Twelve great books for Father’s Day

1. “Hero: The Life and Legend of Lawrence of Arabia,” by Michael Korda

Michael Korda’s “Hero: The Life and Legend of Lawrence of Arabia,” an in-depth biography of the man whom Winston Churchill described as “one of nature’s greatest princes,” makes a fascinating read, and a particularly relevant one today when there is again a wave of revolt among Arab nations. Monitor reviewer Erik Spanberg calls T.E. Lawrence “a brilliant, idiosyncratic man,” whose ideas about and understanding of the Middle East “remain prescient today.”

2. “Life,” by Keith Richards

If you’ve got a dad who’s a rocker, you can’t go wrong with “Life,” Keith Richard’s raucous yet charming memoir about life as one of the century’s greatest rock and roll stars. There are wild times in this book, along with backstage gossip, but most of all there’s the music and a crazy tour through an unforgettable era in the history of entertainment.

3. “Matterhorn,” by Karl Marlantes

It’s not exactly a gentle read, but “Matterhorn” is the kind of unforgettable novel that people put on their “best book ever” lists. Monitor reviewer David Grant calls this story — set in 1969, following a company of Marines as they wind their way through the Vietnamese jungle — “a superb piece of military fiction that deserves a place on the shelf of any reader with even a passing interest in the lore of Vietnam.”

4. “The Fiddler in the Subway,” by Gene Weingarten

How does a writer get to be this good? In this collection two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Gene Weingarten writes about everything from watching his daughter leave for college to exploring why some Americans don’t vote and ends up creating the literary equivalent of a sampler box of the finest chocolates. Give “The Fiddler in the Subway” to anyone who cherishes good writing. Monitor book critic Steve Weinberg writes that, “The Fiddler in the Subway” is “now officially on my list of superb periodical narrative journalism available in book form.”

5. “The Wild Marsh: Four Seasons at Home in Montana,” by Rick Bass

Environmental activist and nature writer Rick Bass adopts a particularly reflective tone in “The Wild Marsh,” a book about the life that he and his family live in Montana’s untamed Yaak Valley. “For those who want to be transported to an extraordinary place beyond the suburbs, this book offers the sensations of a cross-country pilgrimage to a wild destination over hither and yon,” writes Monitor book critic Todd Wilkinson. “Oh, what a journey. Bass’s escape to the Yaak … is ours, too.”

6. “Those Guys Have All the Fun: Inside the World of ESPN,” by James Andrew Miller and Tom Shales

For dads who love spectator sports the inside story of life at ESPN told in “Those Guys Have All the Fun” should prove fairly irresistible. The narrative spun by journalists James Andrew Miller and Tom Shales also succeeds as a remarkable tale of the triumph of an unlikely business venture.

7. “Doc,” by Mary Doria Russell

Bestselling novelist Mary Doria Russell (“Dreamers of the Day” and “The Sparrow”) brings Dodge City to life with “Doc,” her fictionalized novel about Doc Holliday and Wyatt Earp. Washington Post critic Ron Charles wrote, “If I had a six-shooter…I’d be firing it off in celebration of ‘Doc.’ “

8. “The Tiger,” by John Vaillant

This true story of the hunt for a man-killing tiger in far eastern Russia in the depths of winter 1997 makes an unforgettable read. Monitor book critic Carlo Wolff calls “The Tiger” “nature writing of the highest order and more…. It’s nonfiction as riveting as any detective story.”

9. “Our Kind of Traitor,” by John Le Carre

A couple vacationing in Antigua play tennis with a Russian and suddenly find themselves embroiled in a frightening interrogation. Master spy novelist John le Carré proves in his latest thriller, “Our Kind of Traitor,” that he’s only getting better as he goes. Monitor book critic Yvonne Zipp calls this novel a “terrific thriller … full of le Carré’s trademark wry intelligence.”

10. “The Lost City of Z,” by David Grann

Journalist David Grann follows the lost trail of a yet unsolved mystery: What happened to strapping Amazon explorer Percy Fawcett, last seen in 1925 as he set off in search of the legendary golden city of Z? In a review for the Monitor, Jeremy Kutner wrote, “In the gripping ‘The Lost City of Z,’ Grann toggles between a biographic portrait of the near-mythic figure of Fawcett and his own modern-day attempt to reconstruct the ill-fated expedition.”

11. “My Father’s Paradise: A Son’s Search for His Jewish Past in Kurdish Iraq,” by Ariel Sabar

Journalist Ariel Sabar was a father himself before he felt the yearning to better understand his own father’s past. But connecting with his father’s roots meant taking a journey to an isolated corner of northern Iraq. “My Father’s Paradise” is the memoir that tells the story of an unusual voyage undertaken by Sabar with his scholarly father. Monitor reviewer Chuck Leddy called this book “an engaging account of a wonderful, enlightening journey, a voyage with the power to move readers deeply even as it stretches across differences of culture, family, and memory.”

12. “River of Doubt,” by Candice Millard

In 1912, after a humiliating defeat in his third presidential bid, Theodore Roosevelt tried to distract himself and his son Kermit with a foolhardy trip down an unmarked Brazilian river. “River of Doubt” is a gripping real-life tale but also a touching father and son relationship story.