[bksvol-discuss] Fw: Biography and Memoir August 2010
- From: "Amber Wallenstein" <amber.wallens@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 17 Aug 2010 05:54:53 -0700
New and Recently Released!
Little Girl Blue: The Life of Karen Carpenter - by Randy Schmidt
Publisher: Chicago Review Press
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 05/17/2010
ISBN-13: 9781556529764
ISBN-10: 1556529767
Singing sensation Karen Carpenter's death in 1983 at the age of 32 shocked and
saddened the world and brought to public knowledge the severe dangers of
anorexia nervosa. While biographies of Karen and her brother, Richard, have
been published before, Randy Schmidt's well-reviewed work focuses solely on
Karen, was written without editorial input from the Carpenter family, and
includes inside information about Karen and her family drawn from Schmidt's
interviews
with the people closest to her. As a result, Little Girl Blue is a must-read
for anyone interested in the details of Karen's bright life and untimely death.
Table of Contents
The Price of Stones: Building a School for My Village - by Twesigye Jackson
Kaguri; with Susan Urbanek Linville
Publisher: Viking
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 06/10/2010
ISBN-13: 9780670021840
ISBN-10: 0670021849
When he returned to his Ugandan village after completing postgraduate studies
in the United States, Twesigye Jackson Kiguri was confronted with the deaths
of his brother and sister from AIDS. Spurred by his loss as well as the broader
tragedy of the AIDS epidemic sweeping his country, Kiguri decided to build
his district's first free school for AIDS orphans. The Price of Stones tells
not only Kiguri's account of his efforts to do so despite numerous challenges,
but also haunting stories of the children who attend the completed school.
Table of Contents
Denial : a memoir of terror - Jessica Stern
Publisher: Ecco
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 06/22/2010
ISBN-13: 9780061626654
ISBN-10: 0061626651
Much of the power of this memoir comes from the central irony that its author,
who has traveled the world for 20 years interviewing terrorists, plotting
counterterrorism strategies, and advising people with post-traumatic stress
disorders, is herself a PTSD sufferer, the effect of a trauma she kept so locked
down that, until recently, she wasnt aware of how it had commandeered her life.
Stern, who has a doctorate in public policy from Harvard, lectures at Harvard
Law School and is the author of the acclaimed Terror in the Name of God (2003).
When she was 15, a home invader raped Jessica and her 14-year-old sister
in their Concord, Massachusetts, home. Police doubted their stories, their
father took a stiff-upper-lip approach, and Jessica learned to substitute
accomplishment
for feeling. Finally, her extreme lack of feeling urged her to investigate what
happened. Part of this book is her search, with the help of a cop who believes
her, for the identify of the man who raped her and what happened to him. While
this is satisfying on a cold-case level, far more suspenseful is Sterns
chronicle of what PTSD feels like and her struggle to surmount it. Stern
dedicates her book to all the victims of terrorism and assault. Wonderfully
compassionate,
absorbing reading for anyone.
Table of Contents
Original Gangster: The Real Life Story of One of America's Most Notorious Drug
Lords - by Frank Lucas with Aliya S. King
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 06/08/2010
ISBN-13: 9780312544898
ISBN-10: 0312544898
Former drug lord Frank Lucas amassed millions of dollars by cutting out the
middleman and smuggling top-grade heroin from Asia to the United States via
servicemen's coffins. The 2007 movie American Gangster starring Denzel
Washington and Russell Crowe is based on his life story, but in Original
Gangster,
Lucas recounts his dark history in his own words. Fans of American Gangster as
well as those who enjoy gritty looks into the underbelly of American society
will appreciate this chilling and compelling memoir.
Captive: My Time As a Prisoner of the Taliban - by Jere Van Dyk
Publisher: Times Books
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 06/22/2010
ISBN-13: 9780805088274
ISBN-10: 080508827X
While traveling through the tribal areas of eastern Afghanistan in 2008,
journalist Jere Van Dyk was captured by the Taliban and imprisoned in a dark
room
for 45 days. Though well fed, he was kept in a state of constant anxiety about
whether he would live or be killed. Captive tells the claustrophobic story
of Van Dyk's experience as a prisoner, the psychological challenges he endured,
and the understanding he gained of his captors, from their paranoia, fanaticism,
and odd hospitality to their ability to manipulate and to cultivate fear.
Publishers Weekly calls Captive "a gripping tale of endurance and a vivid
evocation
of Afghanistan's grim realities."
Table of Contents
Born in August
The Queen Mother: The Official Biography - by William Shawcross
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 10/27/2009
ISBN-13: 9781400043040
ISBN-10: 1400043042
August 4, 1900. With a lifetime spanning a century and then some, Elizabeth
Bowes-Lyon, wife of King George VI and later Queen Mother of England, remains
one of the English monarchy's most beloved figures. Author William Shawcross
had complete access to Elizabeth's papers for this authorized biography, which
provides a detailed account of her eventful life, including her reluctant
romance with her future husband, the abdication of his brother, the perils of
World War II, and, finally, Elizabeth's long widowhood. Those looking for juicy
scandal will want to read elsewhere, but anyone who simply wants to know
more about Elizabeth's life will appreciate this tribute.
First Chapter
Table of Contents
Ted Williams : the biography of an American hero - Leigh Montville
Publisher: Doubleday
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 04/01/2004
ISBN-13: 9780385507486
ISBN-10: 0385507488
August 30, 1918. Montville, who also penned the bestselling bio about racer
Dale Earnhart (The Altar of Speed), covers all of Williams's heroic
achievements-a
Hall of Fame baseball career, two tours of duty as a Marine fighter pilot, an
unmatched thirst for the thrill of the outdoors. But thanks to the author's
ability to track down new sources of information, Montville presents a more
nuanced portrayal of the baseball star than many previous biographies. The
Kid, as Williams was known, is brought to life with portraits supplied from the
people who made up Williams's very compartmentalized life. Distinct
recollections
of his former teammates, fishing buddies, former lovers, caretakers, family
members and brothers in arms coupled with Montville's ability to display each
memory in its own context gives readers an extraordinary glimpse into
Williams's complex psyche. Though he admits to worshipping Williams as a youth,
Montville's
crisp prose holds nothing back when it comes to exposing Williams's many flaws,
his heartbreaking final years and the controversy surrounding his death.
Relying on his years as a sports writer, Montville is also able to subtly shift
the tone of the book to fit Williams's personality as he evolved from an
energetic youth to a cantankerous star, from America's bigger-than-life legend
to a bedridden invalid. Sure, Teddy Ballgame was an American icon, but
Montville's
ability to show the darker and lighter human sides of Williams is a pretty
remarkable achievement in its own.
First Chapter
Just When I Thought I'd Dropped My Last Egg: Life and Other Calamities - by
Kathie Lee Gifford
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 04/14/2009
ISBN-13: 9780345512062
ISBN-10: 0345512065
August 16, 1953. If you're a fan of morning television celebrity Kathie Lee
Gifford, formerly of ABC's Live with Regis and Kathie Lee, then you're sure
to enjoy her latest book, a candid memoir peppered with humorous observations
and opinions about the ups, downs, and oddities of life. From discussing
personal details about life with husband Frank and their kids to lamenting her
aging body, yet enjoying new opportunities for creativity and productivity,
Gifford's trademark upbeat personality combines with her wit to create a
sparkling read.
First Chapter
Heart of a Patriot: How I Found the Courage to Survive Vietnam, Walter Reed and
Karl Rove - by Max Cleland with Ben Raines
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 10/06/2009
ISBN-13: 9781439126059
ISBN-10: 1439126054
August 24, 1942. In Heart of a Patriot, former U.S. Senator Max Cleland offers
a deeply personal memoir of a life in which achievement and tragedy are
inextricably mixed. While serving as an army captain in Vietnam, Cleland lost
both his legs and an arm. He later found success as a politician, but eventually
lost his Senate seat in a bitter race. After his defeat, Cleland faced a
terrible battle with post-traumatic stress disorder and depression. Whether he's
discussing his war experiences, detailing life as a senator, or describing his
dark depression, Cleland compels readers with both his honesty and his deep
love for his country.
First Chapter
Table of Contents
Focus on: History's Greats
Frederick the Great: A Life in Deed and Letters - by Giles MacDonogh
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 01/01/2001
ISBN-13: 9780312272661
ISBN-10: 0312272669
Though Frederick the Great of Prussia is considered to be one of history's
greatest military tacticians, he was also a man of the Enlightenment, passionate
about the arts and interested in legal reform. In Frederick the Great, author
Giles MacDonogh seeks to examine Frederick from all angles and create an
accurate portrait of the man. As such, he explores facets such as Frederick's
contentious relationship with his father and nearly equally complicated
relationship
with the philosopher Voltaire as well as his military maneuverings. Kirkus
Reviews calls this biography "a captivating, diverse study of an equally
fascinating
figure."
First Chapter
Table of Contents
Catherine the Great: Love, Sex, and Power - by Virginia Rounding
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 01/22/2008
ISBN-13: 9780312378639
ISBN-10: 0312378637
Less than a century after the death of Peter the Great, Russia experienced its
other "great" ruler, Catherine II. Born in Germany, Catherine seized power
only after her husband was deposed; she then reigned as Empress for more than
30 years. Author Virginia Rounding offers an intimate and absorbing portrait
of Catherine, theorizing that the ruler was at her best when her personal life
was satisfying. She also discusses Catherine's attempts to succor the arts,
modernize Russia, and transform it into a major European power.
Table of Contents
Alexander the Great: A Life in Legend - by Richard Stoneman
Publisher: Yale University Press
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 04/09/2008
ISBN-13: 9780300112030
ISBN-10: 0300112033
The recent Hollywood movie Alexander, starring Colin Farrell and Angelina
Jolie, is merely among the latest in a centuries-long string of retellings of
the life of Alexander the Great, the renowned Macedonian king and conqueror. In
Alexander the Great: A Life in Legend, author Richard Stoneman focuses
on dissecting the many legends that have flourished around the world about
Alexander, whose extraordinary life certainly provided plenty of fodder for
storytellers. For a more straightforward biography of Alexander, try Alexander
the Great, by Robin Lane Fox.
Table of Contents
Peter the Great - Derek A. Wilson
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 01/05/2010
ISBN-13: 9780312550998
ISBN-10: 0312550995
A seasoned biographer, Wilson presents the remarkable personality who oriented
Russia toward the West, with lasting historical -- and not completely resolved
-- consequences. Simultaneously developing Peter Is character and providing a
narrative of his life, Wilson depicts traits such as restless curiosity and
a markedly despotic streak within events such as his European tour of 1697-98
and his suppression of any perceived disloyalty. Suggesting Peter's political
ruthlessness originated in the contested circumstances of his ascension to the
throne, Wilson reminds readers that the achievements that underlie his
appellation
of the Great territorial expansion, creation of St. Petersburg, and a spate of
government and social reform modeled on Western practiceflowed from the
autocratic power Peter wielded. However impressed subsequent generations have
been, the human price of Peters ventures was huge, especially in his war
with Charles XII of Sweden. Yet the Great Northern Wars victorious outcome
inducted Russia into Europes international politics, one of many examples of
Peter the Great's long-lasting legacy. Wilson's portrait is a fine introduction
to the man and his reign.
Table of Contents
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