THE WAGNER CLAN by Jonathan Carr Faber and Faber, £20 ANYONE who enjoyed Carr s book on Mahler, which came out 10 years or so ago, may not be surprised that he s now turned his attention to Wagner – or more accurately the Wagner family. It also comes as

THE WAGNER CLAN

by Jonathan Carr

Faber and Faber, £20

ANYONE who enjoyed Carr's book on Mahler, which came out 10 years or so ago, may not be surprised that he's now turned his attention to Wagner - or more accurately the Wagner family. It also comes as no surprise that Adolf Hitler features prominently on the jacket. The Wagner family saga, with its jealousy, greed, passion and intrigue, is as riveting as any opera. Drawing on extensive interviews with members of the family and on both archive and recent material, Carr presents a gripping portrait of the clan, taking a fresh look at their history. He also takes a fresh look at hotly controversial matters such as anti-semitism and the family's role during the Third Reich.

THE DISCOVERY OF FRANCE by Graham Robb

Picador, £18.99

THE fruit of some 14,000 miles in the saddle (Tour de France? Pah!) plus four years in the bibliotheque, Graham Robb's biography of our Gallic cousins across the Channel is as engrossing as it is surprising. Anyone with an interest in the country (and I must hold my hand up as my brother-in-law lives there) will find what looks from the jacket something of a sombre book, is actually a hugely entertaining delight. Clearly a Francophile, Robb (who described the book as an adventure to write) discovers a very different France from the one you'll find in guide books - in fact you might consider it more of a companion volume. Vive la difference!

David Crozier