Person
Every book Philippe Sands recommended on podcasts
Philippe Sands appeared on The Ezra Klein Show to discuss complex legal and political questions in an episode titled Is Israel Committing Genocide in Gaza?. Toward the end of the interview, Sands shared two distinct book recommendations with the audience. First, he recommended Janet Flanner's World: Uncollected Writings 1932 to 1975, noting that Janet Flanner served as the New Yorker correspondent in Europe and wrote extraordinary letters from the region, including coverage of the Nuremberg trials that remains deeply pertinent to contemporary political discussions. Second, Sands recommended Ann Patchett's novel Commonwealth. He explained that the book explores relationships and brilliantly draws connections between the personal and the broader political spheres in a way that truly resonated with him, prompting host Ezra Klein to express his own love for the same novel. Through these selections, Philippe Sands provided listeners with a rich blend of historical journalism and contemporary fiction.
Books recommended by Philippe Sands
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Commonwealth
Commonwealth by Ann Patchett is a sweeping novel that explores the complex dynamics of two intertwined families over several decades following an unexpected kiss at a christening party.
Recommended“A second book by Anne Patchet called Commonwealth which is about relationships. I did not expect that book to come up here. I love that book. Yeah, it's a wonderful book. It's a wonderful book and it draws the connections between the personal and the broader political in a way that really resonated with me.”
Where to get it
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Janet Flanner's world
Janet Flanner's World: Uncollected Writings 1932-1975 by Janet Flanner is a rich compilation of sharp journalistic dispatches written by the legendary New Yorker European correspondent during decades of profound historical upheaval.
Recommended“One book that I would take is called Janet Flanner's World uncolcted writings 1932 to 1975. Janet Flanner was the New Yorker correspondent in Europe and she wrote extraordinary letters from Europe including on Nuremberg and they are so pertinent for what we've been talking about today in terms of the historic um aspect.”
Where to get it
Books Philippe Sands wrote
Appearances
| Episode | Podcast | Date | Books |
|---|---|---|---|
| Is Israel Committing Genocide in Gaza? | The Ezra Klein Show | The Ezra Klein Show | 2025-08-13 | 2 |
Other mentions (1: passing, ad reads, own books)
“There was a piece in Time magazine about a well a few five six years ago uh profile of Benjamin Netanyahu and the piece included a photograph of him reading East West Street and I have to say it's astonishing.”