapo inspector Escherich. When petty criminals Kluge and Borkhausen also become involved, deception, betrayal and murder ensue, tightening the noose around the Quangels' necks ... If you enjoyed Alone in Berlin, you might like John Steinbeck's The Moon is Down, also available in Penguin Modern Classics. 'One of the most extraordinary and compelling novels written about World War II. Ever' Alan Furst 'Terrific ... a fast-moving, important and astutely deadpan thriller' Irish Times 'An unrivalled and vivid portrait of life in wartime Berlin' Philip Kerr 'To read Fallada's testament to the darkest years of the 20th century is to be accompanied by a wise, somber ghost who grips your shoulder and whispers into your ear: "This is how it was. This is what happened"' The New York Times less Alastair CampbellSo I wanted to have political leadership, sporting leadership and a novel to demonstrate moral leadership: I have chosen a German novel variously translated as Alone in Berlin or Every Man Dies Alone, and it’s by Hans Fallada. (Source)
Claire FoxThis is an important novel for a range of reasons, because it was written so shortly after the Second World War by a novelist who lived through the Nazi regime. It is a very rare glimpse into what working-class life was like then. (Source)
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5
Acclaimed historian Doris Kearns Goodwin illuminates Lincoln's political genius in this highly original work, as the one-term congressman and prairie lawyer rises from obscurity to prevail over three gifted rivals of national reputation to become president.
On May 18, 1860, William H. Seward, Salmon P. Chase, Edward Bates, and Abraham Lincoln waited in their hometowns for the results from the Republican National Convention in Chicago. When Lincoln emerged as the victor, his rivals were dismayed and angry.
Throughout the turbulent 1850s, each had energetically sought the... more Acclaimed historian Doris Kearns Goodwin illuminates Lincoln's political genius in this highly original work, as the one-term congressman and prairie lawyer rises from obscurity to prevail over three gifted rivals of national reputation to become president.
On May 18, 1860, William H. Seward, Salmon P. Chase, Edward Bates, and Abraham Lincoln waited in their hometowns for the results from the Republican National Convention in Chicago. When Lincoln emerged as the victor, his rivals were dismayed and angry.
Throughout the turbulent 1850s, each had energetically sought the presidency as the conflict over slavery was leading inexorably to secession and civil war. That Lincoln succeeded, Goodwin demonstrates, was the result of a character that had been forged by experiences that raised him above his more privileged and accomplished rivals. He won because he possessed an extraordinary ability to put himself in the place of other men, to experience what they were feeling, to understand their motives and desires.
It was this capacity that enabled Lincoln as president to bring his disgruntled opponents together, create the most unusual cabinet in history, and marshal their talents to the task of preserving the Union and winning the war.
We view the long, horrifying struggle from the vantage of the White House as Lincoln copes with incompetent generals, hostile congressmen, and his raucous cabinet. He overcomes these obstacles by winning the respect of his former competitors, and in the case of Seward, finds a loyal and crucial friend to see him through.
--front flap less 
Barack ObamaThe Oval office can be a lonely place, so reading about your forefather’s experience could only help. “The biographies have been useful, because I do think that there’s a tendency, understandable, to think that whatever’s going on right now is uniquely disastrous or amazing or difficult,” said President Obama in an interview. (Source)
Kobe BryantI loved Team of Rivals, and Leadership really built on the things I had taken away from that book. Moving from basketball to building a company, I needed to learn new and different leadership skills, and Goodwin outlines the different skill-sets of Lincoln, both Roosevelts, and Lyndon Johnson, accessibly. (Source)
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