French patriot wracked with inner torments

With Charles de Gaulle's famous war broadcast in the news this week, we take a look at a new biography of the famous French President. Elsewhere, we look at the unique contributions of Henrietta Lacks to our understanding of science.

The General – Charles de Gaulle and the France He Saved by Jonathan Fenby: The legendary General Charles de Gaulle led the Free French wartime resistance from London, after his country had capitulated to Hitler in 1940. He was a passionate patriot with an unflinching sense of his own greatness – and the most fractious and difficult of Britain's Second World War allies. This well-written biography by former Observer editor Jonathan Fenby paints a memorable picture of a complex, highly-strung man whose lofty public image belied his inner torments. De Gaulle's great achievement was to provide an ever-growing focal point for French citizens opposed to their government's capitulation. He constantly fought for France's interests – sometimes unreasonably – in his dealings with the Allies. Post-war, De Gaulle remained in politics and was president from 1959-69. Despite his faults, he must surely go down in history as one of France's greatest sons.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot: Many of medical science's major advances over the past 50 years are due to the unwitting sacrifice of Henrietta Lacks, a young woman who died of cancer in 1951, shortly after a sample of her cells was the first to be cultivated outside the body. The resulting cell lineage – nicknamed 'HeLa' – is still growing strong today, helping scientists discover cures for everything from polio to Aids. Yet, far from being a crusader for medical science, Lacks knew nothing of her cells' journey into the history books and didn't even give permission for their cultivation. Skloot, a science journalist, reveals the truth behind the Lack's story, encompassing both the personal and the political connotations of cellular research without losing the thread of a profoundly human story.

Courtiers – The Secret History of Kensington Palace by Lucy Worsley: The colourful goings-on at London's Kensington Palace during its heyday in 1714-60 are vividly described by Lucy Worsley, chief curator at the Historic Royal Palaces. England's Georgian period began with the stodgy Hanoverian King George I's accession to the throne in 1714 and ended with George III's death in 1820. Most people know little about Georges I and II, but Worsley fills this gap. She also focuses on famous courtiers. The court's assembly room amounted to a gilded cage, full of bejewelled, over-dressed people, reeking with body odour and out to gain advantage for themselves.