Biographies & Memoirs Books

Himmler's Cook

Himmler's Cook

Biographies & Memoirs

A gloriously rich and blackly funny French bestseller about Rose, a 105-year-old chef who has experienced life at its fullest. . . and at its most deadly. Rose has endured more than her fair share of hardships: the Armenian genocide, the Nazi regime, and the delirium of Maoism. Yet somehow, despite all the suffering, Rose never loses her joie de vivre. As she looks back over her long life—one of survival and, sometimes, one of retribution—she recalls those unique experiences that added such spice to her life, whether it was being a confidante to Hitler, a friend to Simone de Beauvoir or cooking for Heinrich Himmler.

The JFK Conspiracy

The JFK Conspiracy

Biographies & Memoirs

From the New York Times bestselling authors of The Nazi Conspiracy and The Lincoln Conspiracy comes a true, little-known story about the first assassination attempt on John F. Kennedy, right before his inauguration.Kennedy, the thirty-fifth president of the United States, is often ranked among Americans’ most well-liked presidents. Yet what most Americans don’t know is that JFK’s historic presidency almost ended before it began—at the hands of a disgruntled sociopathic loner armed with dynamite.On December 11, 1960, shortly after Kennedy’s election and before his inauguration, a retired postal worker named Richard Pavlick waited in his car—a parked Buick—on a quiet street in Palm Beach, Florida. Pavlick knew the president-elect’s schedule. He knew when Kennedy would leave his house. He knew where Kennedy was going. From there, Pavlick had a simple plan—one that could’ve changed the course of history.Written in the gripping, page-turning style that is the hallmark of Brad Meltzer and Josh Mensch’s bestselling series, this is a slice of history vividly brought to life. Meltzer and Mensch are at the top of their game with this brilliant exploration of what could’ve been for one of the most compelling leaders of the 20th century.

Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant

Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant

Biographies & Memoirs

The second volume of Ulysses S. Grant's autobiography contains detailed recollections of the later stages of the U.S. Civil War, including Grant's assumption of command and General Lee's famous declaration of surrender. Volume II begins with Ulysses S. Grant assuming his place as commander of the Chattanooga detachment of the Union Army. Early difficulties with supply lines are detailed, as the military sets about rebuilding railways to ensure the ultimate success of their campaign. Hereafter, we witness Grant's activities as he gradually wore down the Confederate war machine, physically outmaneuvering the opposing army and gradually outmatching them for resources of men, arms and essential supplies.  Grant's immense devotion to his country, and his essential honesty - such as in downplaying the much-discussed final surrender of General Lee at the Appomattox Court House, is demonstrated at the conclusion of this volume. Declining to glorify war, Grant writes meditatively on the loss of life and destruction he beheld in his military roles. To a large extent this autobiography corroborates accounts by Grant's associates that he was a methodical and moral person, able in his work and convinced of the righteous abolition of slavery.  Chiefly, accounts of battle as it was in the nineteenth century characterize this memoir. First and foremost, Ulysses S. Grant was a military man with an intense interest in strategical movements and battle tactics. However, he also frequently recalls the personalities and views of his friends, colleagues and enemies in a manner which enlivens the book's tone. Furthermore, we gain an impression of Grant as a family man, with a profound devotion to his wife and children.  Together with U.S. Grant's own recollections, which are detailed and comprehensive, we find in this edition appendices in the form of original correspondences sent and received regarding the Union and Confederate forces. At the time he authored his memoirs in the mid-1880s, Grant was determined in spite of illness to add to the burgeoning historical narrative as a reliable source. With this autobiography, it is indisputable that he achieves this goal.

George Bernard Shaw

George Bernard Shaw

Biographies & Memoirs

Biographical detail and literary criticism are relevant to Chesterton only insofar as they support his views as to how George Bernard Shaw fits into the world. It's Chesterton holding forth on a variety of topics, and occasionally bringing Shaw into the conversation because that's who he's supposed to be writing about.

The Rainbow Comes and Goes

The Rainbow Comes and Goes

Biographies & Memoirs

#1 New York Times BestsellerA touching and intimate correspondence between Anderson Cooper and his mother, Gloria Vanderbilt, offering timeless wisdom and a revealing glimpse into their livesThe Rainbow Comes and Goes is a charming, intimate and fascinating collection of correspondence between broadcaster and #1 New York Times bestselling author Anderson Cooper and his mother, the celebrated Gloria Vanderbilt.Anderson Cooper’s intensely busy career as a journalist for CNN and CBS’ 60 Minutes affords him little time to spend with his ninety-one year old mother. After she briefly fell ill, he and Gloria began a conversation through e-mail unlike any they had ever had before —a correspondence of surprising honesty and depth in which they discussed their lives, the things that matter to them and what they still want to learn about each other.Both a son’s love letter to his mother in her final years and an unconventional mother’s life lessons for her grown son, The Rainbow Comes and Goes offers a rare window into their close relationship and fascinating lives. In these often hilarious and touching exchanges, they share their most private thoughts and the hard-earned truths they’ve learned along the way. Throughout, their distinctive personalities shine through—Anderson’s darker outlook on the world is a brilliant contrast to his mother’s idealism and unwavering optimism.An appealing blend of memoir and inspirational advice, The Rainbow Comes and Goes is a beautiful and affectionate celebration of the profound and universal bond between a parent and child, and, like Tuesdays with Morrie, a thoughtful reflection on life and love, reminding us of the precious knowledge and insight that remains to be shared, no matter what age we are.

Darkwater: Voices from Within the Veil

Darkwater: Voices from Within the Veil

Biographies & Memoirs

"I venture to write again on themes on which great souls have already said greater words, in the hope that I may strike here and there a half-tone, newer even if slighter, up from the heart of my problem and the problems of my people." William Edward Burghardt "W. E. B." Du Bois (1868 – 1963) was an American sociologist, historian, civil rights activist, Pan-Africanist, author, writer and editor. Born in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, Du Bois grew up in a relatively tolerant and integrated community. After completing graduate work at the University of Berlin and Harvard, where he was the first African American to earn a doctorate, he became a professor of history, sociology and economics at Atlanta University. Du Bois was one of the co-founders of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People in 1909. Contents: Credo The Shadow of Year A Litany at Atlanta The Souls of White Folk The Riddle of the Sphinx The Hands of Ethiopia The Princess of the Hither Isles Of Work and Wealth The Second Coming "The Servant in the House" Jesus Christ in Texas Of the Ruling of Men The Call The Damnation of Women Children of the Moon The Immortal Child Almighty Death Of Beauty and Death The Prayers of God The Comet A Hymn to the Peoples

The Essential Darwin

The Essential Darwin

Biographies & Memoirs

Charles Darwin was the epitome of the Victorian gentleman amateur scientist, living entirely off inherited wealth and the income from his books. At the same time, however, he was the most professional scientist of his day.Darwin's life is full of contrast. In his youth, he seemed likely to become a wastrel, yet he became a hard-working and renowned scientist. His family life in a small Kentish village was mostly idyllically happy; but the loss of his favourite daughter, Annie, brought him intense misery that lasted long after her death. Darwin shunned publicity; but he became the most famous scientist of his time, for an idea which shook the foundations of Victorian society.Even today, some people reject his idea - evolution by natural selection - without bothering to find out what Darwin said. But it is one of those great achievements of the human intellect with which everyone should be acquainted.

THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD (With Illustrations)

THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD (With Illustrations)

Biographies & Memoirs

This carefully crafted ebook: "THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD (With Illustrations)" is formatted for your eReader with a functional and detailed table of contents. This book chronicles the stories of some 649 slaves who escaped to freedom via the Underground Railroad, a secret network formed by abolitionists and former slaves who helped them escape to the North. This book's original aim was to reunite those slaves with their families. But now it has turned into an important historical document that visiblises the existence of those who suffered inhuman cruelty at the hands of Southern Slave Owners and yet had the courage to break free. These unknown heroes and heroines were in true sense the founding fathers of African American Communities. This is why their stories must be heard and brought back from oblivion. A MUST READ! Excerpt: "Like millions of my race, my mother and father were born slaves, but were not contented to live and die so. My father purchased himself in early manhood by hard toil. Mother saw no way for herself and children to escape the horrors of bondage but by flight. Bravely, with her four little ones, with firm faith in God and an ardent desire to be free, she forsook the prison-house, and succeeded, through the aid of my father, to reach a free State. The old familiar slave names had to be changed…" William Still (1821–1902) was an African-American abolitionist, conductor on the Underground Railroad, writer, historian and civil rights activist. He was chairman of the Vigilance Committee of the Pennsylvania Anti-Slavery Society and directly aided fugitive slaves by keeping records of their lives and helping families reunite after the abolishment of slavery.

Diane de Poitiers

Diane de Poitiers

Biographies & Memoirs

Sur Diane enfant nous ne possédons qu’un renseignement précis : son père l’emmenait à la chasse quand elle avait six ans. Dès le premier âge, le futur modèle du Primatice suivit les traces de la déesse, sa patronne, et soumit son corps aux saines disciplines dont elle devait être si bien récompensée. Pendant son existence entière, Diane se lèvera avec le jour, prendra des bains d’eau froide, chevauchera fougueusement à travers bois. Les nobles animaux qui contribueront à immortaliser ses images, elle ne perdra jamais le goût de les forcer.

Churchill

Churchill

Biographies & Memoirs

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLEROne of The Wall Street Journal’s Ten Best Books of 2018One of The Economist’s Best Books of 2018One of The New York Times’s Notable Books of 2018“Unarguably the best single-volume biography of Churchill . . . A brilliant feat of storytelling, monumental in scope, yet put together with tenderness for a man who had always believed that he would be Britain’s savior.” —Wall Street JournalIn this landmark biography of Winston Churchill based on extensive new material, the true genius of the man, statesman and leader can finally be fully seen and understood--by the bestselling, award-winning author of Napoleon and The Last King of America.When we seek an example of great leaders with unalloyed courage, the person who comes to mind is Winston Churchill: the iconic, visionary war leader immune from the consensus of the day, who stood firmly for his beliefs when everyone doubted him. But how did young Winston become Churchill? What gave him the strength to take on the superior force of Nazi Germany when bombs rained on London and so many others had caved? In Churchill, Andrew Roberts gives readers the full and definitive Winston Churchill, from birth to lasting legacy, as personally revealing as it is compulsively readable.Roberts gained exclusive access to extensive new material: transcripts of War Cabinet meetings, diaries, letters and unpublished memoirs from Churchill's contemporaries. The Royal Family permitted Roberts--in a first for a Churchill biographer--to read the detailed notes taken by King George VI in his diary after his weekly meetings with Churchill during World War II. This treasure trove of access allows Roberts to understand the man in revelatory new ways, and to identify the hidden forces fueling Churchill's legendary drive.We think of Churchill as a hero who saved civilization from the evils of Nazism and warned of the grave crimes of Soviet communism, but Roberts's masterwork reveals that he has as much to teach us about the challenges leaders face today--and the fundamental values of courage, tenacity, leadership and moral conviction.

bell hooks: The Last Interview

bell hooks: The Last Interview

Biographies & Memoirs

"Wide-ranging and insightful, this makes for a solid primer on hooks’s ideas." --Publishers Weekly "I will not have my life narrowed down. I will not bow down to somebody else's whim or to someone else's ignorance." —bell hooksbell hooks was a prolific, trailblazing author, feminist, social activist, cultural critic, and professor. Born Gloria Jean Watkins, bell used her pen name to center attention on her ideas and to honor her courageous great-grandmother, Bell Blair Hooks.hooks’s unflinching dedication to her work carved deep grooves for the feminist and anti-racist movements. In this collection of 7 interviews, stretching from early in her career until her last interview, she discusses feminism, the complexity of rap music and masculinity, her relationship to Buddhism, the “politic of domination,” sexuality, and love and the importance of communication across cultural borders. Whether she was sparking controversy on campuses or facing criticism from contemporaries, hooks relentlessly challenged herself and those around her, inserted herself into the tensions of the cultural moment, and anchored herself with love.

Acedia & me

Acedia & me

Biographies & Memoirs

The extraordinary New York Times bestselling masterpiece from "one of the most eloquent yet earthbound spiritual writers of our time" (San Francisco Chronicle). Kathleen Norris had written several much loved books, yet she couldn't drag herself out of bed in the morning, couldn't summon the energy for her daily tasks. Even as she struggled, Norris recognized her familiar battle with acedia, a word she had discovered in early Church text years earlier. Fascinated by this "noonday demon", so familiar to those in the early and medieval Church, Norris knew she must restore this forgotten but important concept to the modern world's vernacular. An examination of acedia in the light of psychology, spirituality, the healing powers of religious practice, and Norris's own experience, Acedia & Me is both intimate and historically sweeping, brimming with exasperation and reverence, sometimes funny, often provocative, and always insightful.

Solito

Solito

Biographies & Memoirs

New York Times Bestseller • Read With Jenna Book Club Pick as seen on Today • Winner of the Los Angeles Times Christopher Isherwood Prize for Autobiography • Winner of the American Library Association Alex AwardA young poet tells the inspiring story of his migration from El Salvador to the United States at the age of nine in this “gripping memoir” (NPR) of bravery, hope, and finding family.  Finalist for the PEN/John Kenneth Galbraith Award for Nonfiction • One of the New York Public Library’s Ten Best Books of the Year Longlisted for the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence and the PEN/Open Book Award“I read Solito with my heart in my throat and did not burst into tears until the last sentence. What a person, what a writer, what a book.”—Emma Straub “A riveting tale of perseverance and the lengths humans will go to help each other in times of struggle.”—Dave EggersONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: The New York Times Book Review, NPR, The Washington Post, San Francisco Chronicle, Vulture, She Reads, Kirkus Reviews Trip. My parents started using that word about a year ago—“one day, you’ll take a trip to be with us. Like an adventure.”  Javier Zamora’s adventure is a three-thousand-mile journey from his small town in El Salvador, through Guatemala and Mexico, and across the U.S. border. He will leave behind his beloved aunt and grandparents to reunite with a mother who left four years ago and a father he barely remembers. Traveling alone amid a group of strangers and a “coyote” hired to lead them to safety, Javier expects his trip to last two short weeks. At nine years old, all Javier can imagine is rushing into his parents’ arms, snuggling in bed between them, and living under the same roof again. He cannot foresee the perilous boat trips, relentless desert treks, pointed guns, arrests and deceptions that await him; nor can he know that those two weeks will expand into two life-altering months alongside fellow migrants who will come to encircle him like an unexpected family. A memoir as gripping as it is moving, Solito provides an immediate and intimate account not only of a treacherous and near-impossible journey, but also of the miraculous kindness and love delivered at the most unexpected moments. Solito is Javier Zamora’s story, but it’s also the story of millions of others who had no choice but to leave home.

In a Sunburned Country

In a Sunburned Country

Biographies & Memoirs

Every time Bill Bryson walks out the door, memorable travel literature threatens to break out. This time in Australia.His previous excursion along the Appalachian Trail resulted in the sublime national bestseller A Walk in the Woods. In A Sunburned Country is his report on what he found in an entirely different place: Australia, the country that doubles as a continent, and a place with the friendliest inhabitants, the hottest, driest weather, and the most peculiar and lethal wildlife to be found on the planet. The result is a deliciously funny, fact-filled, and adventurous performance by a writer who combines humor, wonder, and unflagging curiousity.Despite the fact that Australia harbors more things that can kill you in extremely nasty ways than anywhere else, including sharks, crocodiles, snakes, even riptides and deserts, Bill Bryson adores the place, and he takes his readers on a rollicking ride far beyond that beaten tourist path. Wherever he goes he finds Australians who are cheerful, extroverted, and unfailingly obliging, and these beaming products of land with clean, safe cities, cold beer, and constant sunshine fill the pages of this wonderful book. Australia is an immense and fortunate land, and it has found in Bill Bryson its perfect guide.

One Day It'll All Make Sense

One Day It'll All Make Sense

Biographies & Memoirs

From the hip hop icon, Hollywood star, and “a true artist and writer of deep talent” (James McBride, author of The Color of Water)—a candid, New York Times bestselling memoir ranging from his childhood on Chicago’s South side and his emergence as one of rap’s biggest names.Common has earned a reputation in the hip-hop world as a conscious artist by embracing themes of love and struggle in his songs. His journey toward understanding is rooted in his relationship with a remarkable woman, his mother. Common holds nothing back in this gripping memoir, both provocative and funny. He tells what it was like for a boy with big dreams growing up on the South Side of Chicago. He reveals how he almost quit rapping after his first album sold only two thousand copies. He recounts his rise to stardom and talks about the challenges of balancing fame, love, and family. Through it all, Common emerges as a man in full. Rapper. Actor. Activist. But also father, son, and friend. His story offers a living example of how, no matter what you’ve gone through, one day it’ll all make sense.

The Story of My Life (The Complete Memoirs of Giacomo Casanova, Volume 5 of 12)

The Story of My Life (The Complete Memoirs of Giacomo Casanova, Volume 5 of 12)

Biographies & Memoirs

A Venetian adventurer, author, and lifelong womanizer, the name of Casanova has become interchangeable with the art of seduction since the 18th century. In his most notable book, "Story of My Life," Casanova narrates countless tales of the people with whom he interacted: lovers, European royalty, clergymen, and artists such as Goethe, Voltaire, and Mozart. His writing demonstrates his talent for dialogue, while his life seems an inadvertent testament to skill in plot development. Casanova gambled, spied, translated, dueled, schemed, traveled, and observed people of all levels of society, having been born of two actors and becoming a self-made gentleman. He writes of his life without regret, recalling his adventures, from necromancy to imprisonment, with general honesty and the occasional embellishment, and always with a good humor. In this remarkable celebration of the senses, Casanova proves his talent for storytelling by revealing a refreshingly authentic view of the customs and everyday life of social 18th century Europeans, ultimately proving his claim that "I can say I have lived." In this edition you will find the fifth of twelve volumes of "The Complete Memoirs."

Elon Musk

Elon Musk

Biographies & Memoirs

Biografia do mais excitante, imprevisível e ambicioso empresário da atualidade.BESTSELLER DO NEW YORK TIMESElon Musk é, provavelmente, a maior esperança da Humanidade por uma verdadeira revolução tecnológicaElon Musk é visto em Silicon Valley como o mais excitante, imprevisível e ambicioso empresário da atualidade - uma mistura de Steve Jobs e Bill Gates. Para muitos, este visionário pode mesmo vir a ter um impacto na humanidade sem paralelo. Este é o livro que conta a sua história.Elon Musk construiu a sua fama e fez fortuna com algumas das mais bem-sucedidas empresas de tecnologia, como a PayPal, vendida à eBay por 1,5 mil milhões de dólares, investindo depois em projetos com potencial para revolucionar o mundo. A Tesla Motors, no fabrico de carros elétricos, a SpaceX, na indústria espacial, e a SolarCity, nos painéis solares, estão a transformar os seus segmentos industriais, provocando um salto evolutivo no setor empresarial americano.A insistência de Elon Musk nestas áreas de alto risco, tocando em poderes fortemente instituídos, valeu-lhe assombros de falência e ruína; da sua resiliência e visão nasceria, porém, uma das maiores reviravoltas da história empresarial dos EUA, sendo hoje visto como um visionário de sucesso.Para escrever esta biografia, o experiente jornalista Ashlee Vance (New York Times e Bloomberg Businessweek) obteve a autorização oficial e a colaboração do próprio Elon Musk, com quem teve inúmeras entrevistas e conversas ao longo dos mais de 2 anos em que acompanhou a sua vida. Em paralelo, as conversas com 300 pessoas das esferas pessoal e profissional de Musk permitiram mostrar todos os ângulos que compõem a história deste gestor e empreendedor genial, que está a dedicar a sua vida a inventar um futuro melhor.

The Unit

The Unit

Biographies & Memoirs

The first and only book to ever be written by a member of America's most secret military unit―an explosive and unlikely story of service and sacrifice.Inside our military is a team of operators whose work is so secretive that the name of the unit itself is classified. Highly-trained in warfare, self-defense, infiltration, and deep surveillance, "the Unit," as the Department of Defense has asked us to refer to it, has been responsible for preventing dozens of terrorist attacks in the Western world. Never before has a member of this unit shared their story — until now.From Adam Gamal, one of the only Muslim Arab Americans to serve inside “the Unit," comes an incisive firsthand account of our nation’s most secretive military group. When Adam arrived in the United States at the age of twenty, he spoke no English, and at 5’1” and 112 pounds, he was far from what you might expect of a soldier. But compelled into service by a debt he felt he owed to his new country, he rose through the ranks of the military to become one of its most elite and skilled operators.With humor and humility, Adam shares stories of life-threatening injuries, of the camaraderie and capabilities of his team, and of the incredible missions―but also of the growth he experienced as he learned to understand his own moderate faith.Enthralling and eye-opening, The Unit is at once a gripping account of the fight against terror, an urgent examination of the need for diversity, and an inside look at how America fights its battles abroad in the modern age of terrorism.This edition includes a 16 page color photo insert.