Our top book picks this week: Louis Vuitton and the glamour of travel

The Spirit of Travel by Patrick Mauriès and Pierre Léonforte

In the late 19th century, Louis Vuitton introduced travel trunks that could be stacked more easily on long voyages and a label icon was born. This looks at the history of Louis Vuitton and how it came to represent the glamour of travel. (Flammarion, January 4)

Diamonds for Rice by Eric Evans

A gripping story of a businessman caught up in the civil war in Liberia who was forced to buy his way out by trading rice for diamonds. It looks at the shameful rule of Charles Taylor, the brutal civil war and also tells the story of the bone marrow donor who saved his life. (Matador, January 28)

Anthropology’s Politics by Lara Deeb and Jessica Winegar

Academics are free thinkers. Or are they? This looks at how US “liberal” discipline is infused with sexism, racism, Islamophobia, and obstruction of any criticism of the Israeli state when looking at the Middle East. (Stanford University Press, January 11)

A Guide to Berlin by Gail Jones

A group of international travellers meet in the German capital to share experiences and stories. But a moment of violence devastates the group, and life will never be the same again. The title refers to a Vladimir Nabokov short story. He lived in Berlin in the 1920s. (Harvill Secker, January 14)

Exposure by Helen Dunmore

It is 1960 in London. A classified file goes missing and Simon Callington is accused of passing state secrets to the Soviets and is detained. His wife takes up the case, but learns that Simon has a darker past than she realised and could face a much harsher penalty. Gritty Cold War thriller. (Hutchinson, January 28)

Unspeakable Things by Kathleen Spivack

As Hitler’s armies march across Europe, many flee to New York. It is here that we meet an intriguing cast of characters: Anna, an exotic Hungarian countess; and the villain of the piece, an evil doctor intent on genetic engineering. This is a surreal work about the failure of the European dream. (Knopf, January 26)