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Financial Times Best Books of the Year 2025

Financial Times Best Books of the Year 2025 names 174 books across 18 categories. 27 of them also won or were shortlisted for an award.

Art, Architecture and Design

  1. Before and After: The Architecture of Disaster by Eyal Weizman and Ines Weizmansource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Brutalist Interiors by Derek Lambertonsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Converts: From Oscar Wilde to Muriel Spark, Why So Many Became Catholic in the 20th Century by Melanie McDonaghsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Encounters: Denise Scott Brown Photographs by Izzy Kornblattsource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Finding Ella Briggs: The Life and Work of an Unconventional Architect by Despina Stratigakos and Elana Shapirasource (opens in a new tab)
  6. Goya: The Complete Prints by Anna Reuter and José Manuel Matillasource (opens in a new tab)
  7. Italian Palaces by Massimo Listrisource (opens in a new tab)
  8. Lee Miller by Hilary Floe and Saskia Flowersource (opens in a new tab)
  9. Lucian Freud: Catalogue Raisonné of the Oil Paintings by Catherine Lampert and Toby Trevessource (opens in a new tab)
  10. The Labor of Architecture: Creativity, Design and the Building of a New Class Consciousness by CG Becksource (opens in a new tab)
  11. Up in the Air: A History of High-Rise Britain by Holly Smithsource (opens in a new tab)
  12. Walt Disney’s Children’s Classics 1937-1953 by Charles Solomonsource (opens in a new tab)

Audio

  1. 38 Londres Street: On Impunity, Pinochet in England and a Nazi in Patagonia by Philippe Sandssource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Book of Lives: A Memoir of Sorts by Margaret Atwoodsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Fly, Wild Swans: My Mother, Myself and China by Jung Changsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Rose Field by Philip Pullmansource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Venetian Vespers by John Banvillesource (opens in a new tab)

Business

  1. 1929: The Inside Story of the Greatest Crash in Wall Street History by Andrew Ross Sorkinsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Dirtbag Billionaire: How Yvon Chouinard Built Patagonia, Made a Fortune, and Gave It All Away by David Gellessource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Empire of AI: Dreams and Nightmares in Sam Altman’s OpenAI by Karen Haosource (opens in a new tab)
  4. House of Huawei: Inside the Secret World of China’s Most Powerful Company by Eva Dousource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Make Work Fair: Data-Driven Design for Real Results by Iris Bohnet and Siri Chilazisource (opens in a new tab)
  6. No More Tears: The Dark Secrets of Johnson & Johnson by Gardiner Harrissource (opens in a new tab)
  7. The New Geography of Innovation: The Global Contest for Breakthrough Technologies by Mehran Gulsource (opens in a new tab)
  8. The Thinking Machine: Jensen Huang, Nvidia, and the World’s Most Coveted Microchip by Stephen Wittsource (opens in a new tab)
  9. The View from Ninety: Reflections on How to Live a Long, Contented Life by Charles Handysource (opens in a new tab)
  10. Your Life Is Manufactured: How We Make Things, Why It Matters and How We Can Do It Better by Tim Minshallsource (opens in a new tab)

Children’s and Young Adult

  1. Best of All Worlds by Kenneth Oppelsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Darkest Night, Brightest Star by Barry Jonsbergsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Elmer and the White Bear by David McKee and Marysia Milewskisource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Fox and the Mystery Letter by Alex G Griffithssource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Ghost by Finbar Hawkinssource (opens in a new tab)
  6. On the Edge: Sea, Surf and Impossible Dreams by Nicola Garrardsource (opens in a new tab)
  7. Sin Bin Island by Doug Naylorsource (opens in a new tab)
  8. The Girl with Gills by Becca Rogerssource (opens in a new tab)
  9. The Merry Christmas Murders by Alexandra Benedictsource (opens in a new tab)
  10. Under a Fire-Red Sky by Geraldine McCaughreansource (opens in a new tab)

Classical and Pop Music

  1. A History of the World in 50 Pieces by Tom Servicesource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Everything We Do Is Music: How 20th-Century Classical Music Shaped Pop by Elizabeth Alkersource (opens in a new tab)
  3. John and Paul: A Love Story in Songs by Ian Lesliesource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Letters for the Ages: Great Musicians by James Drake and Edward Smythsource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Maurice Ravel by Emily Kilpatricksource (opens in a new tab)
  6. Night People: How to Be a DJ in ’90s New York City by Mark Ronsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  7. Truly by Lionel Richiesource (opens in a new tab)
  8. Wings: The Story of a Band on the Run by Paul McCartneysource (opens in a new tab)

Crime and Thrillers

  1. Appointment in Paris by Jane Thynnesource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Kill Your Darlings by Peter Swansonsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. King of Ashes by SA Cosbysource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Making a Killing by Cara Huntersource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Moscow Underground by Catherine Merridalesource (opens in a new tab)
  6. Red Water by Jurica Pavičićsource (opens in a new tab)
  7. The Burning Grounds by Abir Mukherjeesource (opens in a new tab)
  8. The Good Liar by Denise Minasource (opens in a new tab)
  9. The Poet’s Game: A Spy in Moscow by Paul Vidichsource (opens in a new tab)
  10. The Protocols of Spying by Merle Nygatesource (opens in a new tab)

Economics

  1. 1929: The Inside Story of the Greatest Crash in Wall Street History by Andrew Ross Sorkinsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. A Sixth of Humanity: Independent India’s Development Odyssey by Devesh Kapur and Arvind Subramaniansource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Abundance: How We Build a Better Future by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Breakneck: China’s Quest to Engineer the Future by Dan Wangsource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Can Europe Survive? The Story of a Continent in a Fractured World by David Marshsource (opens in a new tab)
  6. Eclipsing the West: China, India and the Forging of a New World by Vince Cablesource (opens in a new tab)
  7. Economica: A Global History of Women, Wealth and Power by Victoria Batemansource (opens in a new tab)
  8. Fixed: Why Personal Finance Is Broken and How to Make It Work for Everyone by John Y Campbell and Tarun Ramadoraisource (opens in a new tab)
  9. How Progress Ends: Technology, Innovation, and the Fate of Nations by Carl Benedikt Freysource (opens in a new tab)
  10. Money and Inflation at the Time of Covid by Tim Congdonsource (opens in a new tab)
  11. The Fractured Age: How the Return of Geopolitics Will Splinter the Global Economy by Neil Shearingsource (opens in a new tab)
  12. The Great Global Transformation: National Market Liberalism in a Multipolar World by Branko Milanovicsource (opens in a new tab)
  13. The Growth Story of the 21st Century: The Economics and Opportunity of Climate Action by Nicholas Sternsource (opens in a new tab)
  14. The World at Economic War: How to Rebuild Security in a Weaponized Global Economy by Rebecca Hardingsource (opens in a new tab)
  15. Violent Saviours: The West, the Rest, and Capitalism Without Consent by William Easterlysource (opens in a new tab)
  16. Why Nothing Works: Who Killed Progress — and How to Bring It Back by Marc J Dunkelmansource (opens in a new tab)

Environment, Science and Technology

  1. Blueprints: How Mathematics Shapes Creativity by Marcus du Sautoysource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Breakneck: China’s Quest to Engineer the Future by Dan Wangsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Careless People: A Story of Where I Used to Work by Sarah Wynn-Williamssource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Clearing the Air: A Hopeful Guide to Solving Climate Change — in 50 Questions and Answers by Hannah Ritchiesource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Climate Obstruction: A Global Assessment by J Timmons Roberts, Carlos R S Milani, Jennifer Jacquet and Christian Downiesource (opens in a new tab)
  6. Consumed: How Big Brands Got Us Hooked on Plastic by Saabira Chaudhurisource (opens in a new tab)
  7. Gilded Rage: Elon Musk and the Radicalization of Silicon Valley by Jacob Silvermansource (opens in a new tab)
  8. Our Brains, Our Selves: What a Neurologist’s Patients Taught Him About the Brain by Masud Husainsource (opens in a new tab)
  9. Positive Tipping Points: How to Fix the Climate Crisis by Tim Lentonsource (opens in a new tab)
  10. Roadkill: Unveiling the True Cost of Our Toxic Relationship with Cars by Henrietta Moore and Arthur Kaysource (opens in a new tab)
  11. Science Under Siege: How to Fight the Five Most Powerful Forces That Threaten Our World by Michael E Mann and Peter J Hotezsource (opens in a new tab)
  12. Super Agers: An Evidence-Based Approach to Longevity by Eric Topolsource (opens in a new tab)
  13. The Climate Diplomat: A Personal History of the COP Conferences by Peter Bettssource (opens in a new tab)
  14. This Is For Everyone by Tim Berners-Leesource (opens in a new tab)
  15. Vanished: An Unnatural History of Extinction by Sadiah Qureshisource (opens in a new tab)
  16. What Is Intelligence?: Lessons from AI about Evolution, Computing, and Minds by Blaise Agüera y Arcassource (opens in a new tab)

Fiction

  1. Big Kiss, Bye-Bye by Claire-Louise Bennettsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Dream Count by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichiesource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Flashlight by Susan Choisource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Flesh by David Szalaysource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Helm by Sarah Hallsource (opens in a new tab)
  6. Shadow Ticket by Thomas Pynchonsource (opens in a new tab)
  7. Show Don’t Tell by Curtis Sittenfeldsource (opens in a new tab)
  8. The Eleventh Hour by Salman Rushdiesource (opens in a new tab)
  9. The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran Desaisource (opens in a new tab)
  10. The Rest of Our Lives by Ben Markovitssource (opens in a new tab)

Fiction in translation

  1. All the Lights by Clemens Meyersource (opens in a new tab)
  2. False War by Carlos Manuel Álvarezsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Good and Evil and Other Stories by Samanta Schweblinsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Last Evenings with Teresa by Juan Marsésource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Needle’s Eye by Wiesław Myśliwskisource (opens in a new tab)
  6. On Earth as It Is Beneath by Ana Paula Maiasource (opens in a new tab)
  7. Sympathy Tower Tokyo by Rie Qudansource (opens in a new tab)
  8. The Devil Book by Asta Olivia Nordenhofsource (opens in a new tab)
  9. The Lack of Light: A Novel of Georgia by Nino Haratischwilisource (opens in a new tab)
  10. Vaim by Jon Fossesource (opens in a new tab)

Food, Drink and Travel

  1. A Training School for Elephants by Sophy Robertssource (opens in a new tab)
  2. All Consuming: Why We Eat the Way We Eat Now by Ruby Tandohsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Blood, Sweat and Asparagus Spears: The Story of the 1990s Restaurant Revolution by Andrew Turvilsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Cabin: Into the Woods with a Clueless Craftsman by Patrick Hutchisonsource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Greyhound by Joanna Pococksource (opens in a new tab)
  6. Moveable Feasts: Paris in Twenty Meals by Chris Newenssource (opens in a new tab)
  7. Tart: Misadventures of an Anonymous Chef by Slutty Cheffsource (opens in a new tab)
  8. Three Rivers: The Extraordinary Waterways That Made Europe by Robert Windersource (opens in a new tab)
  9. Upon a White Horse: Journeys in Ancient Britain and Ireland by Peter Rosssource (opens in a new tab)
  10. Without Reservation: Lessons from a Life in Restaurants by Jeremy Kingsource (opens in a new tab)

Gardening

  1. Diary of a Keen Gardener by Mary Keensource (opens in a new tab)
  2. My Garden: A Year of Design and Experimentation by Jacqueline van der Kloetsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. RHS Waterwise Garden: Sustain Your Garden Through Drought & Flood by Tom Masseysource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The New Romantic Garden by Jo Thompsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Wonderlands: British Garden Designers at Home by Clare Coulsonsource (opens in a new tab)

History

  1. Buckley: The Life and the Revolution That Changed America by Sam Tanenhaussource (opens in a new tab)
  2. El Generalísimo: Franco — Power, Violence and the Quest for Greatness by Giles Tremlettsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Heirs and Graces: A History of the Modern British Aristocracy by Eleanor Doughtysource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Shattered Lands: Five Partitions and the Making of Modern Asia by Sam Dalrymplesource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Summer of Fire and Blood: The German Peasants’ War by Lyndal Ropersource (opens in a new tab)
  6. The First Russian Revolution: The Decembrist Revolt of 1825 by Susanna Rabow-Edlingsource (opens in a new tab)
  7. The Great Exchange: Making the News in Early Modern Europe by Joad Raymondsource (opens in a new tab)
  8. The Mirror of Great Britain: A Life of James VI & I by Clare Jacksonsource (opens in a new tab)
  9. The Revolutionists: The Story of the Extremists Who Hijacked the 1970s by Jason Burkesource (opens in a new tab)
  10. The West: The History of an Idea by Georgios Varouxakissource (opens in a new tab)
  11. The World of the Cold War: 1945-1991 by Vladislav Zuboksource (opens in a new tab)

Literary non-fiction

  1. A Year with Gilbert White: The First Great Nature Writer by Jenny Uglowsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Death of an Ordinary Man by Sarah Perrysource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Electric Spark: The Enigma of Muriel Spark by Frances Wilsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Fly, Wild Swans: My Mother, Myself and China by Jung Changsource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Homework: A Memoir by Geoff Dyersource (opens in a new tab)
  6. How to End a Story: Collected Diaries by Helen Garnersource (opens in a new tab)
  7. The Boundless Deep: Young Tennyson, Science and the Crisis of Belief by Richard Holmessource (opens in a new tab)
  8. The Future of Truth by Werner Herzogsource (opens in a new tab)

Poetry

  1. A History of England in 25 Poems by Catherine Clarkesource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Foretokens by Sarah Howesource (opens in a new tab)
  3. New and Collected Hell: A Poem by Shane McCraesource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Empire of Forgetting by John Burnsidesource (opens in a new tab)
  5. The Poems of Seamus Heaney by Seamus Heaneysource (opens in a new tab)
  6. Wellwater by Karen Soliesource (opens in a new tab)

Politics

  1. 107 Days by Kamala Harrissource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Chokepoints: How the Global Economy Became a Weapon of War by Edward Fishmansource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Furious Minds: The Making of the MAGA New Right by Laura K Fieldsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Get In: The Inside Story of Labour Under Starmer by Patrick Maguire and Gabriel Pogrundsource (opens in a new tab)
  5. I Deliver Parcels in Beijing by Hu Anyansource (opens in a new tab)
  6. Indignity: A Life Reimagined by Lea Ypisource (opens in a new tab)
  7. Original Sin: President Biden’s Decline, Its Cover-up, and His Disastrous Decision to Run Again by Jake Tapper and Alex Thompsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  8. The Chauvinist Threat: Russia’s War and the West’s Response by Sabine Fischersource (opens in a new tab)
  9. The Finest Hotel in Kabul: A People’s History of Afghanistan by Lyse Doucetsource (opens in a new tab)
  10. The Fourth Intelligence Revolution: The Future of Espionage and the Battle to Save America by Anthony Vincisource (opens in a new tab)
  11. The Nuclear Age: An Epic Race for Arms, Power and Survival by Serhii Plokhysource (opens in a new tab)
  12. The Taiwan Tinderbox: The Island-Nation at the Center of the New Cold War by J Michael Colesource (opens in a new tab)
  13. Ungovernable: The Political Diaries of a Chief Whip by Simon Hartsource (opens in a new tab)

Science fiction

  1. Angel Down by Daniel Kraussource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Basilisk by Matt Wixeysource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Before Superman: Superhumans of the Radium Age by Joshua Glennsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. It’s Not a Cult by Joey Bateysource (opens in a new tab)
  5. The Country Under Heaven by Frederic S Durbinsource (opens in a new tab)

Sport, Health and Wellness

  1. Baddest Man: The Making of Mike Tyson by Mark Kriegelsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Death of a Racehorse: An American Story by Katie Bo Lillissource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Doctored: Fraud, Arrogance and Tragedy in the Quest to Cure Alzheimer’s by Charles Pillersource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Dreams and Songs to Sing: A People’s History of Liverpool FC from Shankly to Klopp by Alan McDougallsource (opens in a new tab)
  5. How Not to Die (Too Soon): The Lies We’ve Been Sold and the Policies That Can Save Us by Devi Sridharsource (opens in a new tab)
  6. Keegan: The Man Who Was King by Anthony Quinnsource (opens in a new tab)
  7. Music as Medicine: How We Can Harness Its Therapeutic Power by Daniel Levitinsource (opens in a new tab)
  8. Proof: The Uncertain Science of Certainty by Adam Kucharskisource (opens in a new tab)
  9. The Age of Diagnosis: Sickness, Health and Why Medicine Has Gone Too Far by Suzanne O’Sullivansource (opens in a new tab)

About the Financial Times Best Books of the Year

FT critics' and editors' year-end picks, one list per category (fiction, politics, history, economics, business, science, crime, poetry, children's, art, food, sport and others). 2007-2015 ran as one or two long Books of the Year articles split by category; from 2016 each category is its own article in the series. Left out: FT readers' picks, critics'-choice and FT-journalists'-favourites roundups where many people each name a book, books by FT staff, gift guides, and anthologies with no named author. ft.com is paywalled, so pages were read through archive.today snapshots, with the Wayback Machine used to find the 2020 series index. Missing: 2006, 2008 and 2011 (no snapshot found) and most 2016 categories (only Fiction, Economics, History and Business found). Approved for use by the site owner on 2026-11-05.

Organization: Financial Times. Official site (opens in a new tab)

The most recommended books of 2025