Paperbacks reviewed by William Leith

Command and Control by Eric Schlosser (Penguin, £9.99)

One evening in 1980, an American airman was performing a routine task. He was doing maintenance work on some equipment, which happened to be underground. Then he dropped one of his tools, which bashed into the side of the thing he was working on. The problem was that the thing was a thermonuclear weapon, and now it had a hole in it, and dangerous chemicals were seeping from the hole. This is the story of what happened next, coupled with a history of nuclear weapons in general. It’s about rocket science, human error — and massive destruction. It’s written with superb insight and awesome precision. Just brilliant.

The Siege by Cathy Scott-Clark & Adrian Levy (Penguin, £9.99)

Remember when we heard that gun-slinging terrorists were killing people in Mumbai? I remember the sense of absolute horror. Well, this is the inside story, and you couldn’t hope for a more comprehensive version. The terrorists entered the Taj Hotel and went from floor to floor, with AK47 submachine guns and grenades, killing everybody they could. The action here is described in a visceral, gut-wrenching way. The authors take you right into the hotel, with its killing zones and hiding places. We also get to read transcripts of phone calls from the killers’ handlers. A terrific feat of journalistic reporting.

Jumbo by John Sutherland (Aurum, £8.99)

This is the story of Jumbo, an elephant who was born in Africa, lived in Paris and London, and died in a rail accident in Canada. It happened in the 19th century. Jumbo was captured as a baby by the Hamran tribe of east Africa. After passing through the hands of various dealers, he became an attraction at the Jardin des Plantes in Paris. But he wasn’t a hit. And his feet were attacked by rats. Then he was transferred to London zoo, where he drank whisky, beer and champagne; finally, he was shipped to America as a circus attraction. Then he was hit by a train. A life of cruelty and depression, very well told.