Biographies & Memoirs - Books

Sidney Poitier

Biographies & Memoirs

The speeches of film legend Sidney Poitier—given at commencement addresses, awards shows, memorials, and more, on topics ranging from entertainment history to filmmaking, civil rights, and parenthood—come to vibrant life in this inspirational and stunningly packaged volume from the Poitier estate that sheds new light on the trailblazing artist's life and culture of the past century. Sidney Poitier represented strength, good looks, and above all dignity at a time when Black representation on the screen was so often relegated to servile parts. He broke ground as the top box-office draw in Hollywood at the peak of his career, and was the first Black actor to win the Best Actor Oscar, for his performance in Lillies of the Field (1963). Poitier—who narrowly escaped illiteracy after rising up from an impoverished childhood and the massive obstacles he faced as a Black man in mid-twentieth century America—was also one of the most articulate and sought-after speakers of his day. This book is a one-of-a-kind collection showcasing the wise, witty, and deeply personal speeches Poitier gave at awards ceremonies, family events, memorials, and more. His salutes to artists such as Dorothy Dandridge, Spencer Tracy, Stanley Kramer, and Denzel Washington offer fresh insight on icons of our time. Poitier's unforgettable cadence and voice are clear as day on the page, sometimes with careful edits and additions written in his own hand. Compiled by his wife, Joanna Poitier, and illustrated by dozens of professional and family photos, this collection stunningly captures all that was remarkable about the man through his own words; archives moments in the history of entertainment, culture, and civil rights; and offers a uniquely inspirational perspective on career, family, art, and life.

The Diary of a Young Girl

Biographies & Memoirs

The Diary of a Young Girl, also known as The Diary of Anne Frank, is a book of the writings from the Dutch language diary kept by Anne Frank while she was in hiding for two years with her family during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands. The family was apprehended in 1944, and Anne Frank died of typhus in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in 1945. The diary was retrieved by Miep Gies, who gave it to Anne's father, Otto Frank, the family's only known survivor, just after the war was over. The diary has since been published in more than 60 languages.

U siccu

Biographies & Memoirs

È il 30 giugno 1988. Un giovane varca le porte del commissariato di Polizia di Castelvetrano, Trapani. Non è un nome noto alle forze dell'ordine, il suo. Il ragazzo, interrogato come persona informata sui fatti per un omicidio, dichiara di essere un agricoltore e di non avere nulla di rilevante da riferire sulle indagini. È molto magro, in paese lo chiamano u Siccu, lo sguardo è segnato da uno leggero strabismo. Sarà quella la prima e ultima volta in cui Matteo Messina Denaro, oggi il latitante più pericoloso d'Italia, incontra gli uomini in divisa. E parte proprio da quel giorno, e dal verbale inedito di quelle dichiarazioni, la ricostruzione della storia, umana e criminale, dell'ultimo dei corleonesi. Lirio Abbate, giornalista in prima linea nella lotta alla mafia, ricompone in queste pagine il complesso mosaico che restituisce il ritratto di un uomo invisibile da più di trent'anni. Ritroviamo qui il giovane amante del lusso e delle donne, l'affascinante eppure goffo fimminaro delle notti palermitane. Incontriamo il volto spietato del killer, dell'esecutore e del mandante di omicidi eccellenti quanto di esecuzioni per banale gelosia. E, soprattutto, inquadriamo il profilo del boss e dello stratega, del mafioso che ha avvallato e curato la scelta stragista di Cosa nostra negli anni Novanta, quando le bombe hanno imbrattato di sangue la Sicilia e l'Italia intera. E poi c'è Matteo Messina Denaro oggi. Il padre, il latitante imprendibile, l'affarista, come lo chiamava Riina. L'uomo che ha portato alle estreme conseguenze la strategia della sommersione di Bernardo Provenzano, che con gli amici Graviano ha stretto legami indissolubili con la politica, l'imprenditoria e la massoneria non solo siciliana; il boss che, forte dei segreti del capo dei capi e dell'aura leggendaria dell'inafferrabile, siede al vertice delle gerarchie mafiose. Dalla lotta per l'abolizione del carcere duro ai rapporti con imprenditori vicini alla Lega, passando per la rete occulta di complici e fiancheggiatori, Lirio Abbate ci spiega perché la cattura di Matteo Messina Denaro è un passo decisivo per sconfiggere Cosa nostra. Non ha mai fatto un giorno di carcere, u Siccu. E dietro le sbarre del 41 bis, come temono gli altri boss, il depositario dei segreti della mafia potrebbe vuotare il sacco.

Buda

Biographies & Memoirs

La experta en historia de las religiones y Premio Princesa de Asturias de Ciencias Sociales Karen Armstrong, construye en Buda un retrato profundo y original sobre un icono religioso y, al mismo tiempo, sobre un ser humano.Dueña de una prosa lúcida y rigurosa, Karen Armstrong sigue el recorrido del Buda nacido como Siddharta Gautama, desde la renuncia de su vida privilegiada y de su familia, hasta el descubrimiento de una verdad que creyó que transformaría al ser humano, incapaz de vivir en paz en medio de una existencia llena de sufrimientos.Reseña: «Karen Armstrong sobresale por la profundidad de sus análisis históricos, por su inmensa labor bibliográfica e investigadora, así como por su compromiso activo con la difusión de un mensaje ético de compasión, paz y solidaridad.» Acta del jurado del Premio Princesa de Asturias

Un mundo nuevo

Biographies & Memoirs

Desde su llegada en 2014, Mauricio Pochettino ha convertido al Tottenham en un serio aspirante a ganar títulos. En el proceso, se ha consolidado como uno de los mejores entrenadores del mundo. Lo ha logrado con un estilo de juego valiente y agresivo, y nutriéndose de jugadores jóvenes, a los que ha logrado insuflar una inusitada pasión y entrega.Guillem Balagué tuvo un acceso privilegiado a Pochettino y su entorno más directo durante la temporada 2016-2017, y ha logrado componer junto con el entrenador argentino un fascinante relato en primera persona, en forma de diario íntimo, donde Pochettino da rienda suelta no solo a los pormenores de su día a día en Londres, sino también a su debut como jugador en Newell's, como internacional argentino, jugador —y luego entrenador— del R.C.D. Espanyol, y su posterior etapa como mánager, ya en la Premier, del Southampton.

Oriana Fallaci intervista sé stessa. L'apocalisse

Biographies & Memoirs

"Scrivere per libertà e disobbedienza": è il monito che ha sempre guidato Oriana Fallaci e che ha ispirato anche questo libro, terzo e ultimo volume della Trilogia iniziata con La Rabbia e l'Orgoglio (2001) e proseguita con La Forza della Ragione (2004). Completando le sue riflessioni sul declino morale e intellettuale della nostra civiltà, la grande scrittrice costruisce una lunga intervista a sé stessa e la arricchisce con uno straordinario Post-Scriptum che si rifà all'Apocalisse dell'evangelista Giovanni. Con la sua scrittura magistrale, potente, provocatoria, la Fallaci ci offre un'accorata testimonianza della sua vita e del suo pensiero: scrive con la consueta schiettezza di terrorismo islamico e della crisi europea, racconta la sua lotta contro il cancro, rimarca principi etici da difendere senza compromessi, colpisce con durissimi fendenti la pavidità della politica e traccia il ritratto senza sconti di un Occidente rassegnato e indifeso, sempre più prossimo al rischio di andare in frantumi.

Chasing Hope

Biographies & Memoirs

From New York Times columnist, Pulitzer Prize winner, and best-selling author Nicholas D. Kristof, an intimate and gripping memoir about a life in journalism“Nick Kristof takes us behind the scenes as he risks his life to shine a light on the world’s most pressing problems and blaze a trail to a better future. In a time when trust in journalism is in jeopardy, his honesty, humility, and humanity are rays of hope.”—Adam Grant, author of Hidden PotentialSince 1984, Nicholas Kristof has worked almost continuously for The New York Times as a reporter, foreign correspondent, bureau chief, and now columnist, becoming one of the foremost reporters of his generation. Here, he recounts his event-filled path from a small-town farm in Oregon to every corner of the world.Reporting from Hong Kong, Beijing, and Tokyo, while traveling far afield to India, Africa, and Europe, Kristof witnessed and wrote about century-defining events: the Tiananmen Square protests and massacre, the Yemeni civil war, the Darfur genocide in Sudan, and the wave of addiction and despair that swept through his hometown and a broad swath of working-class America. Fully aware that coverage of atrocities generates considerably fewer page views than the coverage of politics, he nevertheless continued to weaponize his pen against regimes and groups violating basic human rights, raising the cost of oppression and torture. Some of the risks he took while doing so make for hair-raising reading.Kristof writes about some of the great members of his profession and introduces us to extraordinary people he has met, such as the dissident whom he helped escape from China and a Catholic nun who browbeat a warlord into releasing schoolgirls he had kidnapped. These are the people, the heroes, who have allowed Kristof to remain optimistic. Side by side with the worst of humanity, you always see the best.This is a candid memoir of vulnerability and courage, humility and purpose, mistakes and learning—a singular tale of the trials, tribulations, and hope to be found in a life dedicated to the pursuit of truth.

Den palæstinensiske dreng der ikke ville dø. Jamil Abu-Kabir

Biographies & Memoirs

Den palæstinensiske dreng der ikke ville dø. Jamil Abu-Kabir er den nutidsdokumentariske historie om manden fra Sabbarin. Han blev født i landsbyen, ingen kan se. Lad os møde manden, der ikke eksisterer. Lad os se ham i landsbyen, ingen kan se. Lad os følge ham til landet uden mennesker. Lad os høre ham fortælle om at miste og genvinde sin eksistens. En menneskeskæbne indlejret i Palæstinas nye historie, der beskrives fra 1800-tallet og op til nu.

Bless

Biographies & Memoirs

The book is about an island girl name Emma ,and her two sisters had lived in the island with their grandparents. Until one day Emma mother who had left the island of Samoa to the United States, to be married leaving behind Emma and her two younger sisters.. years later Reuniting with their mother back in the United States, Emma and her two sisters discover they have a little brother name Jake. Having no knowledge of the English language, Emma and her sisters learn more about their new life. Despite the changes, Emma has been through, she has not given up but feels bless to survive her past.

My Guy Barbaro

Biographies & Memoirs

A new superstar appeared on the American sports landscape in the spring of 2006. Barbaro, a three-year-old racehorse, won the Kentucky Derby by the largest margin of victory in sixty years, stirring talk of a possible Triple Crown. But in the opening yards of the Preakness Stakes two weeks later, the magnificent animal suffered a catastrophic leg injury that ended his un-defeated career and left him fighting for his life.One of the world's top jockeys, Edgar Prado rode Barbaro to glory and then stood beside him for months as the horse valiantly struggled to survive. My Guy Barbaro is the true story of the dream that carried Prado from an impoverished childhood in Lima, Peru, to the winner's circles of the world's greatest racetracks—and is the heartwarming account of his love for a beautiful, talented, irreplaceable teammate.

The Sun & The Moon & The Rolling Stones

Biographies & Memoirs

A gritty, one-of-a-kind backstage account of the world’s greatest touring band, from the opinionated music journalist who was along for the ride as a young reporter for Rolling Stone in the 1990s ONE OF THE TOP FIVE ROCK BIOGRAPHIES OF THE YEAR—SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR—KIRKUS REVIEWS A book inspired by a lifelong appreciation of the music that borders on obsession, Rich Cohen’s fresh and galvanizing narrative history of the Rolling Stones begins with the fateful meeting of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards on a train platform in 1961—and goes on to span decades, with a focus on the golden run—from the albums Beggars Banquet (1968) to Exile on Main Street (1972)—when the Stones were at the height of their powers. Cohen is equally as good on the low points as the highs, and he puts his finger on the moments that not only defined the Stones as gifted musicians schooled in the blues, but as the avatars of so much in our modern culture. In the end, though, after the drugs and the girlfriends and the bitter disputes, there is the music—which will define, once and forever, why the Stones will always matter.Praise for The Sun & The Moon & The Rolling Stones“Fabulous . . . The research is meticulous. . . . Cohen’s own interviews even yield some new Stones lore.”—The Wall Street Journal“[Cohen] can catch the way a record can seem to remake the world [and] how songs make a world you can’t escape.”—Pitchfork “No one can tell this story, wringing new life even from the leathery faces of mummies like the Rolling Stones, like Rich Cohen. . . . The book beautifully details the very meaning of rock ’n’ roll.”—New York Observer “Masterful . . . Hundreds of books have been written about this particular band and [Cohen’s] will rank among the very best of the bunch.”—Chicago Tribune “Cohen, who has shown time and time again he can take any history lesson and make it personal and interesting . . . somehow tells the [Stones’] story in a whole different way. This might be the best music book of 2016.”—Men’s Journal “[Cohen’s] account of the band’s rise from ‘footloose’ kids to ‘old, clean, prosperous’ stars is, like the Stones, irresistible.”—People “You will, as with the best music bios, want to follow along on vinyl.”—The Washington Post “A fresh take on dusty topics like Altamont and the Stones’ relationship with the Beatles . . . Cohen takes pilgrimages to places like Nellcôte, the French mansion where the Stones made Exile on Main Street, and recounts fascinating moments from his time on tour.”—Rolling Stone “On the short list of worthwhile books about the Stones . . . The book is stuffed with insights.”—San Francisco Chronicle

Lettres de Madame de Sévigné: Précédées d'une Notice sur sa Vie et du Traité sur Le Style Épistolaire de Madame de Sévigné

Biographies & Memoirs

Sévigné (Marie de Rabutin-Chantal, marquise de), naquit en 1626, en Bourgogne, au château de Bourbilly, de Celse-Bénigne de Rabutin, baron de Chantal, et de Marie de Coulanges, fille de Philippe de Coulanges, conseiller d'État. La première de ces deux familles était d'une noblesse bien plus ancienne que la seconde: d'après une charte retrouvée par Bussy, l'origine des Rabutins remontait au XIe siècle. Marie de Rabutin était encore au berceau lorsqu'elle perdit son père; le baron de Chantal fut tué en 1627, en combattant sous les ordres du marquis de Toiras, pour repousser les Anglais de l'île de Ré. Sa veuve ne lui survécut que cinq ans. Restée orpheline à l'âge de six ans, Marie de Rabutin fut placée sous la tutèle de son aïeul maternel jusqu'à l'année 1636, où elle le perdit. Elle demeura depuis sous la surveillance de l'abbé de Coulanges, son oncle. C'est lui qu'elle désigne dans ses lettres sous le nom de Bien bon, et pour lequel elle témoigne si souvent, avec cet accent de sensibilité qui lui appartient, une reconnaissance toute filiale. Son enfance et sa jeunesse furent entourées, en effet, de soins tout paternels. Rien ne fut négligé pour qu'elle reçût autant d'instruction qu'il était permis alors aux femmes d'en avoir: et on leur permettait, on leur demandait même d'en avoir beaucoup. Ménage, qu'on lui donna pour précepteur, lui apprit le latin, l'italien, l'espagnol; le savant Chapelain contribua aussi à l'instruire. Aux sérieuses leçons de ces deux maîtres succédèrent celles d'une cour élégante et polie, qui commençait à servir de modèle à l'Europe pour la grâce des manières et la délicatesse de l'esprit. C'était la cour d'Anne d'Autriche, où elle passa les plus belles années de sa jeunesse.

Narrative Of Sojourner Truth

Biographies & Memoirs

Hailed as an inspiring memoir during a time of slavery, The Narrative of Sojourner Truth is not just about the emancipation of an African American woman, but also the strength of her faith. Truth provides the narrative of her life, from her early years as a slave to her liberation and life as a freed woman. A staunch activist, Truth also gives her readers insight on gender equality issues faced by women of her time and discusses the abolitionist movement.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.

Voyage en Amérique

Biographies & Memoirs

1791 : Chateaubriand a vingt-trois ans. Désœuvré et préoccupé par la situation politique révolutionnaire, il quitte la France à destination de l’Amérique : son voyage durera huit mois. Là, au-delà de villes encore en devenir, il découvre, fasciné, la nature sauvage américaine : les chutes du Niagara, les grands lacs, le Mississipi et les Indiens qui peuplent ces contrées… La nature démesurée du Nouveau Monde comble son désir de liberté et lui fournit l’inspiration grandiose qui nourrira toute son œuvre. Plus de trente ans après, se présentant comme 'le dernier historien des peuples de la terre de Colomb', il rédige son Voyage en Amérique par le prisme de ses souvenirs et de ses lectures. Tout ce qu’il n’a pas vu, il le réinvente. La nostalgie d’une grandeur passée – celle de la Nouvelle-France, l’empire colonial français désormais perdu – se mue sous sa plume en un éloge du Nouveau Monde, ce continent où 'le genre humain recommence'. Chateaubriand nous le rappelle : la littérature demeure le conservatoire des mondes évanouis.

Muhammad Ali Unfiltered

Biographies & Memoirs

The fighter, the activist, the man, the icon. An officially authorized collection, Muhammad Ali Unfiltered is Jeter Publishing’s intimate look at one of the most inspiring figures of our age. Celebrate the life of Muhammad Ali in these 200-plus pages of images, quotes, and tributes to the Greatest of All Time.Millions of words have been said about Muhammad Ali—at least half of those by the fighter himself. Brought to the world stage through boxing, he transcended the sport with his quick feet, quick fists, and even quicker mouth. Not content to be idolized as a celebrity, he reached out to encounter the world as it was, always striving to make it a better place for everyone.A foreword and a eulogy by the legend’s widow, Lonnie Ali, sit alongside Muhammad Ali’s wit, wisdom, and inimitably photogenic self to paint a rounded portrait of a man who strove to get the most out of life and live well. Including his extemporaneous “Getting Ready to Meet God” speech and featuring more than 200 rare and iconic photos, many rare or exclusive, Muhammad Ali Unfiltered brings you the Greatest of All Time like you’ve never seen him before.Boxer. Believer. Father. Husband. Legend. Muhammad Ali proved that one person can change the world.

Die Meister der deutschen Lyrik: Goethe und Schiller

Biographies & Memoirs

Die Anthologie 'Die Meister der deutschen Lyrik: Goethe und Schiller' bietet eine tiefgründige Erkundung der Werke zweier prominenter Figuren des deutschen Literaturkanons, eingebettet in die reiche Tradition der deutschen Lyrik. Diese Sammlung durchläuft eine facettenreiche Reise durch den Sturm und Drang, die Weimarer Klassik und Romantik, indem sie die stilistische Bandbreite und die künstlerische Tiefe der in ihr enthaltenen Gedichte präsentiert. Besondere Beachtung finden klassische Stücke, die die Vernetzung persönlicher und universeller Themen aufzeigen und so die zeitlose Relevanz der Meisterdichter beleuchten. Die versammelten Autoren und Herausgeber, darunter Friedrich Gundolf und Otto Harnack, repräsentieren nicht nur exzellente Literaturkritik, sondern evozieren auch die kulturellen und historischen Strömungen ihrer Zeit. Diese Anthologie spiegelt den Drang wider, die literarische Tradition der deutschen Klassik zu ehren und zugleich zu erneuern, wobei sie ein Kaleidoskop von Perspektiven und Interpretationen zusammenführt. Durch ihre kollektive Arbeit eröffnen die Autoren dem Leser ein erweitertes Verständnis der kulturellen und emotionalen Resonanz, die Goethe und Schiller in der Literaturgeschichte prägten. Als Leser dieser Anthologie wird man eingeladen, die Essenz deutscher lyrischer Meisterwerke zu erforschen, die sowohl lehrreich als auch inspirierend sind. Der Band bietet die einmalige Gelegenheit, in die vielschichtige Komplexität und Tiefe einzutauchen, die aus der Symbiose unterschiedlichster Autorenstimmen entsteht. Diese Sammlung ist somit nicht nur eine Hommage an die Vielgestaltigkeit deutscher Dichtung, sondern fördert auch einen intertextuellen Dialog, der das historische und kulturelle Verständnis des Lesers bereichert.

Totally Wired

Biographies & Memoirs

"The Social Network meets Hammer of the Gods" in this story of a 1990s web titan who made a fortune and lost it all—and what happened afterward (The Independent). One day in February 2001, Josh Harris woke to certain knowledge that he was about to lose everything. The man Time magazine called "The Warhol of the Web" was reduced to a helpless spectator as his fortune dwindled from 85 million dollars to nothing, all in the space of a week. Harris had been a maverick genius preternaturally adapted to the new online world. He founded New York's first dotcom, Pseudo.com, and paved the way for a cadre of twentysomethings to follow, riding a wave of tech euphoria to unimagined wealth and fame for five years—before the great dotcom crash, in which Web 1.0 was wiped from the face of the earth. Long before then, though, Harris's view of the web had darkened, and he began a series of lurid social experiments aimed at illustrating his worst fear: that the internet would soon alter the very fabric of society—cognitive, social, political, and otherwise. In Totally Wired, journalist Andrew Smith seeks to unravel the opaque and mysterious episodes of the early dotcom craze, in which the seeds of our current reality were sown. Drawing on in-depth interviews with Harris and those who worked alongside him in downtown Manhattan's "Silicon Alley," the tale moves from a compound in Ethiopia through New York, San Francisco, Las Vegas, London, and Salt Lake City, Utah; from the dawn of the web to the present, taking in the rise of alternative facts, troll society, and the unexpected origins of the net itself, as our world has grown uncannily to resemble the one Harris predicted—and urged us to evade. "Raucous, whimsical, sad and very funny…a fascinating account of what could have been, what briefly was, what almost lasted." ―TheWall Street Journal "Told with verve and style…A valuable history." ―Kirkus Reviews "A brilliant exploration of madness and genius in the early days of the web."―The Guardian "Dark and compelling."―Daily Mail "This is a book whose time has come."―Sunday Times

Teammate

Biographies & Memoirs

Packed with "compelling inside stories" (Chicago Tribune), Teammate is the inspiring memoir from "Grandpa Rossy," the veteran catcher who became the heart and soul of the 2016 Chicago Cubs championship team and was named manager in 2019. In 2016 the Cubs snapped a 108-year curse, winning the World Series in a history-making, seven-game series against the Cleveland Indians. Of the many storylines to Chicago's fairytale season, one stood out: the late-career renaissance of David Ross, the 39-year-old catcher who had played back-up for 13 of his 15 pro seasons. Beyond Ross's remarkably strong play, he became the ultimate positive force in the Cubs locker room, mentoring and motivating his fellow players, some of them nearly twenty years his junior. Thanks to Cubs Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo, "Grandpa Rossy" became a social media sensation. No one, however, could have predicted that Ross's home run in his final career at bat would help seal the Cubs championship. Now, in Teammate, Ross shares the inspiring story of his life in baseball, framed by the events of that unforgettable November night.

Fear and Loathing in America

Biographies & Memoirs

From the king of “Gonzo” journalism and bestselling author who brought you Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas comes another astonishing volume of letters by Hunter S. Thompson.Brazen, incisive, and outrageous as ever, this second volume of Thompson’s private correspondence is the highly anticipated follow-up to The Proud Highway. When that first book of letters appeared in 1997, Time pronounced it "deliriously entertaining"; Rolling Stone called it "brilliant beyond description"; and The New York Times celebrated its "wicked humor and bracing political conviction." Spanning the years between 1968 and 1976, these never-before-published letters show Thompson building his legend: running for sheriff in Aspen, Colorado; creating the seminal road book Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas; twisting political reporting to new heights for Rolling Stone; and making sense of it all in the landmark Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72. To read Thompson's dispatches from these years—addressed to the author's friends, enemies, editors, and creditors, and such notables as Jimmy Carter, Tom Wolfe, and Kurt Vonnegut—is to read a raw, revolutionary eyewitness account of one of the most exciting and pivotal eras in American history.

Ma guerre de cent ans

Biographies & Memoirs

Mon fusil à moi tire dans des livres dont les éclats ne sont que rires ou tendresse au chevet de la vie. Dans ce récit atypique et touchant, le créateur du prince de Motordu se confie. Pef passe en revue les guerres qui ont traversé sa famille au siècle dernier. Antimilitariste convaincu et humoriste militant, il mène tambour battant son combat pacifiste dans ses ouvrages et les écoles du monde entier.

Biographies & Memoirs Books