Biographies & Memoirs - Books

Die Geschichte meines Lebens

Biographies & Memoirs

In diesem offenen, ungezwungenen Gespräch erzählt der legendäre amerikanische Psychologe Philip Zimbardo von seinem Leben und seiner Karriere: von der Kindheit in der Bronx, seinem Studium in Yale, der Freundschaft mit Stanley Milgram und seiner Berufung an die psychologische Fakultät von Standford bis zu seiner Forschungsarbeit und seinem Beitrag auf dem Gebiet der Psychologie und zu den angrenzenden Wissenschaften, ebenso wie von seinem politischen Engagement, der Begegnung mit Malcolm X und einem in Psychology Today erschienenen Artikel über die geistige Gesundheit Donald Trumps. Das Ergebnis ist eine reiche Sammlung von bewegenden Geschichten und aufschlussreichen Reflexionen über seine Laufbahn und sein intellektuelles Erbe. Das von Daniel Hartwig geführte Interview entstand im Rahmen des Oral History-Programms der Standford Historical Society in Zusammenarbeit mit dem Archiv der Stanford University.

70 Civil War Memoirs of Union Soldiers

Biographies & Memoirs

70 Civil War Memoirs of Union Soldiers is a compelling anthology that captures the diverse experiences and voices of those who served in the Union Army. The collection encapsulates a wide range of literary styles, from the stark and harrowing narratives of battlefield confrontations to deeply reflective accounts of the personal and collective struggles of war. Intimately tied to the historical context of the Civil War, the anthology provides a panoramic view of the conflict, underscoring the complexities and variegated human experiences of the soldiers. Whether through the strategic insights of military leaders or the heartfelt recollections of common foot soldiers, each memoir offers a unique perspective on this pivotal chapter in American history. The contributors to this anthology come from varied backgrounds, including prominent generals, dedicated front-line soldiers, and insightful chroniclers. Figures such as Ulysses S. Grant, William Tecumseh Sherman, and John D. Billings, among others, lend their voices to this collection, each contributing a unique facet to the overarching theme of the Union war effort. The inclusion of perspectives from not only career soldiers but also volunteers and noncombatant participants enriches the narrative, offering a comprehensive insight into the era. Readers are invited to engage with 70 Civil War Memoirs of Union Soldiers as an essential resource that bridges the gap between past and present, private memory and public history. This anthology is an invaluable opportunity for anyone seeking to broaden their understanding of the Civil War through a confluence of diverse voices and literary styles. Scholars, historians, and general readers alike will find both educational value and profound human insights within its pages, fostering a deeper appreciation of the multifaceted experiences of the Union soldiers.

Churchill e il ministero della guerra sporca

Biographies & Memoirs

Primavera 1939: a Londra viene fondata un'organizzazione top secret con lo scopo di distruggere la macchina da guerra di Hitler attraverso spettacolari atti di sabotaggio. La serie di azioni che segue si dimostra tanto straordinaria quanto i sei personaggi che la portano avanti. Il War Office li ha scelti per il loro modo anticonvenzionale, sfrenatamente fantasioso, di operare, e perché sono tutto fuorché gentiluomini. Winston Churchill li chiama i suoi «ministri della guerra sporca»: aiutati anche da un gruppo di donne formidabili, con le loro imprese audaci riescono a cambiare il corso del conflitto. Questo libro, frutto di ricerche su documenti finora sconosciuti, ricostruisce con verve narrativa e numerosi dettagli la loro epopea, l'ultima storia mai raccontata della Seconda guerra mondiale.

Sapore Aspro d'Amore

Biographies & Memoirs

Un libro composito sulle toccanti e angosciose vicende esistenziali di Antonella Flati, dalla primissima infanzia a oggi. È costituito da una conversazione avuta con Lucilio Santoni, che l’ha commentata con preziose riflessioni letterarie e dalla trascrizione di un racconto, fatto da Antonella, tramite facebook alla giornalista Mirella Fanunza. Sia la conversazione che il racconto toccano i nodi principali della travagliata vita di Antonella. L’abbandono che è stata costretta a subire all’età di un anno e mezzo. La dura vita in collegio. Le adozioni forzate e rifiutate. Una maternità prematura che la riporta nel collegio per ragazze madri. Le difficoltà incontrate nella volontà di “ritrovare” la sua famiglia al posto di quelle avute dai tribunali per affidamento e mai accondiscese. La separazione dai fratelli. Le storie di amori sbagliati. I figli nati da unioni sfortunate e cresciuti in prima persona con lodevole dignità. La riconciliazione con i genitori. Fino al più recente matrimonio, anch’esso finito, con una sua vecchia amica d’infanzia, nel frattempo diventata uomo, con la quale aveva vissuto in collegio per un periodo, quando era bambina. Una situazione unica in Italia, tant'è vero che a suo tempo la notizia riempì le pagine dei giornali suscitando, da una parte, un comprensibile scalpore, dall'altra una profonda riflessione sulla situazione delle unioni "non ortodosse" in Italia. Dibattito che ancora adesso stenta a svilupparsi, assorbiti come siamo dalla radicata tradizione cattolico-ecclesiastica. Senza dubbio un’esperienza esistenziale segnante, che ha investito i lati più profondi e privati della personalità di Antonella, dalla quale ancora una volta ne è uscita responsabilmente. La conversazione guarda i fatti accaduti con spirito critico, ragionando all’infinito sulle cause, i motivi, le scelte. Un approfondimento, fatto soprattutto di domande con poche risposte, che si potrebbe definire poetico, e quindi universale, sulla vicenda esistenziale della protagonista. Per esempio, vi trovano largo spazio la musica e, soprattutto, le parole della musica attraverso le quali Antonella si racconta e che hanno costituito parte essenziale della sua vita interiore. Il racconto, invece, costituisce una puntuale narrazione degli accadimenti maggiori e minori della vita di Antonella, compresi a volte i particolari più intimi. Una messa a nudo dei sentimenti, ma anche un atto d’accusa verso la società che non sa tutelare i minori e non solo i minori.

Playing with Myself

Biographies & Memoirs

Instant New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestseller! An intimate and light-hearted memoir by viral sensation and three-time Emmy-nominated musical comedian Randy Rainbow that takes readers through his life—the highs, the lows, the lipstick, the pink glasses, and the show tunes.Randy Rainbow, the man who conquered the Internet with a stylish pair of pink glasses, an inexhaustible knowledge of Broadway musicals, and the most gimlet-eyed view of American politics this side of Mark Twain finally tells all in Playing with Myself, a memoir sure to cause more than a few readers to begin singing one of his greatest hits like “A Spoonful of Clorox” or “Cover Your Freakin’ Face.” As Randy has said, “There’s so much fake news out there about me. I can’t wait to set the record straight and finally give people a peek behind the green screen.” And set the record straight he does. Playing with Myself is a first-hand account of the journey that led Randy Rainbow from his childhood as the over-imaginative, often misunderstood little boy who carried a purse in the second grade to his first job on Broadway as the host at Hooters and on to the creation of his trademark comedy character. In chapters titled “Pajama Bottoms” (a look back at the days when he wore pajama bottoms on his head to pretend he was Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz), “Yes, It’s My Real Name, Shut Up!” (no explanation necessary...) and “Pink Glasses” (a rose-colored homage to his favorite accessory), Playing with Myself is a memoir that answers the question “Can an introverted musical theatre nerd with a MacBook and a dream save the world, one show tune at a time?”

Les Enfants d'Izieu. Suivi du témoignage de Sabine Zlatin

Biographies & Memoirs

Le 6 avril 1944, à Izieu (Ain), quarante-quatre enfants et sept adultes, tous juifs, furent arrêtés par les hommes de la Gestapo et des soldats allemands sur un ordre de Klaus Barbie. La plupart de ces jeunes avaient précédemment souffert dans les camps imposés par le régime de Vichy, en zone libre. Déportés, les quarante-quatre enfants furent gazés et brûlés à Auschwitz. Parmi les adultes seule l'éducatrice, Léa Felblum, survécut. Avec des mots surgis du fond de la douleur, Rolande Causse écrit ce qu'on n'a pas le droit d'oublier : mots d'ombre et de révolte, extirpés de la trappe de l'Histoire, grande amnésique, machine à broyer l'horreur, à gommer la honte. Phrases sans fin, sans point, litanie de pleurs, pour dire la mémoire des quarante-quatre enfants juifs qui vivaient cachés à Izieu et que les nazis sont venus chercher un matin de printemps 1944... Ce livre comprend le long poème des enfants d'Izieu, le livre d'opéra dont la musique est composée par Nguyen-Thien-Dao ainsi qu'un témoignage de Sabine Zlatin, fondatrice de la maison d'Izieu.

My Life Revealed (ediz. UK)

Biographies & Memoirs

In a direct and spontaneous dialogue, the legendary American psychologist Philip Zimbardo talks about his life and career: his childhood in the Bronx, his university education at Yale, his friendship with Stanley Milgram, his appointment to the Stanford psychology faculty, his research, and his contributions in the psychological field and in the academic context, as well as his involvement in political activism, from meeting Malcolm X to writing an article on President Donald Trump’s mental health, published in Psychology Today.The resulting memoir is a rich collection of moving stories and insightful reflections on his career and his intellectual legacy.The text - edited by Daniel Hartwig - is in interview form and is part of the Stanford Historical Society's Oral History Program in collaboration with the Stanford University Archives.

Unforgettable Last Words

Biographies & Memoirs

Unforgettable Last Words explores the final pronouncements of historical figures, offering a unique lens through which to examine their lives, beliefs, and the human condition. It delves into the historical context and psychological factors that shaped these final statements, revealing insights into both the individuals and the societies they inhabited. Did you know that some last words were profound philosophical reflections, while others were surprisingly mundane? This book emphasizes the enduring power of these final remarks, showcasing how they often encapsulate a life's work or reflect deeply held convictions. The book uniquely analyzes last words as integral elements of a person's life story and cultural context, moving beyond simple recitation to offer insightful interpretations. It progresses through the chapters by categorizing last words, examining statements of defiance, words of wisdom or regret, and even bizarre utterances, each offering distinct perspectives on mortality and legacy. By drawing from historical documents, biographies, and eyewitness accounts, Unforgettable Last Words provides a comprehensive overview, inviting readers to reflect on their own lives and the enduring impact of words.

Custer

Biographies & Memoirs

This lavishly illustrated volume reassesses and celebrates the life and legacy of the West’s most legendary figure, George Armstrong Custer, from “one of America’s great storytellers” (The Wall Street Journal).On June 25, 1876, General George Armstrong Custer and his 7th Cavalry attacked a large Lakota Cheyenne village on the Little Bighorn River in Montana Territory. He lost not only the battle but his life—and the lives of his entire cavalry. “Custer’s Last Stand” was a spectacular defeat that shocked the country and grew quickly into a legend that has reverberated in our national consciousness to this day. In this lavishly illustrated volume, Larry McMurtry, the greatest chronicler of the American West, tackles for the first time the “Boy General” and his rightful place in history. Custer is an expansive, agile, and clear-eyed reassessment of the iconic general’s life and legacy—how the legend was born, the ways in which it evolved, what it has meant—told against the broad sweep of the American narrative. It is a magisterial portrait of a complicated, misunderstood man that not only irrevocably changes our long-standing conversation about Custer, but once again redefines our understanding of the American West.

St. Francis of Assisi

Biographies & Memoirs

A comprehensive guide to the life and legends of the 12th/13th Century Catholic patron saint and founder of the Order of Friars Minor (the Franciscan Friars), Saint Francis of Assisi.

Zelda Fitzgerald

Biographies & Memoirs

Zelda Fitzgerald, along with her husband F. Scott Fitzgerald, is remembered above all else as a personification of the style and glamour of the roaring twenties - an age of carefree affluence such as the world has not seen since. But along with the wealth and parties came a troubled mind, at a time when a woman exploiting her freedom of expression was likely to attract accusations of insanity. After 1934 Zelda spent most of her life in a mental institution; outliving her husband by few years, she died in a fire as she was awaiting electroconvulsive therapy in a sanatorium. Zelda's story has often been told by detractors, who would cast her as a parasite in the marriage - most famously, Ernest Hemingway accused her of taking pleasure in blunting her husband's genius; when she wrote her autobiographical novel, Fitzgerald himself complained she had used his material. But was this fair, when Fitzgerald's novels were based on their life together? Sally Cline's biography, first published in 2003, makes use of letters, journals, and doctor's records to detail the development of their marriage, and to show the collusion between husband and doctors in a misdirected attempt to 'cure' Zelda's illness. Their prescription - no dancing, no painting, and above all, no writing - left her creative urges with no outlet, and was bound to make matters worse for a woman who thrived on the expression of allure and wealth.

Protest

Biographies & Memoirs

Sie war Teil der IAA-Blockade in München und der spektakulären Barberini-Aktion in Potsdam, ihr juristisches Wissen setzt sie dazu ein, die Rechtshilfe für andere Aktivistinnen und Aktivisten aufzubauen. Dann wird Mirjam Herrmann selbst verurteilt, und beschließt, ihre Ersatzfreiheitsstrafe zu nutzen, um weitere Erfahrungen zu sammeln und Wissen weitergeben zu können: Wie fühlt es sich an, für die eigenen politischen Überzeugungen in den Knast zu gehen? Welche Formen von Solidarität lassen sich in der Haft erlernen? Und gibt es überhaupt noch einen anderen Umgang mit den Bedrohungen der sich entfaltenden Klimakrise, als im Hier und Jetzt ein anderes, ein verbundenes, ein unbedingtes Leben zu leben? Als Angeklagte im Verfahren wegen Bildung einer kriminellen Vereinigung ist Mirjam Herrmann Betroffene eines gefährlichen Präzedenzfalles in Zeiten, in denen Natur und Menschenrechte gleichermaßen bedroht sind. Warum sie trotzdem immer wieder die Entscheidung trifft, Widerstand zu leisten, erzählt sie in einem Essay, der die Frage nach Natur noch einmal ganz anders stellt: Sie ist unser aller Lebensraum, den es zu verteidigen, aber auch zu nähren gilt.

1917

Biographies & Memoirs

In this dual biography, New York Times bestselling author Arthur Herman brilliantly reveals how Lenin and Wilson rewrote the rules of modern geopolitics. In April 1917, Woodrow Wilson—champion of American democracy but also of segregation, advocate for free trade and a new world order based on freedom and justice—thrust the United States into the First World War in order to make the “world safe for democracy”—only to see his dreams for a liberal international system dissolve into chaos, bloodshed, and betrayal. That October, Vladimir Lenin—communist revolutionary and advocate for class war and “dictatorship of the proletariat”—would overthrow Russia’s earlier democratic revolution that had toppled the powerful czar, all in the name of liberating humanity—and instead would set up the most repressive totalitarian regime in history, the Soviet Union. Prior to and through the end of World War I, countries marched into war only to advance or protect their national interests. After World War I, countries began going to war over ideas. Together Lenin and Wilson unleashed the disruptive ideologies that would sweep the globe, from nationalism and globalism to Communism and terrorism, and that continue to shape our world today. Our new world disorder is the legacy left by Wilson and Lenin, and their visions of the perfectibility of man. More than a century later, we still sit on the powder keg they first set the detonator to, through war and revolution.“Deeply researched and engagingly written, this is a gripping account of great battles won and lost, of a triumphant war followed by a failed peace, and of clashing ideologies that shaped a century.” —Robert Kagan

So Bright and Delicate

Biographies & Memoirs

Published to coincide with the release of the film Bright Star, written and directed by Oscar Winner Jane Campion (The Piano, In the Cut), starring Abbie Cornish (Elizabeth: The Golden Age) and Ben Whishaw (Brideshead Revisited, Perfume)John Keats died aged just twenty-five. He left behind some of the most exquisite and moving verse and love letters ever written, inspired by his great love for Fanny Brawne. Although they knew each other for just a few short years and spent a great deal of that time apart - separated by Keats' worsening illness, which forced a move abroad - Keats wrote again and again about and to his love, right until his very last poem, called simply 'To Fanny'. She, in turn, would wear the ring he had given her until her death. So Bright and Delicate is the passionate, heartrending story of this tragic affair, told through the private notes and public art of a great poet.

Born to be Mild

Biographies & Memoirs

'If you're looking to ease yourself back into normality after lockdown, Born to be Mild should be top of your reading list' Mail OnlineA funny, life-affirming memoir from the creator of social media empire Very British Problems, about how to start again when everything's gone wrong.By the time Rob Temple hit his thirties, he had become so afraid of the world that he couldn't leave the house. Depressed and anxious, he found himself drifting deeper into solitude.So Rob decided to make a plan - to embark on fifty 'mild' adventures, to be a little less Pooh Bear and a little more Bear Grylls. On a gentle journey that takes him beekeeping, bowling, and to a service station just off the M25, Rob starts to settle on a better balance - and soon discovers the joys of a life well lived.In this raw and honest memoir, Rob shares his year of gentle adventure and the lessons learnt along the way. Quiet and comforting, with a generous helping of British humour, Born to be Mild is a guide to living life unencumbered by mental illness, and a reminder to slow down and embrace your mild side.

How to Think Like Obama

Biographies & Memoirs

Be inspired by Barack Obama and learn how to think big with this unique insight into the mind of one of the world’s great influencers. Born to a black Kenyan father and white American mother, raised in Hawaii and, for a time, Indonesia, Barack Obama would typically never have been tipped for a future president of the United States, such was the world he was born into. But the path towards greatness and the choices he made along the way can be understood by an attitude that saw him take on any challenge – indeed, ‘Yes We Can’ became the all-inclusive slogan for his presidential candidacy. Riding a wave of positivity and hope for the future that swept him all the way to the Oval Office, Obama aimed to define his presidency as one that would provide opportunities for the many, not the few. With the price of change being gritty negotiation and compromise, Obama evolved the skills of a twenty-first century president which belied his relative inexperience to achieve the America that, as a young man, he had dreamed of. How to Think Like Obama reveals the motivations, inspirations and philosophies behind a man who broke the mould to challenge the status quo. With his thoughts on leadership, innovation, overcoming obstacles and fighting inequality, and with quotes by and about him, with this book you too can learn to think like Barack Obama.

Tupac Shakur

Biographies & Memoirs

The authorized biography of the legendary artist, Tupac Shakur, a “touching, empathetic portrait” (The New York Times) of his life and powerful legacy, fully illustrated with photos, mementos, handwritten poetry, musings, and moreArtist, poet, actor, revolutionary, legendTupac Shakur is one of the greatest and most controversial artists of all time. More than a quarter of a century after his tragic death in 1996 at the age of just twenty-five, he continues to be one of the most misunderstood, complicated, and influential figures in modern history. Drawing on exclusive access to Tupac’s private notebooks, letters, and uncensored conversations with those who loved and knew him best, this estate-authorized biography paints the fullest and most intimate picture to date of the young man who became a legend for generations to come.In Tupac Shakur, author and screenwriter Staci Robinson—who knew Tupac from their shared circle of high school friends in Marin City, California, and who was entrusted by his mother, Afeni Shakur, to share his story—unravels the myths and unpacks the complexities that have shadowed Tupac’s existence. Decades in the making, this book pulls back the curtain to reveal a powerful story of a life defined by politics and art—a man driven by equal parts brilliance and impulsiveness, steeped in the rich intellectual tradition of Black empowerment, and unafraid to utter raw truths about race in America.It is a story of a mother and son bound together by a love for each other and for their people, and the relationship that endured through their darkest times. It is a political story that begins in the whirlwind of the 1960s civil rights movement and unfolds through a young artist’s awakening to rage and purpose in the ’90s era of Rodney King. It is a story of dizzying success and its devastating consequences. And, of course, it is the story of Tupac’s music, his timeless, undying message as it continues to touch and inspire us today.

Ploughshares Fall 2012 Guest-Edited by Patricia Hampl

Biographies & Memoirs

The Fall 2012 issue of Ploughshares, guest-edited by Patricia Hampl. Ploughshares, a journal of new writing, is guest-edited serially by prominent writers who explore different and personal visions, aesthetics, and literary circles. Award-winning memoirist and author Patricia Hampl (The Florist's Daughter, I Could Tell You Stories) compiles this all-essay issue of Ploughshares. Showcasing the diversity and range of nonfiction in English, the issue contains family memoir (“My Mother’s Story,” by Xu Xi), travel writing (“What the Desert Said,” by Kimberly Meyer), a graphic essay by the cartoonist L. K. Hanson (from “The Story of My Hand”), and everything from science writing to reflections on faith. Featuring acclaimed authors like Phillip Lopate, Charles Baxter, and Dani Shapiro, the issue also contains Hampl’s thoughts on the art of nonfiction and the American love for the first person voice.

Johan Cruyff 14

Biographies & Memoirs

O legendário Johan Cruyff foi um dos maiores jogadores da história do futebol. Sinônimo de "futebol total", personificou uma filosofia de jogo que até hoje seduz os maiores clubes do mundo. Esta autobiografia conta a história de sua extraordinária carreira, partindo do futebol jogado nas ruas de Amsterdã e de sua chegada ao Ajax, com 10 anos. No time de sua cidade, viria a conquistar oito ligas nacionais e três Copas dos Campeões da Europa. Ganhou a primeira Bola de Ouro aos 24 anos, em 1971, e dois anos depois, em 1973, foi vendido ao Barcelona por valor recorde. Conduziu o clube catalão a seu primeiro título de liga desde 1960 e, logo em seguida, comandou a seleção holandesa até a final da Copa do Mundo de 1974. Após deixar os campos em 1984, Cruyff virou também um técnico de grande sucesso, tanto no Ajax quanto no Barcelona — que, aliás, venceu a Copa dos Campeões da Europa pela primeira vez sob o seu comando com o jovem Pep Guardiola no time. Sua duradoura influência, no entanto, não é efeito dos troféus levantados, mas do estilo de jogo que aperfeiçoou e aplicou às equipes que treinou. Sua visão de futebol transformou o modo como o esporte é jogado, dotando-o da fascinante fluidez que se tornou a principal marca dos times mais admirados do planeta. Em março de 2016, a morte de Cruyff , depois de uma breve batalha contra o câncer, chocou e entristeceu o mundo do futebol. Este livro é o seu legado, o trabalho final de um professor brilhante, um grande pensador do jogo.

The Earth Is Enough

Biographies & Memoirs

In this touching memoir of his boyhood on a farm in the Ozark foothills, Harry Middleton joins the front rank of nature writers alongside Edward Hoagland and Annie Dillard. It is the year 1965, a year rife with change in the world---and in the life of a boy whose tragic loss of innocence leads him to the healing landscape of the Ozarks. Haunted by indescribable longing, twelve-year-old Harry is turned over to two enigmatic guardians, men as old as the hills they farm and as elusive and beautiful as the trout they fish for---with religious devotion. Seeking strength and purpose from life, Harry learns from his uncle, grandfather, and their crazy Sioux neighbor, Elias Wonder, that the pulse of life beats from within the deep constancy of the earth, and from one’s devotion to it. Amidst the rhythm of an ancient cadence, Harry discovers his home: a farm, a mountain stream, and the eye of a trout rising.

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