Swimming like Vikings or sleeping like cavemen, ruling the tennis court and romping with royals: when it comes to non-fiction...We've Got Your Summer Reading Sorted!

What is worse than being sunburnt, all your clothes smelling of suncream, and finding sand in every crevice? Being sunburnt, all your clothes smelling of suncream, finding sand in every crevice... and not being able to sleep. Happily, Merijn van de Laar can provide the solution to this holiday nightmare: be more caveman. Discover all the ways our forebears got it right (sleeping when tired, rather than when they thought they should, for example) and the fascinating fact that, until the enforced working routines of the Industrial Revolution, people didn’t really experience insomnia. KS

When Richard Waters discovered his Viking lineage in a DNA test he decided to plunge himself into one of the less violent traditions of his ancestors: cold-water swimming. Diagnosed with Parkinson’s in his early 40s, he finds unparalleled relief for his physical and mental health in the chilly waters of the Highlands. In this moving book Waters swims us through the rockpools, waterfalls and coves of Skye, as well as introducing us to a man as hardy as the Norsemen who conquered the island so many centuries ago. JCD

Having a teen in the house all summer might feel daunting but this book is an insightful, if tough, read for any struggling parent. When Christie Watson’s 16-year-old daughter Rowan was refusing to speak to her, she had to learn a whole different means of communicating. What began as a daily Snapchat message evolved into a new-found closeness. This engaging book sheds light on the boggling number of mental health issues faced by today’s teenagers, many of which most parents know little about. KS

Music history is full of relationships that crash and burn in a cacophony of vicious headlines, backstabbing and (if we’re lucky) a revenge song or two – Sonny and Cher, ABBA and perhaps the most spectacular break-up of them all, John and Paul. This spellbinding biography of the two men behind The Beatles takes you through the dizzying highs and crashing lows of their 13-year bromance and the break-up that changed the course of music forever. JCD

As a Mail columnist and former political wife, Vine is a force to be reckoned with – no wonder her memoir sent shockwaves through British politics. She gives us a fascinating insight into being raised by a narcissistic father, her 20-year marriage to Michael Gove as he rose from Tory MP to Cabinet minister and prime ministerial contender, and the explosive end to her friendship with Samantha Cameron. Funny and heartwarming, this is a revealing, and riveting, look behind the scenes of the personal politics of Westminster. KS

For most of us, nuclear means mushroom clouds, Chernobyl and Mr Burns. Certainly, something to be afraid of, not welcomed. However, in this delightful book by nuclear scientist and apologist Dr Tim Gregory, we are urged to reframe our relationship with nuclear power or face extinction. He peppers his convincing argument with surprisingly enchanting anecdotes from the glowing history of nuclear power. JCD

This is the first year since 2004 that the King of Clay has not graced Paris’s Roland Garros with his presence. Christopher Clarey’s comprehensive biography of Rafael Nadal’s career takes us from his early days in Majorca being coached by his Uncle Toni to his dominance as part of the big three alongside Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, proving himself as one of the greatest players of all time. Rafa’s humility and sportsmanship shine in this glowing portrait that also abounds with wider tennis trivia. KS

When Rosie Schapp found herself a widow at 39, she didn’t know where to turn. Eventually, she decided to pack up her troubles, and her flat in New York, to travel through Europe. Still weighed down by grief, a chance conversation with a stranger in Belfast somehow lightened her sorrow. Before long she had traded the hustle and bustle of the Big Apple for a Georgian cottage in Glenarm, Northern Ireland. This gentle memoir shows how her new friends and neighbours helped dig her out of her grief and made her capable of love again. JCD

Not many wives would be pleased to hear that their husband had embarked upon an affair with someone much younger who was said to possess ‘the finest legs in Christendom’. She might be doubly irritated to discover that these fabulous legs belonged to a man. However, Queen Anne, wife of King James I, was delighted. Anything to keep temperamental James happy. This is just one of the fantastic tales in this royal romp through the treacherous and flagrantly gay court of King James I. JCD

If the ‘cultivation of vitality and strength’ appeals to you this summer, be prepared to push ‘physical and mental limits you will never have encountered before’. Or at least that is the promise of Shaolin Master Shi Heng Yi. Through his meditative practices that reconnect the mind and body, you can tap in to a 1,500-year-old way of life to discover more energy and greater peace of mind. Although you might not be able to bend a spear by pressing down on the pointed end with your throat, as Shi Heng Yi himself can, by September. KS

More often than not, True Crime is more gory than fiction, and that is certainly the case with the tale of Dr Crippen. Medical fraudster, terrible husband and murderer – is there anything this man can’t do? Rubenhold chooses to focus on the women in the doctor’s life: the wife he murdered, music-hall starlet Belle Elmore, and his typist and lover Ethel Le Neve. Not one for those with a weak stomach, this uncovers a dark side to humanity that many will find fascinating. KS

The Hairy Bikers, made up of Dave Myers and Si King, were hugely loved as much for their humour and camaraderie as their cooking. When Dave died last year after suffering from cancer, 46,000 bikers drove from London to Barrow-in-Furness in tribute to him. Now his widow, Lili, gives an emotive and intimate account of the love and life they shared for 20 years. KS

Defeating the Nazis required the UK to make strange bedfellows. An otherwise inconceivable alliance had to be hastily made with Stalin, while even the ‘special relationship’ with America was fraught with difficulty and ended up costing Britain an awful lot of money to maintain. This glorious book alters the focus of the war and reveals that navigating the many traps and pitfalls in the shifting diplomatic sands imposed by friends and allies was almost harder than actually confronting the enemy. JCD

Do you fancy a clandestine summer fling? You’re not alone. As Juliet Rosenfeld reveals, one in five of us will have an affair at some point. Putting her psychotherapist skills to good use, Rosenfeld takes us through five different adulterous scenarios and examines what pushes people to commit this greatest of relationship sins. Not a guide for cheaters, but this book might help you spot one... KS

If you’re heading for a scorcher in the Italian sun, spare a thought for the poor people of Pompeii. There was no sun cream strong enough or sun hat wide enough to protect them from the fiery heat that pummelled their city into oblivion. The city, frozen in time, is still bursting with undiscovered secrets and at the helm of these discoveries is Zuchtriegel, director of the Pompeii archaeological park. This is an unparalleled tour through a city that has fascinated and bewildered us for 2,000 years. JCD

It is never too early to start looking after your brain’s health. In clear steps Dr Dale Bredesen explains exactly how to keep your brain just as sharp at 100 as it was at 20. From actions as simple as maintaining your oral hygiene or completing a daily sudoku, to learning a new language and cutting out sugar – there are so many things we can all do to retain our cognitive function. KS

How do you become the richest man in the world? In this memoir of his early years, Bill Gates makes it seem easy. Key ingredients include cleverness, awkwardness with a sprinkling of ferocity, and most importantly of all, a reliance on the beneficence of adults. Turns out a tragic backstory certainly isn’t necessary. Bill Gates, King of Nerds, was even popular at school! JCD

‘Sir, we are homosexuals…’. So began the letter that scandalised Britain in 1960. This criminal confession (homosexuality wasn’t decriminalised until 1967) was sent to several newspapers and signed ‘Roger Butler’. This is the story of the heroism and fierce battles fought by the first man in England to choose to publicly come out. The author, while still at university, befriended the aged Butler and has faithfully and beautifully told the story of this extraordinary man. JCD