If you like: Jung Chang

Stalin: The Court of the Red Tsar
Simon Sebag Montefiore
A fascinating exploration of the life and times of a dictator. Like Mao, Stalin was responsible for an incomprehensible number of deaths, but they have also inspired loyal supporters too. It's these people who helped, supported and remained loyal to Joseph Stalin that Montefiore investigates in this revealing biography.
Stalin: The Court of the Red Tsar by Simon Sebag Montefiore: RRP: £9.99

Empress Orchid
Anchee Min
Min smuggled rare documents out of the Forbidden City in order to build this fictionalised account of China's longest-reigning female ruler. A revealing, revisionist reading of the tale, Min portrays her as a strong-willed, woman who used her brains and beauty to her advantage, as opposed to the evil mastermind as taught in Chinese schools.
Empress Orchid by Anchee Min: RRP: £7.99

Them: Adventures with Extremists
Jon Ronson
Jon Ronson is a journalist, film-maker and satirist whose work takes him to some deeply strange places. In this best-selling book, he investigates the struggle for worldwide power in the 21st century. Extremists claim that a small group of elitists rule the world, a claim that Ronson investigates with dedication, fearlessness and his tongue firmly in his cheek…
Them: Adventures with Extremists by Jon Ronson: RRP: £7.99