So farewell to streaming, fix me up with a good book

CHRISTMAS shopping is my annual hell. I have seven siblings and 24 nieces and nephews. This year at least I have an easy option for the politicos in my family: The Presidents, Iain Dale’s excellent collection of essays covering every US leader from Washington to Trump. It reads like a Netflix series... every author — historian, politician or journalist — expertly delivers their take on their favourite and often deeply flawed American hero. Even if you are not keen to refresh your historical know-how, there are everyday lessons for those flung into crisis management, which many of us recognise from the last 18 months. And it reveals the psychological warfare leaders face every day as decisions arise where there is no easy answer and historical hindsight can either be cruel or restorative. Also, Freddy Gray’s retelling of Nixon’s life has sent me back to watch the Frost-Nixon interviews. My pandemic-induced Netflix addiction is cured... I now spend evenings in with a reading fix instead.