Biographies & Memoirs Books

Agatha Christie

Agatha Christie

Biographies & Memoirs

From Poirot to Miss Marple, from The Mousetrap to Witness for the Prosecution, this a fascinating look at the life and work of Agatha Christie, the world's most successful and popular crime writer.Agatha Christie was not only the most successful author of detective stories the world has ever known, she was also a mystery in herself, giving only the rarest interviews—declining absolutely to become any sort of public figure—and a mystery, too, in the manner in which she achieved her astonishing success.Distinguished crime novelist (and acclaimed critic) H. R. F. Keating brings together a dozen noted writers from both sides of the Atlantic to throw light on the ever-intriguing Dame Agatha. Some essays analyze Christie’s art itself; some explain the reasons for her success—not just the books, but also in film and theatre.The myriad of critical angles explored here are penetrating, affectionate, enthusiastic, analytical, and even funny. Together, they give an almost unique insight into the life and work of the First Lady of Crime.Includes essays by Sophie Hannah, H. R. F. Keating, Elizabeth Walter, Julian Symons, Edmund Crispin, Michael Gilbert, Emma Lathen, Colin Watson, Celia Fremlin, Dorothy B. Hughes, J. C. Trewin, Philip Jenkinson, William Weaver, and Christianna Brand.

The 20 Most Influential Slave Narratives

The 20 Most Influential Slave Narratives

Biographies & Memoirs

The 20 Most Influential Slave Narratives is an extraordinary compendium that explores the profound themes of human struggle, resilience, and liberation through a multitude of literary styles. This anthology spans various periods and genres, encompassing the raw authenticity of firsthand accounts and the nuanced reflections of emancipated individuals. The collection is meticulously curated to reflect the diverse experiences of those who lived through the horrors of slavery, featuring poignant moments of courage, resistance, and the quest for identity. Standout pieces within this anthology provide deep insight into the emotional and physical toll of slavery, while also underscoring the enduring spirit of those who fought against the inhumane institution. The narratives in this collection are penned by some of the most impactful voices in history. Contributions from notable authors like Olaudah Equiano, Frederick Douglass, and Harriet Jacobs, among others, provide a rich tapestry of perspectives that align with key historical, cultural, and literary movements. Each narrative not only offers a personal testament to the brutality of slavery but also contributes to the collective memory and historiography of the era. The convergence of these powerful voices enriches the reader's understanding of the complex dynamics surrounding slavery and the relentless pursuit of freedom. This anthology presents a unique opportunity for readers to immerse themselves in the multiplicity of perspectives that these invaluable narratives offer. It is an essential read for anyone seeking to understand the breadth of human experience and the enduring spirit of those who overcame unimaginable odds. The 20 Most Influential Slave Narratives serves as both an educational tool and a profound testament to the resilience of the human spirit, inviting readers to engage in a meaningful dialogue about the past and its lasting impacts.

Paris France

Paris France

Biographies & Memoirs

Matched only by Hemingway’s A Moveable Feast, Paris France is a "fresh and sagacious" (The New Yorker) classic of prewar France and its unforgettable literary eminences. Celebrated for her innovative literary bravura, Gertrude Stein (1874–1946) settled into a bustling Paris at the turn of the twentieth century, never again to return to her native America. While in Paris, she not only surrounded herself with—and tirelessly championed the careers of—a remarkable group of young expatriate artists but also solidified herself as "one of the most controversial figures of American letters" (New York Times). In Paris France (1940)—published here with a new introduction from Adam Gopnik—Stein unites her childhood memories of Paris with her observations about everything from art and war to love and cooking. The result is an unforgettable glimpse into a bygone era, one on the brink of revolutionary change.

Charlie Resnick

Charlie Resnick

Biographies & Memoirs

The bestselling author shares how he developed his celebrated sleuth, a Nottingham detective akin to Jim Rockford but dressed like Columbo.In 1989, Lonely Hearts, a police procedural by John Harvey, introduced Det. Insp. Charlie Resnick to the world. The book was followed by a series and went on to be named one of the 100 Best Crime Novels of the Last Century by the Times. But how did the sandwich-loving policeman and jazz aficionado come to be? In this quick read, acclaimed author John Harvey details how he first became a crime novelist and how his work in the heyday of 1970s British publishing would lay the groundwork for Resnick’s character. He breaks down almost every aspect of Charlie, from his name and ancestry to his personality and style. He even discusses the depiction of Nottingham as Charlie’s home and the home of the successful series in the many years to come.Praise for the Charlie Resnick Mysteries“[A] rich tapestry that lifts the police procedural into the realm of the mainstream novel.” —Sue Grafton, New York Times–bestselling author of the Kinsey Millhone Alphabet series“Harvey reminds me of Graham Greene, a stylist who tells you everything you need to know while keeping the prose clean and simple. It’s a very realistic style that draws you into the story without the writer getting in the way.” —Elmore Leonard, New York Times–bestselling author of Get Shorty and Rum Punch“Like Thelonious Monk and other jazz greats who make the mood music in his books, John Harvey likes to play with form. In Wasted Years . . . [Harvey] switches time frames like song keys to tell a story about the cold hopes and lost chances that breed crime in the red-brick provinces.” —The New York Times Book Review“Harvey’s police procedurals are in a class by themselves—near Dickensian in their portrayal of human frailty, cinematic in their quick changes of scene and character, totally convincing in their plotting and motivation.” —Kirkus Reviews

Leading Women 1

Leading Women 1

Biographies & Memoirs

Timeless collection of American women biographies. American Biographies Series provides descriptions and stories of people important in the history of the United States. Including the basic facts like education, work, relationships, and death, the series also presents highlights of various aspects of his or her life. LEARN ENGLISH AS YOU READ AND LISTEN TO THE DESCRIPTIONS AND STORIES OF PEOPLE IMPORTANT IN THE HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES. ADAPTATIONS ARE WRITTEN AT THE INTERMEDIATE AND UPPER-BEGINNER LEVEL AND ARE READ ONE-THIRD SLOWER THAN REGULAR ENGLISH.

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave

Biographies & Memoirs

An updated edition of a classic African American autobiography, with new supplementary materialsThe preeminent American slave narrative first published in 1845, Frederick Douglass’s Narrative powerfully details the life of the abolitionist from his birth into slavery in 1818 to his escape to the North in 1838, how he endured the daily physical and spiritual brutalities of his owners and driver, how he learned to read and write, and how he grew into a man who could only live free or die. In addition to Douglass’s classic autobiography, this new edition also includes his most famous speech “What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?” and his only known work of fiction, The Heroic Slave, which was written, in part, as a response to Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin.For more than sixty-five years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,500 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave, Written by Himself

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave, Written by Himself

Biographies & Memoirs

Frederick Douglass was born into slavery as Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey in Maryland. As a young boy he was sent to Baltimore, to be a house servant, where he learned to read and write, with the assistance of his master's wife. In 1838 he escaped from slavery and went to New York City, where he married Anna Murray, a free colored woman whom he had met in Baltimore. Soon thereafter he changed his name to Frederick Douglass. In 1841 he addressed a convention of the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society in Nantucket and so greatly impressed the group that they immediately employed him as an agent. He was such an impressive orator that numerous persons doubted if he had ever been a slave, and he wrote this classic book about his life story.

Wyatt Earp & Doc Holliday: The West's Greatest Gunslingers

Wyatt Earp & Doc Holliday: The West's Greatest Gunslingers

Biographies & Memoirs

*Includes pictures of Earp, Holliday, and important people and places in their lives. *Includes a detailed description of their feud with the Clantons and McLaurys, and the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral. *Discusses the various myths and legends about each man. *Includes bibliographies of both men for further reading. *Includes a Table of Contents. "For my handling of the situation at Tombstone, I have no regrets. Were it to be done over again, I would do exactly as I did at that time. If the outlaws and their friends and allies imagined that they could intimidate or exterminate the Earps by a process of assassination, and then hide behind alibis and the technicalities of the law, they simply missed their guess." – Wyatt Earp "Doc was a dentist, not a lawman or an assassin, whom necessity had made a gambler; a gentleman whom disease had made a frontier vagabond; a philosopher whom life had made a caustic wit; a long lean ash-blond fellow nearly dead with consumption, and at the same time the most skillful gambler and the nerviest, speediest, deadliest man with a six-gun that I ever knew." – Wyatt Earp They were an unlikely duo. Wyatt Earp (1848-1929), the "toughest and deadliest gunman of his day", symbolized the swagger, the heroism, and even the lawlessness of the West, notorious for being a law enforcer, gambler, saloon keeper, and vigilante. Then there was John Henry “Doc” Holliday (1851-1887), a dentist turned professional gambler who was widely recognized as one of the fastest draws in the West and one of its quirkiest figures. The only thing that might have been faster than the deadly gunman’s draw was his violent temper, which was easily set off when Holliday was drunk, a frequent occurrence. By the early 1880s, Holliday had been arrested nearly 20 times.  Together the two formed an enduring friendship that proved pivotal in some of the West's most legendary events. The seminal moment in both men's lives also happened to be the West’s most famous gunfight, the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, which famously pitted Earp, his brothers Morgan and Virgil, and Holliday against Ike Clanton, Billy Clanton, Billy Claiborne, Tom McLaury and Frank McLaury. Though the gunfight lasted less than a minute, it is still widely remembered as the climactic event of the period, representing lawlessness and justice, vendettas, and a uniquely Western moral code. The aftermath led to assassination attempts against the Earp brothers, one of which was successful, touching off the “Earp Vendetta Ride”. For those two events alone, the legacies of Earp and Holliday have endured to make them the two most recognizable figures of the West, and their unique characteristics have added a mystique, legendary quality to them. Despite their fame and notoriety, to a great extent some of the details of their lives remain a mystery, as the embellishment of time and legend have made it difficult to separate fact from legend. Did Holliday earn his deadly reputation through actual violence or mostly through myths spread by the man himself? The same can be asked of Wyatt, who became a living legend and even served as an advisor for early Hollywood Westerns.  Wyatt Earp & Doc Holliday attempts to separate fact from fiction in chronicling the lives of the two legends, while also analyzing their legacies and the mythology that has enveloped their stories. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events in his life, you will learn about Wyatt Earp & Doc Holliday like you never have before, in no time at all.

Tot el que sé sobre l'amor

Tot el que sé sobre l'amor

Biographies & Memoirs

El gran fenomen tiktoker i boca-orella dels últims anys. Més d'un milió d'exemplars venuts arreu del món.Tan salvatgement divertit i commovedor com la vida de qualsevol jove, que creixerà navegant entre desenganys amorosos i relacions desastroses.El llibre narra en primera persona la vida d'una jove com qualsevol altra que deambula buscant-se a ella mateixa, fracassant en els temes personals i també en els professionals, sobrevivint amb el compte en números vermells i topant amb el desamor a cada cantonada. I, malgrat tot, gaudint de cada moment important de la vida i expressant-lo com només se sap fer als vint anys.«Gairebé tot el que sé de l'amor ho he après xerrant amb les meves amigues de tota la vida. He après que l'amor és, entre altres coses, alegria desenfrenada, ballar borratxa sobre el fang en un festival de música, els creuaments de mirades en un autobús nocturn, els polvos d'una nit. Però també he après que l'amor no són les relacions tedioses, ni les hores de persecució obsessiva a Instagram del noi que m'agrada, ni els orgasmes fingits».«Tot el que sé sobre l'amor, de Dolly Alderton, o com resumir (brillantment) la vida sentimental d'una dona a la trentena avui dia». VogueEls lectors n'han dit:«Feu-vos un favor, llegiu aquest llibre. Us prometo que no us en penedireu».«El llibre perfecte per regalar a la teva millor amiga i recordar com d'important és el vostre amor».«Tothom l'hauria de llegir. Ens recorda que el més important és l'amor propi».«És un llibre sensible i humà, que recomano amb els ulls tancats perquè et deixa ensenyances de vida».«Tots hem estat Dolly Alderton en algun moment de la nostra vida... O ho continuem sent».

I Am, I Am, I Am

I Am, I Am, I Am

Biographies & Memoirs

In this astonishing memoir, the New York Times bestselling author of The Marriage Portrait and Hamnet shares the seventeen near-death experiences that have punctuated and defined her life.The childhood illness that left her bedridden for a year, which she was not expected to survive. A teenage yearning to escape that nearly ended in disaster. An encounter with a disturbed man on a remote path. And, most terrifying of all, an ongoing, daily struggle to protect her daughter from a condition that leaves her unimaginably vulnerable to life’s myriad dangers. Here, O’Farrell stiches together these discrete encounters to tell the story of her entire life. In taut prose that vibrates with electricity and restrained emotion, she captures the perils running just beneath the surface, and illuminates the preciousness, beauty, and mysteries of life itself.

Down the Drain

Down the Drain

Biographies & Memoirs

The hotly anticipated book from “one of the all-time pop-culture greats” (New York magazine) that chronicles her shocking life and unyielding determination to not only survive but achieve her dreams. Julia Fox is famous for many things: her captivating acting, such as her breakout role in the film Uncut Gems; her trendsetting style, including bleached eyebrows, exaggerated eyeshadow, and cutout dresses; her mastery of social media, where she entertains and educates her millions of followers. But all these share the trait for which she is most famous: unabashedly and unapologetically being herself.This commitment to authenticity has never been more on display than in Down the Drain. With writing that is both eloquent and accessible, Fox recounts her turbulent path to cultural supremacy: her parents’ volatile relationship that divided her childhood between Italy and New York City and left her largely raising herself; a possessive and abusive drug-dealing boyfriend whose torment continued even from within Rikers Island; her own trips to jail as well as to a psychiatric hospital; her work as a dominatrix that led to a complicated entanglement with a sugar daddy; a heroin habit that led to New Orleans trap houses and that she would kick only after the fatal overdose of her best friend; her own near-lethal overdoses and the deaths of still more friends from drugs and suicide; an emotionally explosive, tabloid-dominating romance with a figure she dubs “The Artist”; a whirlwind, short-lived marriage and her trials as a single parent striving to support her young son. Yet as extraordinary as her story is, its universality is what makes it so powerful. Fox doesn’t just capture her improbable evolution from grade-school outcast to fashion-world icon, she captures her transition from girlhood to womanhood to motherhood. Family and friendship, sex and death, violence and love, money and power, innocence and experience—it’s all here, in raw, remarkable and riveting detail.More than a year before the book’s publication, Fox’s description of it as “a masterpiece” in a red carpet interview went viral. As always, she was just being honest. Down the Drain is a true literary achievement, as one-of-a-kind as its author.

The Confessions

The Confessions

Biographies & Memoirs

In this new translation the brilliant and impassioned descriptions of Augustine's colourful early life are conveyed to the English reader with accuracy and art. Augustine tells of his wrestlings to master his sexual drive, his rare ascent from a humble Algerian farm to the edge of the corridors of high power at the imperial court of Milan, and his renunciation of secular ambition and marriage as he recovered the faith that his mother had taught him. It was in a Milan garden that Augustine finally achieved the act of will to Christian conversion, which he compared to a lazy man in bed finally deciding it is time to get up and face the day.

Manifesto

Manifesto

Biographies & Memoirs

The three texts this book, all written in vastly different eras —The Communist Manifesto (1848) by Marx and Engels, Reform or Revolution (1899) by Rosa Luxemburg and Socialism and Man in Cuba (1965) by Ernesto Che Guevara—illuminate socialist ideas of the 19th and 20th centuries.For a new generation of activists, these are classic revolutionary writings by four famous rebels, including The Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels; Reform or Revolution by Rosa Luxemburg; and Che Guevara’s Socialism and Man in Cuba. Includes an introduction by Cuban Marxist intellectual Armando Hart and a preface by US radical poet Adrienne Rich. The essays in this book, Manifesto, were written by three relatively young people—Karl Marx when he was 30, Rosa Luxemburg at 27, Che Guevara at the age of 37. Born into different historical moments and different generations, they shared an energy of hope, an engagement with history, a belief that critical thinking must inform action, and a passion for the world and its human possibilities. Here are urgent conversations from the past that are still being carried on, among new voices, throughout the world. 

The Most Influential Catholic Saints: The Lives and Legacies of St. Francis of Assisi, St. Thomas Aquinas, and St. Ignatius of Loyola

The Most Influential Catholic Saints: The Lives and Legacies of St. Francis of Assisi, St. Thomas Aquinas, and St. Ignatius of Loyola

Biographies & Memoirs

*Includes historic artwork depicting the saints and important people, places, and events in their lives. *Comprehensively covers the Orders founded by Francis and Ignatius, as well as the theology and philosophy espoused by Thomas. *Includes a bibliography on each saint for further reading.  *Includes a Table of Contents A lot of ink has been spilled covering the lives of history’s most influential figures, but how much of the forest is lost for the trees? In Charles River Editors’ Catholic Legends series, readers can get caught up to speed on the lives of the Church’s most important men and women in the time it takes to finish a commute, while learning interesting facts long forgotten or never known.  Alongside St. Ignatius, who founded the Jesuits, St. Francis of Assisi is widely regarded as one of the most venerated saints in the Catholic Church due to his work establishing religious Orders that have done an incalculable amount of good and service for societies. Like St. Ignatius, St. Francis also got his start as a soldier who experienced a vision that put him on a more divine path.  St. Francis eventually became a pillar of the Church, both living in poverty to assist those in greatest need and in establishing the Franciscan Order, the Order of Poor Clares, an enclosed order for women, and the Third Order of Brothers and Sisters of Penance. Near the end of his life, he became the first person recorded in history to bear the stigmata, the Passion wounds that Christ suffered in crucifixion, which only added to his ultimate aura and legacy. It would be hard to overstate the influence that St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) has had on both the Catholic world and the West as a whole over the last 750 years. Even in secular circles, Aquinas is known as one of the most important medieval philosophers, and in many respects a harbinger of the Renaissance that began to flourish across Europe in the centuries that followed his life. His groundbreaking work, Summa Theologica, remains one of the most influential philosophical texts in history, earning him a place in the pantheon alongside Plato, Aristotle, and Socrates.  Aquinas had just as great an influence on Christianity as well. His philosophical works forged and established natural theology, squaring Catholicism with reason and logic, the ideals and aspects of modern thought that really took hold during the Renaissance. With his work on logic, theology, and metaphysics, as one of the Church’s Doctors, Thomas Aquinas remains the Catholic Church’s greatest theologian and philosopher, and he is still held out by the Church as the role model for those studying to become a Catholic priest.  A Spanish knight who hailed from a noble Basque family, Ignatius seemed destined for military glory until he was badly wounded in 1521 during the Battle of Pamplona. While convalescing, Ignatius began reading De Vita Christi by Ludolph of Saxony, after which he began a tireless career in service of the Catholic Church. After spending several years studying the faith, Ignatius formed the Society of Jesus in 1539, and as its Superior General, he sent followers as missionaries across Europe to create schools, colleges, and seminaries. The Jesuits remain active across the world nearly 500 years later. By 1548, he had published his famous Spiritual Exercises, which help the faithful commit themselves to Christ by conducting different mental exercises. The Spiritual Exercises continue to be wildly popular across the world today, even among non-Catholics.  The Most Influential Catholic Saints details the remarkable lives and legacies of each saint, and it includes pictures, bibliographies, and more. Learn about Francis of Assisi, Thomas Aquinas, and Ignatius like you never have before, in no time at all.

Twelve Years A Slave

Twelve Years A Slave

Biographies & Memoirs

First published in 1853, Twelve Years a Slave is the narrative of Solomon Northup’s experience as a freeman sold into slavery, having spent twelve years in bondage before finally escaping. Northup’s memoir reveals unimaginable details, detailing the slave markets and horrors of life on a plantation from the perspective of a man who lived more than thirty years as a free person before being forcibly enslaved.Written in the year after Northup was freed and published in the wake of Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Northup’s story was quickly taken up by abolitionist groups and news organizations as part of the fight against slavery.HarperTorch brings great works of non-fiction and the dramatic arts to life in digital format, upholding the highest standards in ebook production and celebrating reading in all its forms. Look for more titles in the HarperTorch collection to build your digital library.

Once There Was a War

Once There Was a War

Biographies & Memoirs

A Penguin Classic“Age can never dull this kind of writing,” writes the Chicago Tribune of John Steinbeck’s dispatches from World War II, filed for the New York Herald Tribune in 1943, which vividly captured the human side of war. Writing from England in the midst of the London blitz, North Africa, and Italy, Steinbeck focuses on the people as opposed to the battles, portraying everyone from the guys in the bomber crew to Bob Hope on his USO tour. He eats and drinks with soldiers behind enemy lines, talks with them, and fights beside them. First published in book form in 1958, these writings, now with a new introduction by Mark Bowden, create an unforgettable portrait of life in wartime that continues to resonate with truth and humanity.

Mark Aurel: Selbstbetrachtungen

Mark Aurel: Selbstbetrachtungen

Biographies & Memoirs

Mark Aurel (121–180 n. Chr.) war der sechzehnte römische Kaiser und einer der mächtigsten, aber auch klügsten Männer seiner Zeit. Seine »Selbstbetrachtungen«, die nie zur Veröffentlichung bestimmt waren, haben sich als unerschöpfliche Quelle der Weisheit und als eines der wichtigsten Werke der stoischen Philosophie erwiesen. In eindrücklicher Sprache verfasst, reichen die Einträge von einzeiligen Aphorismen bis zu Essays, die von Menschenliebe, Besonnenheit, aber auch Melancholie geprägt sind. Diese kommentierte Ausgabe von Robin Waterfield, einem weltbekannten Experten antiker Philosophie, bietet einen neuen Einblick in die Gedankenwelt des Philosophenkaisers des antiken Roms. Sie enthält eine völlig neue Übersetzung seines Klassikers mit ausführlichen Anmerkungen und einer aufschlussreichen Einleitung über Leben und Werk Mark Aurels. Ein Genuss sowohl für Einsteiger als auch für Kenner des Stoizismus.

Melania

Melania

Biographies & Memoirs

Melania is a compelling and inspirational memoir that offers a glimpse into the life of a remarkable woman who has navigated challenges with grace and determination.    In her memoir, Melania reflects on her Slovenian childhood, the pivotal moments that led her to the world of high fashion in Europe and New York, and the serendipitous meeting with Donald Trump, a chance encounter that forever changed the course of her life. Melania opens up about their courtship, life in the spotlight, and experiencing the joy of motherhood. She shares behind-the-scenes stories from her time in the White House, shedding light on her advocacy work and the causes close to her heart.Melania offers an unprecedented look into her time as a First Lady who was born outside the United States -- a role she embraced with honor and dedication. It brings readers into her world and presents an in-depth account of a woman who has led a remarkable life on her own terms. Melania Trump's story is one of resilience and independence, showcasing her strength and unwavering commitment to her true self.