I read a lot of great books this year. But, my shortlist goes to one author: Omar El Akkad.

One Day Everyone Will Always Have Been Against This (2025) and American War (2017) were both revelations.

P.S.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention The Hundred Years' War on Palestine (2020) by Rashid Khalidi. An absolutely vital history in its address of Occupied Palestine, the State of Israel, and the world's interactions with them. In much the same way Tony Judt deepened my perspective of Europe with Postwar, and Davids Wengrow and Graeber pushed my understandings with The Dawn of Everything, Khalidi weaves family history with world events to lend a sorely lost dimension to a vilified people.