Five most important books: Claire Tomalin

At Newsweek, award-winning biographer Claire Tomalin named her five most important books.

One title on her list is also integral to one of her biographies:

"The Diary of Samuel Pepys" edited by Latham and Matthews.

Pepys was a young man on the make; I love his openness and lyrical appreciation of London.

Read more about Tomalin's most important books.

Tomalin's biography of Pepys won the 2002 Whitbread Book of the Year Award.

--Marshal Zeringue