Our top book picks this week: Escape to Pagan and an alternative South Africa where apartheid is still in effect



Escape to Pagan: The True Story of One Family’s Fight to Survive in World War II Occupied Asia

Brian Devereux,

Casemate UK,

March 31

The author’s father survived an attempted beheading and the atom bomb. Searing look at the Asian war experience that draws comparisons with Empire of the Sun.

CEO, China: The Rise of Xi Jinping

Kerry Brown,

IB Tauris,

April 30

Under a crackdown on “corruption”, Chinese president Xi Jinping has had rivals imprisoned and built a formidable personal empire. This looks at the hidden story of arguably the world’s most powerful man.

Chronicles: On Our Troubled Times

Thomas Piketty,

Viking,

April

A collection of 700-word newspaper columns from Liberation, from the acclaimed author of Capital in the Twenty-First Century. It looks at subjects such as UK productivity to Steve Jobs and Barack Obama.

Azanian Bridges

Nick Wood,

NewCon Press, April 11

Sibusiso Mchunu comes into a secret that could just threaten the entire repressive system of apartheid and offer a glimmer of hope for his people. Science fiction thriller set in an alternative South Africa where apartheid is still in effect.

The Cauliflower

Nicola Barker,

William Heinemann,

April 21

Sri Ramakrishna is a guru and spiritual master. But to his nephew, he is just “Uncle” – a maddening relative who is prone to entering trances at the most inconvenient of times. This book is a literary subversion of the historical novel featuring haikus, myths and questionnaires set in 19th century Calcutta.

The Gun Room

Georgina Harding, Bloomsbury, April 21

A young British photographer is sent to cover the Vietnam War. He snaps an image that becomes the defining shot of the war. But he is haunted by the conflict and drifts to Japan where he tries to forget all about it. However, his past soon catches up with him. Harding has been previously shortlisted for the Orange Prize.

The specs
 
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
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Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.

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Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
 
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
Three tips from La Perle's performers

1 The kind of water athletes drink is important. Gwilym Hooson, a 28-year-old British performer who is currently recovering from knee surgery, found that out when the company was still in Studio City, training for 12 hours a day. “The physio team was like: ‘Why is everyone getting cramps?’ And then they realised we had to add salt and sugar to the water,” he says.

2 A little chocolate is a good thing. “It’s emergency energy,” says Craig Paul Smith, La Perle’s head coach and former Cirque du Soleil performer, gesturing to an almost-empty open box of mini chocolate bars on his desk backstage.

3 Take chances, says Young, who has worked all over the world, including most recently at Dragone’s show in China. “Every time we go out of our comfort zone, we learn a lot about ourselves,” she says.