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Every book Peter Straughan recommended on podcasts
Key facts
- Peter Straughan has recommended or discussed 5 books on podcasts, as of March 1, 2025.
- Peter Straughan has talked about books on 1 podcast, as of March 1, 2025.
- Those books came up in 1 episode, as of March 1, 2025.
- The 3 books Peter Straughan has mentioned in the most episodes, as of March 1, 2025: Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, Conclave and Wolf Hall.
- The latest episode with a book mention from Peter Straughan aired on March 1, 2025.
Updated
Peter Straughan appeared on The Book Review podcast to discuss the political intricacies, power dynamics, and screenwriting process behind his work on the papal election drama Conclave. Throughout the interview, Straughan reflected on the adaptation of Robert Harris's source novel Conclave, praising its tight narrative structure and how naturally it fit into a film format compared to other complex projects. He contrasted this with his previous adaptation experiences working on John le Carré's Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy and Hilary Mantel's Tudor trilogy, specifically noting the narrative challenges presented by Wolf Hall and The Mirror and the Light. Looking ahead to future projects, Straughan recommended and expressed a desire to adapt another historical work by Hilary Mantel, A Place of Greater Safety, which focuses on the French Revolution and was written by Mantel before her famous Thomas Cromwell series.
Books recommended by Peter Straughan
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Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John le Carré is a classic espionage novel that follows veteran British intelligence agent George Smiley as he hunts for a Soviet mole high up in the Circus.
Discussed“um it doesn't have to fall into film shape um Tinker Taylor certainly didn't”
Where to get it
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Conclave
Conclave by Robert Harris is a compelling thriller that takes readers deep inside the secretive, high-stakes political maneuvering of the Vatican as cardinals gather to elect a new pope.
Discussed“Robert Harris's book the book this is based on it's it's very tight and to my mind it felt like a a perfect framework for a a screenplay”
Where to get it
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Wolf Hall
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel is a historical fiction novel that chronicles the rise of Thomas Cromwell in the court of King Henry VIII.
Discussed“Wolf Hall didn't fall easily into um you know sort TV narrative shape”
Where to get it
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A Place of Greater Safety
A Place of Greater Safety by Hilary Mantel is an immersive historical novel that traces the intense lives, political ambitions, and tragic fates of key figures during the French Revolution.
Recommended“but it's another book by Hillary Montel which is called place of Greater safety um about the French Revolution which um which he wrote before wol fall and I read long ago”
Where to get it
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The Mirror and the Light
Discussed“there's three books by the way for wol fall there's the mirror and the light the third one which we've also adapted”
Where to get it
Appearances
| Episode | Podcast | Date | Books |
|---|---|---|---|
| ‘Conclave’ Screenwriter Peter Straughan on a Papal Election, Politics and Power | The Book Review | 2025-03-01 | 9 |