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Charlie English

Goodreads Author

Born

in York, The United Kingdom

Website

https://www.charlieenglish.net/

Twitter

charlieenglish1

Genre

Nonfiction, History, Travel

Member Since

March 2014

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Charlie English is a British non-fiction author and former head of international news at the Guardian. He has written four critically-acclaimed books: The Snow Tourist (2008); The Book Smugglers of Timbuktu (2017, published in the US as The Storied City); and The Gallery of Miracles and Madness (2021). His latest, The CIA Book Club, has just been published. He lives in London with his family and a rather talented sheepdog named Enzo. You can reach Charlie through his website, or via X or Instagram at @charlieenglish1.

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Do you have another book planned, and if so, what is the subject matter?

Charlie English Hi Kerry, thanks for asking, and for reading and rating Book Smugglers.

I am thinking about another book, yes, but it's not definite yet so I can't re…moreHi Kerry, thanks for asking, and for reading and rating Book Smugglers.

I am thinking about another book, yes, but it's not definite yet so I can't really give details. As you can imagine, there's a lot of research to be done before it becomes clear if a particular story can sustain a whole book–but in this case I'm optimistic! Essentially it's another international story about culture under threat, and what happened to the people who created it.

Best wishes,

Charlie(less)

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Very informative book for someone like me who went in knowing nothing about the city, the region, its history, its people, etc. Did you consider having more maps? Some of the places noted in the text were not on the maps provided. And it was cumbersome to flip back and forth between a chapter and the map(s) in the front of the book.

Charlie English Hi Richard, thanks for reading the book! Am glad you found it informative. On the maps front: I hoped we'd got the significant places down, but do let…moreHi Richard, thanks for reading the book! Am glad you found it informative. On the maps front: I hoped we'd got the significant places down, but do let me know which ones you felt were missing. I guess we wanted to keep the maps in one place, rather than scattered throughout, but yes I'm afraid that means some flipping. Best wishes, Charlie E(less)

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Charlie English’s books

Average rating: 3.77 · 2,330 ratings · 387 reviews · 5 distinct works • Similar authors

	The Book Smugglers of Timbuktu: The Quest for This Storied City and the Race to Save its Treasures 3.70 avg rating — 1,025 ratings — published 2017 — 24 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The CIA Book Club: The Secret Mission to Win the Cold War with Forbidden Literature 3.67 avg rating — 692 ratings — published 2025	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Gallery of Miracles and Madness: Insanity, Modernism, and Hitler's War on Art 4.12 avg rating — 453 ratings — published 2021 — 12 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Snow Tourist 3.64 avg rating — 203 ratings — published 2008 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Le club de lecture de la CIA: Le secret le mieux gardé de la guerre froide 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Charlie English is now friends with Mary
Aug 18, 2025 03:41AM · like
Charlie English wants to read The Mission: The CIA in the 21st Century by Tim Weiner (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jul 25, 2025 10:06PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Mission by Tim Weiner. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Mission by Tim Weiner <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Charlie English made a comment in the group Goodreads Librarians Group — Remove book from author page topic " Hi, is it possible please for someone to remove a book I didn't write from my author page? The book is "Pregame Prayers and Tailgate Tales". The author ...more "
Apr 22, 2025 11:58PM

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Quotes by Charlie English (?)

“Every Autumn now my thoughts return to snow. Snow is something I identify myself with. Like my father, I am a snow person.”
― Charlie English

tags: father, snow, winter

53 likes

“In the nineteenth century, Fritjof Nansen wrote that skiing washes civilization clean from our minds by dint of its exhilarating physicality. By extension, I believe that snow helps strip away the things that don't matter. It leaves us thinking of little else but the greatness of nature, the place of our souls within it, and the dazzling whiteness that lies ahead.”
― Charlie English

tags: skiing, snow

11 likes

“In this sense, Hitler´s painting supports [Hannah] Arendt´s theory of National Socialism--that it was defined by its banality and lack of empathy. The Nazis relied on the ability of people not to imagine themselves in someone else´s shoes. The lack of a connection was very much the point.”
― Charlie English, The Gallery of Miracles and Madness: Insanity, Modernism, and Hitler's War on Art

tags: hitler-s-germany, mental-illness-discrimination, mental-illness-stigma

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Topics Mentioning This Author

topics	posts	views	last activity
The Book Challenge: Stephanie's 2009 Book Challenge - Finished (almost)	7	274	Dec 31, 2009 10:13AM
Goodreads Ireland: Andy's 2018 Challenge - Irish Meridians	15	36	Mar 08, 2018 08:18PM
The Book Vipers: * Last book(s) you acquired	1293	509	Jan 29, 2020 10:25AM
Non Fiction Book ...: CANCELLED The Book Smugglers of Timbuktu (Mar 1-31, 2020)	6	20	Mar 19, 2020 05:24AM
Around the World ...: Det's 2020 TBR Takedown	6	56	May 25, 2020 03:30PM
Mount TBR 2021: Alexandra : Pike's	6	31	Dec 09, 2021 04:42AM
Libri dal mondo: Libri ambientati in Mauritania, Mali e Niger	3	19	Jun 27, 2022 02:24AM
Book Nook Cafe: The Book Salon ~~ May 2025	810	62	Jun 09, 2025 07:42AM

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