The Observer has embarked on a two year quest to come up with a list of books that have shaped the Anglo-American imagination. Which are your top titles?

The 100 best nonfiction books of all time: what should make the list?

Robert McCrum loves a good list: after the author and Observer writer spent over two years compiling and reviewing his 100 best novels written in English, he’s now back to craft a “definitive” list of essential works of nonfiction.

The 100 best nonfiction books of all time Read more

This second top 100 is a continuation of McCrum’s investigation into “the classic titles that form the core of Anglo-American literary culture: the 100 key texts that have had a decisive influence on the shaping of the ‘Anglo-American imagination’, economically, socially, culturally and politically,” wrote McCrum. “The King James Bible of 1611, for instance, is every bit as influential as the greatest novelists of the past 300 years, from Austen to Waugh.”



When McCrum concluded the best novel list last year, debate ensued: the perceived lack of diversity prompted this response from Rachel Cooke and the creation of this alternative list, courtesy of our readers.

This time, we’re giving readers a head start by putting the question to you first. McCrum has disclosed that he will unveil the list chronologically, starting on Sunday, with titles exploring the distant past up to the present day – beginning with The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History by Elizabeth Kolbert.

Which are the titles that you think should make the list? Leave up to three nominations in the comments, and please explain your choices.

Update: you’ve already shared enough brilliant recommendations for a lifetime of reading – keep them coming! Here are some of your suggestions so far:

Andrew Case (@AClaudeCase) .@PublishersWkly Number one is The Education of Henry Adams. I don't know what number two is, but it's a long way back.

Patrycja Karolina (@pk_adams) @tonyriches @GuardianBooks I don't know about all time, but Krakatoa by Simon Winchester is very good. In Cold Blood is a favorite, too.