September | 2014 | Guy Portman's Blog

The 12 Most Influential Books Ever

Sep 26 2014

This week’s blog post is dedicated to 12 of the most influential books ever.

Relativity: The Special and the General Theory by Albert Einstein – First published in 1916, this three part book not only explains the theory of relativity, it also gives an insight into one of the greatest minds of the 20th Century.

The Art of War by Sun Tzu – Written around 500 B.C., The Art of War gives advice on how to win wars. The book has been embraced by a host of military strategists down the years, in addition to business leaders looking to vanquish their competitors.

The Rights of Man by Thomas Paine – Paine, a fervent supporter of the French Revolution, wrote The Rights of Man in 1791. This influential book argued revolution is permissible when a government does not protect the rights of its people.

Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau – Thoreau argued that governments generally do more harm than good, and that the government that governs least is the best. The book influenced many important leaders, including Gandhi, Martin Luther King and Leo Tolstoy.

The Origin Of Species by Charles Darwin – No work of scientific literature has been more influential than The Origin of Species. Its premise that evolution is a result of natural selection is still controversial to this day, over a hundred and fifty years after it was written.

The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli – In this, one of the most influential books ever written about politics, Machiavelli argued that the end justifies the means. Evidence of The Prince’s influence is the fact that the term ‘Machiavellian’ has been incorporated into the English language.

The Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels – Published in 1848, The Communist Manifesto analysed the class struggle and argued against capitalism. Not only was it a founding document of Communism, it is regarded as one of the most important works of the 20th Century.

The Republic by Plato – Written by arguably the greatest philosopher to ever live, The Republic, Plato’s most important work, is concerned with the notion of justice. This iconic text, which has played an integral role in the development of Western culture, continues to influence philosophers to this day.

Mao’s Little Red Book by Mao Tse-tung – Mao’s Little Red Book consists of selected quotes from the founder of Communist China, Mao Tse-tung. It was required reading for the Chinese nation, and is considered to be one of the most printed books in history.

Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe – Published in 1852, Uncle Tom’s Cabin is an anti-slavery novel that changed the way many Americans living in the north perceived the practice of slavery. The book became a bestseller, and no doubt contributed to the ensuing Civil War.

Qu’ran by Mohammed – Muslims believe that the Qu’ran was verbally revealed to Mohammed through God, via the angel Gabriel. Its teachings quickly spread. Today Islam is the World’s second largest religion, with over a billion followers.

Bible by various authors – It is difficult to argue that any book has been more influential than the Bible. Written over a period of about 1,500 years, this two part book is responsible for spawning a religion that has over two billion adherents.

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7 Prolific Authors

Sep 12 2014

As an author I am intrigued by how much other authors write. A few weeks ago I wrote a blog post about the longest and shortest amount of time authors have taken to pen a novel. This week’s blog post is devoted to seven of the most prolific English language authors ever.

Enid Mary Blyton (1897-1968) – 800+ Books – This highly productive English writer wrote about subjects as diverse as natural history and the Bible, but she is best remembered for her children’s books, particularly The Famous Five and The Secret Seven. In the early 1950s’ Blyton was publishing more than 50 books a year – a remarkable feat, even if some could be argued to have questionable literary merit (Noddy).

Isaac Asimov (1920-1992) – 468+ books - Russian born author and professor Isaac Asimov was a prolific writer of both science fiction and science of the non-fiction variety. After the invention of the word processor, Asimov estimated that he published on average 1,700 words a day. The iconic writer is perhaps best remembered for I, Robot, a collection of nine science fiction short stories about interactions between humans and robots.

Barbara Cartland (1901-2000) – 723 books – Not only was Cartland the most prolific writer of historical fiction ever, she also wrote health and cookery books, as well as plays. The British society figure’s prolific output was due in part to her long life. Cartland’s accolades include holding the Guinness World Record for the most novels published in a single year – 23.

Lauran Bosworth Paine – (1916-2001) – 1000 books (approx.) – This American born author’s prodigious writing output consisted largely of Westerns, as well romance, mystery, science fiction and numerous non-fiction titles. Paine had more pen names (70) than most authors have titles. Many of Paine’s books, which were published in the UK, never graced the shelves of bookshops in his native land.

John Creasey (1908-1973) – 600+ books – John Creasey was an English writer of science fiction, Westerns, romance, plays, short stories and books for children, who is best remembered today for his crime novels, many of which have been adapted for television. He used 28 different pseudonyms during his celebrated writing career. Creasey founded the Crime Writers’ Association (CWA) in 1953.

Ursula Bloom (1892-1984) – 560 books - Bloom was an English romance novelist, who was published under numerous pseudonyms. She also wrote non-fiction books and radio plays. Bloom wrote her first book at the tender age of seven and never looked back. At one time the English author was listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the British author with the greatest number of published full-length titles.

Kathleen Lindsay – (1903-1973) – 904 Books – Kathleen Lindsay was according to the 1986 version of the Guinness Book of Records, the most prolific novelist in history. Though this remarkable feat has since been surpassed, this prolific English romance author, who used eleven different pseudonyms, still has a place in the hearts of romance writers around the world.

10 Famous Banned Books

Sep 05 2014

I am devoting this week’s blog post to a subject that never ceases to fascinate us, namely banned books. Over the years countless famous books have been banned for a host of reasons. I suspect that not so long ago my satirical black comedy Necropolis would have raised the ire of the authorities.

In chronological order here are 10 famous books that have been banned:

The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka (1915)

Gregor Samsa wakes up one morning to find that he has been transformed into a beetle. To compound matters Gregor’s family now see no use for him. Click here to read my review.

Why banned: Kafka’s books were banned in Czechoslovakia because he refused to write in Czech (Kafka wrote in German). The author’s works were also banned during the Nazi occupation and later by the communist regime.

Lady Chatterley’s Lover by D.H. Lawrence (1928)

Lady Chatterley’s Lover is a fictional account of an aristocrat’s clandestine love affair with the family gamekeeper. The book details their erotic meetings.

Why banned: Lady Chatterley’s Lover’s perceived pornographic content resulted in the original version being banned in the UK. Penguin published the book in its entirety when the decision was overturned in 1960.

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck (1939)

Set during the Great Depression, The Grapes of Wrath is about a poor family from Oklahoma, who trek to California to start a new life.

Why banned: This Pullitzer Prize winner was banned from many libraries in the US, and was even burned, due to peoples outrage at its controversial depiction of the poor.

Animal Farm by George Orwell (1945)

This dystopian novel about animals living on a farm is an allegory about the Russian Revolution and Stalinist rule in the Soviet Union.

Why banned: So controversial was the subject matter that the book was not published until more than a year after its completion. Animal Farm was banned in the Soviet bloc because of its political content.

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger (1951)

Protagonist Holden Caulfield recounts his two day trip to New York following expulsion from his private school for fighting with his roommate.

Why banned: Between 1966 and 1975 the book was the most frequently banned book in schools due to its profanity, sexual references and the relentless negativity of its protagonist.

Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov (1955)

The story is about a man named Humbert Humbert, who falls in love with a twelve-year-old girl, Lolita, the daughter of his landlady. Click here to read my review.

Why banned: Citing the book’s controversial subject matter and perceived pornographic content, the UK Home Office confiscated all copies of the book in 1955. Lolita was banned in France the following year, but never in the US.

Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut (1969)

The story follows the life of Billy Pilgrim, a married optometrist and a survivor of the notorious firebombing of Dresden in World War II. Click here to read my review.

Why banned: Slaughterhouse-Five’s anti-war rhetoric has resulted in it being banned from numerous US schools and libraries. It is one of the American Library Association’s 100 most frequently challenged books.

The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie (1988)

Having survived a plane crash, a Bollywood superstar has to rebuild his life, while the other survivor, an emigrant, finds his life in disarray.

Why banned: Many Muslims were offended by a number of allegedly pagan verses, which were included in the Qur’an, but later removed. It has been banned in Japan, Venezuela, and due to death threats, taken off the shelves of several US bookshops.

American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis (1991)

The book is written from the perspective of a young Wall Street financier, Patrick Bateman. Patrick is an intelligent, well-educated, wealthy, good looking psychopath. Click here to read my review.

Why banned: American Psycho’s graphic violent and sexual content resulted in it being banned in Canada and Queensland (Australia). In the rest of Australia and New Zealand its sale remains restricted to those over eighteen.

Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk (1996)

The book’s nameless narrator starts a fight club with charismatic anarchist Tyler Durden. Their fight club concept soon becomes very popular and spreads across the nation. Click here to read my review.

Why banned: Despite its violent content and anarchist philosophy, Fight Club was not widely banned. In 1999 the Chinese authorities prohibited the sale of the book due to it containing instructions on how to make explosives.

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I am the author of the satirical black comedy Necropolis.