West with the NightWest with the Night
Score Classic
What it's about
The story of Beryl Markham, aviator, racehorse trainer and beauty, and her life in Kenya in the 1920s and '30s.
Why it's worth reading
It's on the Modern Library's list of the 100 best nonfiction books.
You'll love it if you liked
Out of Africa
Into the Wild
The Glass CastleGood to know
It's nonfiction.
By the numbers
- Readers4 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics59 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller10 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
Why it made the list
Reads as
True story, Adventurous
If you like this, read next
The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York
Maus
Notes of a Native Son
A Bright Shining Lie
Parting the Waters : America in the King Years 1954-63
I Know Why the Caged Bird SingsExplore the best-of lists
All 47 best-of lists →
Classic booksTop 25 · 924 ranked
Books of the 1940sTop 25 · 57 ranked
Fantasy booksTop 25 · 504 ranked
Mysteries and thrillersTop 25 · 623 ranked
Literary novelsTop 25 · 325 ranked
Pulitzer Prize-winning novelsTop 25 · 63 ranked
Memoirs and biographiesTop 25 · 290 ranked
Science fiction booksTop 25 · 333 rankedQuick answers
Is West with the Night worth reading?
Yes. It's on the Modern Library's list of the 100 best nonfiction books. It ranks #2,674 of the 3,056 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 58.5 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is West with the Night about?
The story of Beryl Markham, aviator, racehorse trainer and beauty, and her life in Kenya in the 1920s and '30s.
How long does it take to read West with the Night?
About 8 hours (304 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after West with the Night?
If you liked it, try Out of Africa by Isak Dinesen, Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer or The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls.