12 books the Penguin team are giving this Father's Day

The President is Missing

Bill Clinton and James Patterson

My dad and I watch a lot of nail-biting action films together so this was a brilliant gift for him! The President goes missing, but what happens next? It’s a heart-pounding thriller that’ll keep him turning those pages. The best part is I get to borrow it after he’s finished reading. 

Sanne

Berber & Q

Josh Katz

The only food I ever trusted my dad to cook us was on his trusty barbecue. Even then, I was at least 13 before I realised that barbecued food didn't have to be completely black and taste like coal. Packed with epic flavours and mouth-watering recipes from shish kebabs to pork rib roast, this book should help my dad hone his skills, and make this year's barbecues more palatable for all of us.

Felicity

The Falcon of Sparta

Conn Iggulden

Conn Iggulden’s deliciously bloody and thrilling novels sparked my dad’s late love of reading. He’s branched out to countless histories and fictional retellings, but he’s always insisted that Conn Iggulden is the original and the best. The Falcon of Sparta brings alive the ferocious world of ancient Persia and is another one for his list.

Katie

Arnhem

Antony Beevor

My dad has always been a history buff with a taste for adventure, so I needed something exciting and absorbing to give him this Father’s Day. This book will take take him deep behind enemy lines, exploring a dramatic WWII battle with the kind of detail he loves. It’s the perfect gift.

Louise

The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage

Philip Pullman

My dad always told me that the greatest stories ever written were for children, and we spent hours reading His Dark Materials together. His Father’s Day gift was a no brainer when a new book from Philip Pullman arrived. This is the first in a new trilogy, which means I also have next year’s present sorted…

Sarah

The Midnight Line

Lee Child

My dad loves the Jack Reacher books, though this one is a little different to the others. It’s got the same action, pace and twists that I know he likes, but it also deals with current affairs, so it’ll be great for conversation at the dinner table. Fast-paced, shocking and full of intrigue, he won’t be able to put it down.

Nix

A Journey Through the Cycling Year: The Cycling Podcast

This year, the travel gods have answered my dad’s prayers and published a book about his favourite podcast. A Journey Through the Cycling Year is filled with beautiful photographs, biking chat and even beer recommendations – it’s like it was written for him! I’m hoping it’ll inspire his next cycling route.

Claire

Dead Men's Trousers

Irvine Welsh

My dad loved Trainspotting (though I was definitely too young to watch the film with him the first time I did.) This last instalment in the adventures of the gang of Edinburgh tearaways will appeal to his wicked sense of humour. He can swap the sweater for a donkey jacket this Father's Day and go on a vicarious wild weekend with Begbie and co.

Zainab

A Legacy of Spies

John le Carré

My dad has always been a George Smiley fan. This Father’s Day, quiet retirements are out and Cold War spies and ghosts are in. For Smiley’s protégé Peter Guillam, at least. Dad will love it, as will anyone else who loves classic tales of espionage.

Simon

Forever and a Day

Anthony Horowitz

For as long as I can remember, watching James Bond repeats on a Sunday afternoon has been a family tradition. So this year, my father will be swapping the film for this explosive prequel, which tells the story of how Bond came to earn his license to kill. Classy and action-packed, it’s an absolute must read for all James Bond fans. You won’t be disappointed.

Vicky

The Man Who Climbs Trees

James Aldred

My dad was dazzled by Human Planet on television, specifically the beautiful scenes from the forest canopy. This year I’m giving him the memoir from the man who helped shoot this incredible show, a man who climbs trees, goes on adventures and even risks his life to tell the stories of our planet. It really is fascinating and heart-stopping reading, taking you behind the scenes of the documentaries.

Alice

The Kites

Romain Gary

Dear Dad, I know how much the history of the French Resistance fascinates you, and I think you will love Romain Gary's writing. His characters are incredibly vivid and the novel really does transport you to WW2 Europe. I hope you love it as much as I do.

Julia