Biography: adventurers and explorers Books

Book SynopsisTrade ReviewA Choice Outstanding Academic Title, 2013. "An impressive team of experts introduces the book's 10 pieces and thoroughly annotates them. . . . This book nicely puts the philosopher's work into an expanded context for nonspecialists."--Publishers Weekly (starred review)"This engaging volume ... is the result of painstaking research and meticulous translation by a team of international scholars. . . . Essential."--Choice"English-speaking readers can now hear the subleties of a Beauvoir clearly engaged in the pursuit of defining the purpose and value of literature in her time."--H-France Review"This collection of previously untranslated pieces by Simone de Beauvoir makes available for the first time in English a variety of literary writings that are also of philosophical interest. As with previous volumes in the Beauvoir Series, "The Useless Mouths" and Other Literary Writings breaks new ground, and it will become indispensible to Beauvoir scholars."--Claudia Card, author of Confronting Evils: Terrorism, Torture, Genocide"This collection of Beauvoir's literary works not only presents us with further evidence of the importance of Beauvoir's existentialist literary style but also gives new insight into her thinking about aesthetics, existentialism, intersubjectivity, aging, and her relationship with Sartre. In addition, here we see some of her most incisive engagements with her critics and critics of existentialism more generally."--Kelly Oliver, author of Animal Lessons: How They Teach Us to Be HumanTable of ContentsForeword to the Beauvoir Series ix Sylvie Le Bon de BeauvoirAcknowledgments xiIntroduction 1 Margaret A. Simons1. The Useless Mouths (A Play) 9 Introduction by Liz Stanley and Catherine Naji2. Short Articles on Literature 89 Introduction by Elizabeth Fallaize3. Existentialist Theater 125 Introduction by Dennis A. Gilbert4. A Story I Used to Tell Myself 151 Introduction by Ursula Tidd5. Preface to La Batarde by Violette Leduc 165 Introduction by Alison S. Fell6. What Can Literature Do? 189 Introduction by Laura Hengehold7. Misunderstanding in Moscow 211 Introduction by Terry Keefe8. My Experience as a Writer 275 Introduction by Elizabeth Fallaize9 Short Prefaces to Literary Works 303 Introduction by Eleanore Holveck10. Notes for a Novel 327 Introduction by Meryl AltmanContributors 379Index 385

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Book SynopsisTHE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER A TIMES BOOK OF THE YEARWinner of the Slightly Foxed Best First Biography Prize 2023Epic, moving and important' ROBERT HARRIS''A modern classic' OBSERVERAn unforgettable epic of a book' DAILY MAILFrom longstanding political columnist and commentator Daniel Finkelstein, a powerful memoir exploring both his mother and his father's devastating experiences of persecution, resistance and survival during the Second World War.Daniel's mother Mirjam Wiener was the youngest of three daughters born in Germany to Alfred and Margarete Wiener. Alfred, a decorated hero from the Great War, is now widely acknowledged to have been the first person to recognise the existential danger Hitler posed to the Jews and began, in 1933, to catalogue in detail Nazi crimes. After moving his family to Amsterdam, he relocated his library to London and was preparing to bring over his wife and children when Germany invaded the Netherlands. Before long, the family was rounded up, robTrade Review A TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR ‘Captivating . . . Superb. This is a beautiful book about a horrific time when life was cheap and cruelty abundant. It took possession of me. I read it quickly, but then couldn’t stop thinking or talking about the Finkelstein and Wiener families’ The Times ‘This is a masterful tale, haunting, elegiac, at times joyful and humorous. It is a history, a commentary, and a thriller, alternating between the suffering at the hands of the Germans and the Soviets’ Financial Times ‘Powerful and beautifully written. Once the second world war breaks out the book works like a thriller, as both families race against the clock to escape certain death. But there are bigger themes running through Finkelstein’s writing, elevating Hitler, Stalin, Mum and Dad to the status of A modern classic – and just as deserving of acclaim as Philippe Sands’s East West Street or Edmund de Waal’s The Hare With Amber Eyes, both of which used inventive ways to examine the Holocaust afresh’ Observer ‘Superb. Finkelstein is a versatile writer who has delivered an exciting story of courage and persistence, powered by a sense of filial duty and engagingly sustained over its hundreds of pages’ Daily Telegraph ‘Profoundly moving . . . This is a vital addition to the literature of two catastrophes of the 20th century. With great clarity and wisdom he demonstrates what evil politics can do. There is not a word of padding. The prose, distilled into what is both true and interesting, can sometimes be disarmingly simple’ Spectator ‘A masterpiece. This book will be read for generations as a classic’ Jewish Chronicle ‘By far the best book published this year’ Peter Hitchens

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Book SynopsisThe story of Guru Rinpoche?s visit to Tibet and significant influence on its Buddhist history during the eighth and ninth centuries, recounted by four prominent Tibetan scholars.This book recounts Guru Rinpoche?s historic visit to Tibet and explains his continuing significance to Buddhists. Through a series of historical texts written by prominent Tibetan Buddhist masters, this book recounts the life and legacy of Padmasambhava, The Lotus-Born, better known as Guru Rinpoche. Credited with transmitting Buddhism to Tibet in the 8th century CE during the last century of the Tibetan Empire, Guru Rinpoche fostered radical changes to Tibet, marking historic transformations in the country?s religious and political position. Having converted Tibet into a largely Buddhist society, Guru Rinpoche?s influence remains a central force in Tibetan identity and practice today.Guru Rinpoche offers an account of his life through four distinct accounts, including: A biography by Jamgon Kongtrul A biography by Dorje Tso from a revelation by Sera Khandro An Indian version of his life by Tarnata The Bön version of his life by Jamyong Kyentse Wongpo In addition, the book includes a selection of supplications and Buddhist poetry praising the Lotus-Born master, Guru Rinpoche.

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Book Synopsis*Winner of the National Book Critics Circle Translation Prize*“These days, when an American president has decreed that ‘there are only two genders: male and female’ . . . an undaunted, lyrical voice from a southern corner of the hemisphere offers a model of resistance.” —The New Yorker“Intoxicating . . . Sexy, political and deeply humane . . . We all owe Penguin Classics a round of shots for A Last Supper of Queer Apostles.” —The Washington PostA galvanizing look at life on the margins of society by a crowning figure of Latin America's queer counterculture who celebrated “melodrama, kitsch, extravagance, and vulgarity of all kinds” (Garth Greenwell) in playful, performative, linguistically inventive essays, now in English for the first timeA Penguin Classic“I speak from my difference,” wrote Pedro Lemebel, an openly queer writer and artist living through Chile’s AIDS epidemic and the collapse of the Pinochet dictatorship. In brilliantly innovative essays—known as crónicas—that combine memoir, reportage, fiction, history, and poetry, he brought visibility and dignity to sexual minorities, the poor, and the powerless. Touching on everything from Che Guevara to Elizabeth Taylor, from the aftermath of authoritarian rule to the daily lives of Chile’s locas—a slur for trans women and effeminate gay men that he boldly reclaims—his writing infuses political urgency with playfulness, realism with absurdism, and resistance with camp, and his AIDS crónicas immortalize a generation of Chileans doubly “disappeared” by casting each loca, as she falls sick, in the starring role of her own private tragedy. This volume brings together the best of his work, introducing readers of English to the subversive genius of a literary activist and queer icon whose acrobatic explorations of the Santiago demimonde reverberate around the world.For more than seventy-five years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 2,000 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.

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Book Synopsis?The rare book that has the potential to make you smarter?and everyone around you wiser.??Adam Grant Two-time world champion debater and former coach of the Harvard debate team, Bo Seo tells the inspiring story of his life in competitive debating and reveals the timeless secrets of effective communication and persuasionWhen Bo Seo was 8 years old, he and his family migrated from Korea to Australia. At the time, he did not speak English, and, unsurprisingly, struggled at school. But, then, in fifth grade, something happened to change his life: he discovered competitive debate. Immediately, he was hooked. It turned out, perhaps counterintuitively, that debating was the perfect activity for someone shy and unsure of himself. It became a way for Bo not only to find his voice, but to excel socially and academically. And he?s not the only one. Far from it: presidents, Supreme Court justices, and CEOs are all disproportionally debaters. This is hardly a coincidence. By tracing his own journey from immigrant kid to world champion, Seo shows how the skills of debating?information gathering, truth finding, lucidity, organization, and persuasion?are often the cornerstone of successful careers and happy lives.Drawing insights from its strategies, structure, and history, Seo teaches readers the skills of competitive debate, and in doing so shows how they can improve their communication with friends, family, and colleagues alike. He takes readers on a thrilling intellectual adventure into the eccentric and brilliant subculture of competitive debate, touching on everything from the radical politics of Malcom X to Artificial Intelligence. Seo proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that, far from being a source of conflict, good-faith debate can enrich our daily lives.Indeed, these good arguments are essential to a flourishing democracy, and are more important than ever at time when bad faith is all around, and our democracy seems so imperiled.

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Book SynopsisAn unprecedented portrait of Moses's inner world and perplexing character, by a distinguished biblical scholarTrade Review"A celebrated biblical scholar, keen on weaving together traditional Jewish exegesis, psychoanalysis and postmodern criticism, Zornberg always displays minute attention to the psychological subtext of the Scriptures. . . . Bringing together copious, diverse and sometimes dissonant references (spanning Hasidic masters, George Eliot, Zizek and Beckett, among others), Zornberg gives a new tour of the life of Moses."—Clemence Boulouque, New York Times Book Review"In this exceptionally well-written book, which has the elegance of literature, Zornberg sidesteps the historical question. She treats Moses as a fictional character, not because she rejects his possible historicity but rather because she focuses on him as a personality. . . . The result is a thoughtful and highly literate read."—Robert A. Segal, Times Higher Education Supplement"For those wishing to engage the legacy of Moses more deeply, this is a must-read."—Publishers Weekly (starred review)“Brings together a rich literary reading of the biblical text, Midrashic insights, and contemporary psychology and sociology…This book will prove invaluable to teachers and students who want a deeper sense of the originating and ongoing significance of this ‘man of God’.”—Matthew J. Lynch, Journal for the Study of the Old Testament"Only Avivah Zornberg could tell the story of Moses in such a way as to situate him on the very cusp of the sacred and the human while showing how completely he participates in both. Only Zornberg has the prodigious scholarship to draw out from her sources the uniquely anguished and creative energy of Moses’ life. In doing so she makes a plea for a Jewish ethics grounded in the outsider, the one who stutters and falls, while at the same time returning Moses as a fully modern prophet to the modern world."—Jacqueline Rose, author of The Last Resistance and Women in Dark Times"The author has perfected a distinctive approach to the biblical text that is both traditional and post-modern, playful and profound, imaginative but also truthful."—Steven Weitzman, author of Solomon: The Lure of Wisdom

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Book SynopsisIn the days when Columbus sailed the ocean and Da Vinci painted the Mona Lisa, a German banker named Jacob Fugger became the richest man in history.     Fugger lived in Germany at the turn of the sixteenth century, the grandson of a peasant. By the time he died, his fortune amounted to nearly two percent of European GDP. In an era when kings had unlimited power, Fugger dared to stare down heads of state and ask them to pay back their loans, with interest. It was this coolness and self-assurance, along with his inexhaustible ambition, that made him not only the richest man ever, but a force of history as well. Before Fugger came along it was illegal under church law to charge interest on loans, but he got the Pope to change that. He also helped trigger the Reformation and likely funded Magellan’s circumnavigation of the globe. His creation of a news service gave him an information edge over his rivals and customers and earned Fugger a footnote in the historyTrade Review“Fugger was the first modern plutocrat. Like his contemporaries Machiavelli and Cesare Borgia, he knew the world as it was, not how he wanted it to be. This is the absorbing story of how, by being indispensable to customers and ruthless with enemies, Fugger wrote the playbook for everyone who keeps score with money. A must for anyone interested in history or wealth creation.” -- Bryan Burrough, author of Days of Rage and co-author of Barbarians at the Gate"Greg Steinmetz has unearthed the improbable yet true story of the world’s first modern capitalist. Born in fifteenth-century Germany, Jakob Fugger overcame a common birth to build a fortune in banking, textiles, and mining that, relative to the size of the economy of that era, may be the greatest fortune ever assembled. Schooled in Renaissance Venice, he became a banker to successive Hapsburg emperors and kings in the dynamic decades when duchies and principalities were clawing to independence from the grasping clutches of the Holy Roman Empire. Steinmetz not only depicts the rise of novel industrial trends from metallurgy to mercantilism, he shows us the nation-state in its early, tentative incubation. At the story’s center is Fugger, a wily lender and capitalist who courted risk, defied potential bankruptcy, and made kings his virtual dependents. He emerges from this solidly researched and briskly narrated biography as surprisingly recognizable—a moneymaker from a distant time that, one suspects, would be thoroughly at home with the Midases of today." -- Roger Lowenstein, author of When Genius Failed and Buffett: The Making of an American Capitalist“Jacob Fugger was the Rockefeller of the Renaissance. He was a capitalist genius who, in Greg Steinmetz, has finally found the English-language biographer he deserves. Steinmetz’s fast-moving tale—of money-making, religious tumult, political chicanery and violent clashes between the disciples of capitalism and communism—is one for all time, but especially for our time.” -- James Grant, author of The Forgotten Depression: 1921, the Crash That Cured Itself"One of the most influential financiers who ever lived, Jacob Fugger has long been shrouded in mystery. If you want to understand this visionary (he backed Magellan's circumnavigation of the globe), controversial (he vigorously challenged Martin Luther), and daring money man, read Greg Steinmetz's captivating, clear-eyed account. You'll be richer for it." -- Laurence Bergreen, author of Columbus: The Four Voyages and Over the Edge of the World: Magellan's Terrifying Circumnavigation of the Globe"Greg Steinmetz has rescued from the footnotes of history the Renaissance equivalent of a modern day Zelig. Master money man Jacob Fugger pops up at virtually every critical moment of his era. Kings, emperors and popes all knew him. Now, thanks to this remarkably researched and fascinating book, we do, too." -- Steve Stecklow, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist"Enjoyable . . . readable and fast-paced." * The Wall Street Journal *"The tale of Fugger's aspiration, ruthlessness and greed is riveting." * The Economist *"Provides a fascinating and useful cautionary tale of the dangers of unbridled capitalism, particularly in economies dominated by autocratic rulers." * The New York Times *"A colorful introduction to one of the most influential businessmen in history." * The New York Times Book Review *"Who says the biography of a German Renaissance banker has to be as dense and as dull as the Fed’s latest annual report? Certainly not journalist and Wall Street securities analyst Greg Steinmetz. In his first full-length history, a biography of a Renaissance industrialist and financier named Jacob Fugger, Steinmetz is witty, highly knowledgeable and always entertaining. . . . [A] brilliantly written story. . . . pure reading pleasure." * The Buffalo News *"Makes a persuasive case that Fugger was 'the most influential businessman of all time.' " * The New York Post *“[Steinmetz] writes about Fugger in thoroughly modern terms . . . a swift and compelling read.” * BookPage *"Steinmetz makes a convincing case for the value of studying enigmatic banker Jacob Fugger. . . . A straightforward, engaging look at this 'German Rockefeller.'" * Kirkus Reviews *"Fascinating." -- Andrew Ross Sorkin * The New York Times *"Steinmetz lays out the fascinating story of a man who shaped modern business practices and the borders of Europe." * The New Yorker *

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Book SynopsisTHE BOOK OF PRIDE captures the true story of the gay rights movement from the 1960s to the present, through richly detailed, stunning interviews with the leaders, activists, and ordinary people who witnessed the movement and made it happen.

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Book SynopsisOne decision can end everything . . . or lead to unlikely redemption.Millions watched the CBS 60 Minutes special on Jack Barsky in 2015. Now, in this fascinating memoir, the Soviet KGB agent tells his story of gut-wrenching choices, appalling betrayals, his turbulent inner world, and the secret life he lived for years without getting caught.On October 8, 1978, a Canadian national by the name of William Dyson stepped off a plane at O'Hare International Airport and proceeded toward Customs and Immigration.Two days later, William Dyson ceased to exist.The identity was a KGB forgery, used to get one of their owna young, ambitious East German agentinto the United States.The plan succeeded, and the spy's new identity was born: Jack Barsky. He would work undercover for the next decade, carrying out secret operations during the Cold War years . . . until a surprising shift in his allegiance challenged everything he thought he believed.

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Book SynopsisThe lives of three men who made the Russian Revolution possibleLenin, Trotsky, and Stalinare the focus of this biographical account of the rise of socialism in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Bertram Wolfe, a political scientist and historian of Russia, knew Trotsky and Stalin personally, and here brings his profound insider''s knowledge to bear on his subjects. Three Who Made a Revolution recounts the early lives and influences of the three leaders, and shows the development of their diverging ideologies as decades gave strength to their cause and brought Russia closer to its turning point, a revolution that would alter the course of the twentieth century.Trade ReviewThe best book in its field in any language. -- Edmund Wilson * The New Yorker *Clearly the best study available. -- Arthur Schlesinger Jr. * The Nation *Mr. Wolfe has laid bare more relevant facts and arranged them more clearly and honestly than any of his predecessors. -- Isaiah Berlin * American Historical Review *

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Book SynopsisRuthless revolutionary; passionate womaniser; activist; hothead. Meet the young Mandela.Trade ReviewIt is a brave biographer who dares the re-evaluate the man behind the myth...David James Smith's fascinating account does just that, revealing unexpected, sometimes shocking details -- Aimee Shalan * GUARDIAN *An eye-opening account * SUNDAY BUSINESS POST *

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Book SynopsisThis is the memoir of Audie Murphy, who was the most decorated American soldier during World War II. Desperate to see action but rejected by both marines and paratroopers because he was too short, Murphy eventualy found a home with the infantry.

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Book SynopsisZbigniew Brzezinski's impact on America's role in the world extends far beyond his years in the Carter White House. Justin Vaisse offers the first biography of the Polish immigrant and grand strategist whose geopolitical vision, scholarly writings, and policy advice to many presidents brought lasting changes to America's conduct of foreign policy.Trade ReviewReading Justin Vaïsse’s impressive new book, Zbigniew Brzezinski: America’s Grand Strategist, it is difficult to miss the echoes of our own times in the early 1970s…If the publication of Brzezinski could hardly be timelier, the author could not be more apt…The book’s achievement is in part corrective. Brzezinski rehabilitates a thinker and actor whom other writers have too often underestimated…Vaïsse’s broad panorama achieves important perspective on the Carter years…Readers will encounter in Brzezinski an eloquent introduction to a major strategic thinker and a thoughtful meditation upon the useful work that ideas and intellectuals can perform in the policy arena. -- Daniel J. Sargent * Washington Post *Vaïsse gives Brzezinski high marks. Apart from Kissinger, no adviser so dominated a president’s agenda. His intellect was as sharp as his tongue. -- Edward Luce * Financial Times *Will probably stand for some time as the definitive portrayal of a sharp mind and sometimes sharp tongue that attracted critics and opponents, as well as admirers and such famous proteges and colleagues as Madeleine Albright and Robert Gates… What separates the Vaïsse book from the pack is a detailed and perceptive study of the rise of an academic complex in the making of U.S. foreign policy. -- Michael D. Mosettig * PBS NewsHour *Vaïsse’s biography of U.S. President Jimmy Carter’s national security adviser, Zbigniew Brzezinski, reminds readers just what an extraordinary phenomenon this Polish outsider was… Vaïsse’s evenhanded appraisal of Brzezinski’s contributions to U.S. foreign policy will…introduce a new generation of readers to a great American strategist. -- Walter Russell Mead * Foreign Affairs *In his compelling biography of Brzezinski, Justin Vaïsse places [him] squarely in the fourth generation of decision-makers who helped turn the United States into a world power. -- Christopher Coker * Literary Review *Brzezinski must have been pleased by what he knew of the work (first published in French shortly before his death). The readers, too, will be pleased. This is a solid account of Brzezinski’s absorbing journey. -- Simon Serfaty * National Interest *This man with the unpronounceable name was one of the most influential in the world, but also one of the hardest to categorize… A foremost authority on U.S. foreign relations, Justin Vaïsse enthusiastically traces the extraordinary career of this son of a Polish consul. A captivating account of a decisive figure who navigated through deep political crosscurrents in order to extend American influence across the globe. * L’Express *Justin Vaïsse’s life of Zbigniew Brzezinski is remarkable in every way. More than a simple biography, this serious study is an original and meticulous account of the American diplomatic machine. * LeLitteraire.com *A specialist in American foreign relations, Vaïsse offers a voluminous biography of a man he considers one of the most consequential figures of the past century. * Le Point *This first-rate intellectual biography of Zbigniew Brzezinski fills a longstanding gap in existing work on one of America’s most visible yet undervalued scholar-policymakers of the past fifty years. Nuanced and on the whole convincing, this book provides an excellent overview of the impact Brzezinski had after his relatively brief time in high office. -- Jussi Hanhimäki, author of The Flawed Architect: Henry Kissinger and American Foreign PolicyVaïsse profiles one of the few men who transformed American foreign policy in the second half of the twentieth century. He offers a compelling account of how immigration, education, and technology changed American power and ideals. He also reminds us how important the intellectual debates about power and ideals were during the Cold War, and how important they remain today. -- Jeremi Suri, author of The Impossible Presidency: The Rise and Fall of America’s Highest Office

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Book SynopsisPoet and musician, artist and hostess, Lady Anne Barnard lived at the heart of Georgian society. High-born yet egalitarian, she travelled to France to observe the Revolution, rejected numerous suitors, and lived independently. Her curious ways attracted gossip right into her final years when she raised an illegitimate child at her home in Berkeley Square. Written with full access to her previously unseen private papers and unpublished memoirs, Defiance shows Lady Anne to be one of the unheralded chroniclers and pioneering women of her time.

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Book SynopsisNearly seventy-five years after World War II, a contentious debate lingers over whether Franklin Delano Roosevelt turned his back on the Jews of Hitler's Europe. Defenders claim that FDR saved millions of potential victims by defeating Nazi Germany. Others revile him as morally indifferent and indict him for keeping America's gates closed to Jewish refugees and failing to bomb Auschwitz's gas chambers. In an extensive examination of this impassioned debate, Richard Breitman and Allan J. Lichtman find that the president was neither savior nor bystander. In FDR and the Jews, they draw upon many new primary sources to offer an intriguing portrait of a consummate politician-compassionate but also pragmatic-struggling with opposing priorities under perilous conditions. For most of his presidency Roosevelt indeed did little to aid the imperiled Jews of Europe. He put domestic policy priorities ahead of helping Jews and deferred to others' fears of an anti-Semitic backlash. Yet he also acted decisively at times to rescue Jews, often withstanding contrary pressures from his advisers and the American public. Even Jewish citizens who petitioned the president could not agree on how best to aid their co-religionists abroad. Though his actions may seem inadequate in retrospect, the authors bring to light a concerned leader whose efforts on behalf of Jews were far greater than those of any other world figure. His moral position was tempered by the political realities of depression and war, a conflict all too familiar to American politicians in the twenty-first century.Trade ReviewAt long last, two historians have sought to provide an analysis of Roosevelt’s stance on the ‘Jewish question’ that avoids the tempting urge to judge the past through the lenses of the present… FDR and the Jews offers…a new perspective, a cogent and comprehensive study of Roosevelt’s evolving opinions on the Jews… Breitman and Lichtman’s carefully documented explication of this somewhat byzantine narrative proves immensely valuable in understanding the mechanics of what remain some of the most controversial decisions in the history of American foreign policy: the refusal to admit the Jewish refugees aboard the SS St. Louis to the United States in 1939 and the refusal to bomb the Auschwitz crematoria after their existence was discovered in 1942… Among the other accomplishments of this remarkably clear, concise but complicated history is the attention it devotes to American Jews, who were anything but unified during the war… [It] provide[s] the perspective necessary to comprehend the complexities of what have become some of the most painful and politically charged memories in American foreign policy. In short, FDR and the Jews is a narrative that resists the temptations of artificial drama and a work of scholarship that avoids facile categorization. -- James McAuley * Washington Post *Sadly, Roosevelt left behind a rather thin paper trail. He didn’t write a memoir or record many White House conversations, and he refused to allow note-taking at his personal meetings. To fill this gap, Breitman and Lichtman have combed the archives of the leading players who did write down their thoughts and recollections, and the result is quite impressive. Even those who disagree with the book’s conclusions must acknowledge the mountain of research on which they rest… The authors rightly note the squeamishness of America’s modern presidents in dealing with genocide… Historically speaking, Roosevelt comes off rather well… [An] eminently sensible book. -- David Oshinsky * New York Times Book Review *Thoughtful and persuasive… It poses a challenge to the theme that American Jews have no friends, that the gentile world has been at best indifferent to the survival of the Jewish people. It shows that, while there were some anti-Semites in the State Department, the best friend Jews had anywhere in the world in the 1940s was the government of the United States and its president FDR; that, while FDR put domestic political factors ahead of rescuing European Jews, he did far more than any other head of government to act to protect Jews facing death… It’s the most responsible, reasoned, well-documented assessment of FDR’s role. -- Jon Wiener * Los Angeles Review of Books *One effect of Breitman and Lichtman’s book is that no one who reads it sympathetically can continue to believe that Roosevelt acting alone ‘could have’ simply devoted the efforts of the United States to stopping or seriously mitigating the Holocaust, even if he had known sooner of the Nazis’ plans. -- Noah Feldman * New York Review of Books *Level-headed yet deeply troubling, FDR and the Jews offers a history of American policy toward overseas Jews before and during World War II… Assertively fair-minded, sometimes excessively so, FDR and the Jews pushes back against simplistic denunciations, and refuses to treat the era’s combination of constraints and decisions as a one-dimensional history of American abandonment. Situating Roosevelt within political and global circumstances, it weighs his actions with understanding and sympathy, though not always with approval. -- Ira Katznelson * New Republic *[Breitman and Lichtman] challenge the view that F.D.R. was remiss in helping [Europe’s Jews] and plot stages in his development from aloofness to engagement. -- Jerome Donnelly * America *The carefully nuanced FDR and the Jews…remains the definitive work on the topic. -- Joshua Kendall * Boston Globe *While this incisively written study is unlikely to sway anyone whose mind is already made up, readers without fixed views will find plenty to ponder. And it will remind everyone not only of the enormity of the Holocaust but…the ultimate limitations of the presidency, no matter who holds the office. -- Alan Cate * Cleveland Plain Dealer *FDR and the Jews…is not a defense of the president. The authors note that Roosevelt’s primary objective, especially during his first term, was economic recovery, not confronting Congress to revise restrictive immigration law. Nevertheless, the American Jewish community trusted him and understood that he was the first president to intervene somewhat on behalf of their oppressed brethren abroad. The authors observe that Roosevelt was neither a savior nor an indifferent bystander, yet his efforts on behalf of the Jews was far greater than those of any other world leader. -- Jack Fischel * Hadassah Magazine *Breitman and Lichtman take pains to highlight what FDR did do to aid Jews fleeing Europe, and which has been largely ignored by his critics… Breitman and Lichtman conclude—wisely—that ‘without FDR’s policies and leadership,’ the Germans and Italians would have beaten the British in North Africa and conquered, which would have ended all hopes for a future Israel (and put hundreds of thousands of more Jews in harm’s way). And, they continue, even though the war always took priority over the rescue of masses of Jews ‘Roosevelt reacted more decisively to Nazi crimes against Jews than did any other world leader of his time.’ -- Murray Polner * History News Network *On the basis of meticulous research, using many fresh sources, [Breitman and Lichtman] establish [FDR’s] good intentions beyond any doubt. But by locating his words and deeds in their precise context, they elucidate what was feasible and distinguish when his conduct stemmed from prudence, cowardice or indifference. They do equal justice to the American Jewish leadership with whom he interacted. For good measure, they end by situating FDR in the spectrum of U.S. presidents who have confronted genocide. None has ever placed humanitarian intervention above political advantage or the national interest. -- David Cesarani * New Statesman *[A] meticulously researched history… As this book reminds us, politics offers not a simple choice between good and evil, but an agonizing choice between competing evils. Who among us can be sure [Roosevelt] chose badly? -- Dominic Sandbrook * Sunday Times *FDR and the Jews aims for a balanced view… Roosevelt’s actions during the Holocaust make a better showing than most, even if not as good as one might wish. -- George Bornstein * Times Literary Supplement *[This] work, which includes formerly unpublished primary sources, attempts to present an objective account of FDR and the Holocaust. [Breitman and Lichtman] note that the president was neither savior nor indifferent bystander. Although Roosevelt displayed sympathy for European Jews, his response was often tempered by pragmatic considerations. Nevertheless, the authors conclude that Roosevelt’s efforts on behalf of the Jews were far greater than those of any other world leader. -- J. Fischel * Choice *Breitman and Lichtman pursue several telling currents in FDR’s record, namely the president’s ability to keep the private separate from the public, his reliance on Jewish leaders, and his evolving enlightenment toward Jewish issues as he neared the end of his life. * Kirkus Reviews *A penetrating analysis of the historical record, uncovering new sources and answering haunting questions that still linger after 75 years. A must read! -- Richard Ben-Veniste, Senior Partner, Mayer Brown LLP, and Commissioner, 9/11 CommissionThe FDR who emerges here is concerned with the fate of European Jewry, but also exquisitely sensitive to the demands of the situation: in short, he is the ultimately political man, and his approach shifts with each turn of major events. This comprehensive work will become the definitive word on the subject. -- Noah Feldman, author of Scorpions: The Battles and Triumphs of FDR’s Great Supreme Court JusticesThis splendid book should banish forever the notion that Franklin Roosevelt was a blinkered anti-Semite who made little effort to stop the Holocaust. With dazzling research and astute judgments, Richard Breitman and Allan Lichtman portray FDR as a cunning politician who, in the dreadful context of his times, did more to aid Jews than any other leader in the United States or abroad. -- Michael Kazin, author of American Dreamers: How the Left Changed a NationAnyone who wishes to be part of the conversation about FDR’s response to the Holocaust would do well to read Richard Breitman and Allan Lichtman’s FDR and the Jews. In a quiet and sober fashion it reexamines what is already known and lays out new and previously unknown information. -- Deborah E. Lipstadt, author of The Eichmann Trial

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Book SynopsisTHE INSPIRATION FOR THE ACADEMY AWARD®-WINNING MAJOR MOTION PICTURE OPPENHEIMER • A riveting account of one of history’s most essential and paradoxical figures.”—Christopher Nolan#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • PULITZER PRIZE WINNER • The definitive biography of J. Robert Oppenheimer, one of the iconic figures of the twentieth century, a brilliant physicist who led the effort to build the atomic bomb for his country in a time of war, and who later found himself confronting the moral consequences of scientific progress.In this magisterial, acclaimed biography twenty-five years in the making, Kai Bird and Martin Sherwin capture Oppenheimer’s life and times, from his early career to his central role in the Cold War. This is biography and history at its finest, riveting and deeply informative.“A masterful account of Oppenheimer’s rise and fall, set in the context of the turbulent decad

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Book SynopsisFrom Fran Drescher, here''s the funny and empowering New York Times bestseller about taking charge of health problems and finding humor in the face of adversity.Part inspirational cancer-survival story, part memoir-as-a-laughriot, CANCER SCHMANCER picks up where Fran''s last book, Enter Whining, left off. After the publication of that book, Fran''s life launched into a downward spiral. She separated from a long and complicated relationship, her TV series started to slip in the ratings, and the health of her beloved dog Chester was failing fast. Then came the mysterious symptoms no doctor could explain. With her trademark sense of humor, Fran tells of her long search for answers and the cancer diagnosis that she ultimately beat. But not before a gold mine of insights were revealed to her about the importance of taking charge of your own health and recognizing what''s most important in life.

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Book SynopsisSudha Murty shares inspiring stories of courage, kindness, and resilience from her life and work with Infosys Foundation. Through personal anecdotes, she highlights the beauty and challenges of human nature, emphasizing the importance of grace in everyday struggles and victories.

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Book SynopsisIs it not better to take risks than die within from rot? Is it not better to change one’s life completely than to wait for the brain to set firmly and irreversibly in a way of life and one environment? I think it is ... taking risks, not for the sake of danger alone, but for the sake of growth, is more important than any security one can buy or inherit. – Charles HoustonIt was the failed summit attempt and a failed rescue in the Himalaya that brought Charles Houston MD fame and adulation in the mountaineering world. His leadership of the American K2 expedition of 1953 is still celebrated as the embodiment of all that is right and good in the mountains.Houston, a doctor from New England, became a leading authority in high altitude ailments and artificial heart research, advising the US government, military and academia. He made an unparalleled contribution to mountain medicine, building some of the first artificial heart prototypes in his garage and playing a key part in Kennedy’s 1960s Peace Corps initiatives in India.In Brotherhood of the Rope, Boardman Tasker Prize winning author Bernadette McDonald traces the development of an American hero. This is the biography of a well-heeled New England medical man who excelled at expedition leadership and whose experience in the mountains helped his research into high altitude medical matters during his long and varied career as a doctor. Houstons’s mountain adventures, the ups and downs of his varied medical career and the associated challenges of family life are related in a candid biography that touches on many aspects of twentieth-century affairs.Trade ReviewCharlie Houston achieved fame as both a physician and a mountain climber. His contributions to the medical profession and his expeditions to K2 and Nanda Devi are the outstanding highlights of his career. I know him as a person who radiates curiosity, joie de vivre and compassion, that characteristic described by His Holiness the Dalai Lama as “the foundation of our unity”. Charlie Houston is an extraordinary human being, whose life story will inspire all who read it. – Reinhold MessnerThe author’s extensive use of Charles Houston’s own spoken words makes the book serve as an oral as well as a written history. By the end, we feel as though we’ve taken part in a long, deeply affectionate and honest conversation between friends, who, like all good storytellers create a world that somehow seems richer – both brighter and darker – than our everyday life. – Katie Ives, Alpinist Magazine

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Book SynopsisBased on primary sources in both English and French archives, this biography depicts the reign of Henry V in the broad European context of the period. It concludes that through his personality the king united the country in war but also provided domestic security and solid government.

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Book SynopsisFrance's great heroine and England's great scourge: whether a lunatic, a witch, a religious icon, or a skilled soldier and leader, Joan of Arc's contemporaries found her as extraordinary and fascinating as the legends that abound about her today. This book paints a portrait of Joan as a self-confident, charismatic and supremely determined figure.Trade Review"Larissa Juliet Taylor seeks the Joan of Arc who actually lived. It is a stunning portrayal rarely encountered. Joan is intelligent, strong, articulate, and above all inspirational. If you have been looking for one book that explains how this remarkable teenage girl could accomplish all that she achieved, then this is it." - Mack P. Holt, author of The French Wars of Religion -- Mack P. Holt"Larissa Juliet Taylor has written a fresh and provocative biography of La Pucelle by emphasizing her transformation from a naive girl to a strong-willed, bold, and gifted captain of war who imposed her will on a kingdom and on history. This is an absorbing book that is almost impossible to put down." - Frederic J. Baumgartner, author of France in the Sixteenth Century -- Frederic J. Baumgartner"This fine biography brings Joan fully to life not as a symbol for other eras but as a remarkable flesh and blood woman, who shaped her country and her times." - Keith P. Luria, North Carolina State University -- Keith P. Luria"Larissa Juliet Taylor goes deep into Joan of Arc's heart and soul and shows us the maiden, the warrior and the heroine. She brings fourteenth century France to teeming, vibrant life and tells Joan's story with true sensitivity. Fascinating." - Kate Williams, author of Becoming Queen -- Kate Williams‘An admirably nuanced, critical biography, which, in its straightforward approach to the sources, serves as a necessary corrective to much current scholarship…Taylor uses original and hitherto unexploited source material to great effect.’—Brenda Bolton, Church Times -- Brenda Bolton * Church Times *"Taylor succeeds in producing a clear and exceptionally accessible biography. When she describes how 'The subtleties of court politics... were lost on Joan, pieces of a puzzle she never figured out. She heard what she wanted to hear, that the king would no longer make truces with Burgundy and that she would be able to take the fight to them' (p. 113), the reader cannot help but think that this portrait of Joan is an authentic one."—David J. Hay, The Journal of Military History -- David J. Hay * Journal of Military History *"By providing a straightforward narrative of Joan's life, reliant primarily upon English-language sources, Taylor orients this book towards a general audience. By attempting to make sense of this life and, in doing so, to make it less strange, she renders the book of interest to scholarly readers."—Karen Sullivan, Renaissance Quarterly -- Karen Sullivan * Renaissance Quarterly *‘Larissa Juliet Taylor succeeds in presenting Joan differently…not simply as a saint in the making which is what many previous biographers have done…This account however is a clear, concise and illuminating one, which goes some way to present Joan in a more human light.’ — Belinda Webb, Tribune -- Belinda Webb * Tribune *'An extraordinary story that is here told with understanding, sympathy, and authority.' — Contemporary Review * Contemporary Review *". . . fresh points and analysis derived from many years of in-depth research and even more pondering. . . . [Joan's] story will doubtlessly continue to be told. But few will tell it as well as Larissa Taylor has."—Kelly DeVries, Speculuma Journal of Medieval Studies -- Kelly DeVries * Speculuma Journal of Medieval Studies *

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Book SynopsisThe age of discovery was at its peak in the eighteenth century, with heroic adventurers charting the furthest reaches of the globe. Foremost among these explorers was navigator and cartographer Captain James Cook of the British Royal Navy. This book reveals Cook's place in history as a brave and brilliant seaman.Trade Review"'McLynn's biography is well researched and respectful.' (John de Falbe, The Spectator) 'Frank McLynn has no doubt about Captain Cook's status... the finest maritime explorer in the history of the world... He proves it in a meticulous rollercoaster chronicle.' (Duncan Fallowell, Daily Express) 'A first-class biography by a prominent British historian, Frank McLynn.' (John M. Taylor, The Washington Times)"

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Young-Bruehl gives us the story of a woman so thoroughly of her time and circumstances that she epitomizes a historical moment. . . . [Her] thorough, beautifully written, erudite presentation of Hannah Arendt wisely emphasizes her signal contribution to philosophy and to political theory."—Julia Epstein, The Philadelphia Inquirer (Books/Leisure) (on the earlier edition)“Both a personal and an intellectual biography . . . It represents biography at its best.”—Peter Berger, front page, The New York Times Book Review“Indispensable to anyone interested in the life, the thought, or . . . the example of Hannah Arendt.”—Mark Feeney, Boston Globe"Philosophy is concerned with two matters: soluble questions that are trivial, and crucial questions that are insoluble. Hannah Arendt always knew the difference; her critics sometimes did. In the disparity lay the tragedies and consolations of a career still sparking debate 19 years after the appearance of her most controversial book."—Stefan Kanfer, Time (on earlier edition)"Young-Bruehl portrays the thinker's personal life and intellectual development within the context of the historical, political, and philosophical issues which informed Arendt's life and work. Insightful commentary on 20th-century philosophy, Jewish self-awareness, politics and moral thought after World War II, and Arendt's relationship to other thinkers and writers (including Heidegger, Jaspers, poets and editors) makes this a particularly well-rounded biographical study. Highly recommended for academic and large public libraries."—Library Journal (on the earlier edition)“A story of surprising drama . . . . At last, we can see Arendt whole.”—Jim Miller, Newsweek"In this scholarly and dramatic work, Elisabeth Young-Bruehl dramatically portrays one of the most prominent and controversial political philosophers of our time. . . . With a wealth of quotation, description, and explanation, Young-Bruehl . . . has created an intimate and powerful picture of Arendt, her work, and her world."—Lorraine Hermann, Christian Science Monitor (on earlier edition)"Highly sympathetic [and] comprehensive. . . . Young-Bruehl has unearthed revealing new material."—Publishers Weekly (on earlier edition)"She was a hero and a challenge: an impassioned advocate of public freedom, yet also a figure of Olympian reserve, imperious and remote. . . . Elisabeth Young-Bruehl, one of her former students, has written this first full-length biography based on extensive interviews and on her private papers. It is a story of surprising drama. . . . At last, we can see Arendt whole."—Jim Miller, Newsweek (on earlier edition)"An exemplary biography of one of the leading intellectual luminaries among the Jews from Germany who emigrated to this country in the wake of the Nazi rise to power. . . . Equally at home is discussing philosophical issues, offering psychological reflections, and simply recounting the life struggles of an immigrant and her community, the author has shared with us a portrait that will contribute greatly to our understanding of the century through which we have lived."—from the citation for the 1982 Kenneth B. Smilen Present Tense Award for the best book in Biography/Autobiography (on the earlier edition)"Elisabeth Young-Bruehl's Hannah Arendt is to be commended for its impressive mastery of twentieth-century central European history and its keen perception of the way events and philosophical probings coalesced in this displaced intellectual. The intimate exploration of Arendt's life and friendships illuminates the importance of her contribution to twentieth-century American thought, both through her writings and through her strong personal presence."—YUP Governor's Award citation (on the earlier edition)Winner of the 1983 Alfred Harcourt Prize Award for Biography and Memoirs Nominated for the 1983 National Jewish Book Award in History"Haunting and powerful, . . . [this book is an] exemplary adventure story engaging as well the life of the mind. . . . Young-Bruehl's accomplishment is of the highest order, and all of us who either knew Hannah Arendt of are acquainted with her writings owe an enormous debt to the author."—Norman Jacobson, University of California, Berkeley (on the earlier edition)

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Book SynopsisKarl Koenig explores the personal stories of twenty-nine pioneers whose work and experiences helped shape the late nineteenth-century.Table of ContentsAdalbert Stifter (1805–1868) Austrian writer and painterSamuel Hahnemann (1755–1843) Founder of homeopathyHelen Keller (1880–1968) Deaf-blind author and political activistErnst von Feuchtersleben (1806–1849) Austrian physician and philosopherJosef Breuer (1842–1925) Austrian physician who laid the foundations of psychoanalysisSigmund Freud (1856–1939) Founder of psychoanalysisJustinus Kerner (1786–1862) German poet and medical writerRudolf Virchow (1821–1902) German anthropologist and biologistWilhelm Dilthey (1833–1911) German philosopherRudolph Wagner (1865–1864) German anatomist and physiologistAlma Mahler (1879–1964) Austrian socialiteLou Salomé (1861–1937) Russian-born psychoanalyst and writerGustav Mahler (1860–1911) Austrian-Bohemian composerMarie Eugenie delle Grazie (1864–1931) Writer and dramatistKarl Eugen Neumann (1865–1915) Translator of Buddhist writingsRobert Owen (1771–1858) Industrialist and social reformerHarry Graf Kessler (1868–1937) Anglo-German diplomat and arts patronCharles Darwin (1809–1882) English naturalistCharles Grant (1841-1889) Scottish poet and literary criticAdolf von Hildebrand (1847–1921) German sculptorAnton Dohrn (1840–1909) German DarwinistHans von Mareés (1837–1887) German painterCarl Ludwig Schleich (1859–1922) German surgeon and writer

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Book SynopsisAn unconventional take on the oldest convention.Trade ReviewKristeva's and Sollers' shared love of literature and interpretation, their appreciation of each others' work is evident throughout this volume. These play a very real part in their fine art of marriage. As they explore its lineaments, they also share their deep knowledge of psychoanalysis and literature with us. -- Lisa Appignanesi, author of All About Love and Trials of Passion [Kristeva & Sollers's] performance, so smart, so practiced, is genuinely entertaining, enacted, as it is, by two people who are openly energized by showing off to and for one another. Their mutual enjoyment, as they go through their paces, is palpable. Clearly, intellectual busking is the glue that binds Kristeva and Sollers to one another. -- Vivian Gornick New Republic A fascinating book. -- Shahidha Bari Times Higher EducationTable of ContentsPreface: Adventure, by Philippe Sollers Preface: Harmonizing Our Foreignnesses, by Julia Kristeva 1. Complicity, Laughter, Hurt 2. Inner Experience Against the Current 3. Childhood and Youth of a French Writer 4. Love of the Other

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"[A] beautifully constructed, lucid, and brief new life of the dictator. . . . Written with fluent sobriety and humour the book is a constant pleasure to read. No book of history is ever definitive: new facts trickle out, new writers bring new perspectives to bear. This is the charm of the genre. But some history books can become classics for later generations. Khlevniuk’s Stalin is likely to be one of them."—Rodric Braithwaite, Journal of Soviet and Post-Soviet Studies"Authoritative, fluently written. . . . The pinnacle of current scholarship on its subject."—Charlotte Hobson, Spectator"This brilliant, authoritative, opinionated biography ranks as the best on Stalin in any language. Khlevniuk’s research is prodigious and covers a plethora of primary and secondary sources."—Martin McCauley, East-West Review"A historiographical and literary masterpiece, which undoubtedly will remain the standard biography of Stalin for decades to come."—Mark Edele, Australian Book ReviewWon the 2016 PROSE Award in Biography & Autobiography. The Prose Awards recognize the very best in professional and scholarly publishing. Presented by the Professional Schoarly Publishing (PSP) Dision of the Associaton of American Publishers (AAP)Awarded second prize for the Pushkin House Russian Book Prize for the Best Russian book in translation"Oleg Khlevniuk is incontestably the best Russian student of Soviet history. In this biography, he uses his experience and talents to give us an innovative and convincing portrait of the Soviet 'micromanaging' despot. The chapters dealing with the Terror, war, victory and the tragic postwar years break new ground. Stalin’s political and private life, his relationships with his immediate circle, his family and the 'Soviet people,' his intellectual capacities and his way of leading the country, as well as his cruelty and the system of power he built, come vividly to life, and one leaves the book with a much more profound understanding of some of Europe’s darkest decades."—Andrea Graziosi, author of the Histoire de l'URSS"Oleg Khlevniuk, master of the Russian archives, provides a fresh and acute analysis of Stalin the destroyer to confound revisionists who portray him as a state builder and modernizer."—Alfred J. Rieber, author of Stalin and the Struggle for Eurasia"Khlevniuk is one of the most knowledgeable historians of Stalin and his era. This excellent biography of Stalin represents the current state of scholarship, and should be read widely."—Hiroaki Kuromiya, author of Stalin: Profiles in Power"A superb account by the eminent scholar who pioneered the opening of the Soviet archives. Oleg Khlevniuk summarizes a lifetime of research, eschewing unsubstantiated anecdotes and tales and sticking to the documentary record, to produce an authoritative narrative of Stalin’s life and times."—Paul Gregory, Hoover Institution"No one in the world knows the inner workings of Soviet power in Stalin’s time better than Oleg Khlevniuk. Beautifully and artfully composed, deeply moral, and supremely readable, Stalin: New Biography of a Dictator will become the benchmark against which all future biographies of Stalin will be measured. A masterpiece."—Jan Plamper, author of The Stalin Cult: A Study in the Alchemy of Power

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Book SynopsisBorn Lev Davidovich Bronstein in southern Ukraine, Trotsky was an effective military strategist and an adept diplomat, who staked the fate of the Bolshevik revolution on the meagre foundation of a Europe-wide Communist upheaval. In this book, Trotsky emerges as a brilliant yet flawed man.Trade Review"An accessible scholarly account of a man whose life spanned continents, whose charisma was legendary and whose ideas sparked a revolution and its backlash."—Kirkus Reviews * Kirkus Reviews *"This trim book . . . pulls together all the essentials of the life of Leon Trotsky and the revolution he so significantly shaped into a seamless, intelligent, and wonderfully accessible synopsis."—Robert Legvold, Foreign Affairs -- Robert Legvold * Foreign Affairs * “. . . this is both a good read and a balanced, plausible interpretation of the man in his times. Rubenstein sees things to admire and deplore, and achieves the mix of empathy and critical distance a good biographer needs.”—Sheila Fitzpatrick, The Guardian -- Sheila Fitzpatrick * The Guardian *"In this new, concise biography, Rubenstein offers a more balanced view of Trotsky. . . . There are many reasons to commend this work — among them, Rubenstein’s depoliticization of its subject and the book’s succinctness and readability."—Peter Ephross, The Forward -- Peter Ephross * The Forward *

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Book SynopsisAn assessment of the life and work of renowned composer, Sergey Prokofiev, in which David Nice draws on a range of sources. He follows Prokofiev's personal and musical progression from his childhood on a Ukrainian country estate to the years he spent travelling in America and Europe.

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Book SynopsisThough her short life was vividly presented in Mister God, This is Anna, its huge success led to Fynn being inundated to write more about his experiences with her. Anna and the Black Knight introduces us to Mister John, a veteran of World War I and local schoolmaster, who was to have a profound effect on Anna. Anna's astonishing capacity for looking at things from fresh perspectives, and her fascination with mathematics and Mister God, stands her in good stead as her life is opened up to new things, such as school, priests and motor cars. This sequel also includes the full text of Anna's Book, reproductions of her own letters and writings. Her artless and transparent conversations speak to the heart and are recorded using her own unique and colourful spellings. The book is again illustrated throughout with Papas's unequalled drawings.Trade Review‘The explosive individuality of Anna is not sentimentally touching but sometimes almost frightening. I hope that a new edition will introduce a new generation to this formidable and astonishing figure.’ Dr Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury

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Book SynopsisAn illuminating new biography of the connoisseur who changed the art world and the way we see artTrade Review"A highly sympathetic and graceful portrait of Bernard Berenson, the art connoisseur and dealer who remade himself into a work of art, priced and priceless, which he protected, cultivated, and even at times bartered: Rachel Cohen's Bernard Berenson is an illuminating tale of this self-transformation, its successes and pitfalls, told with stalwart compassion."--Brenda Wineapple, author of Ecstatic Nation: Confidence, Crisis, and Compromise, 1848-1877 -- Brenda Wineapple"An insightful, richly detailed account of Bernard Berenson’s brilliant transformation from an immigrant Jew and son of a tin peddler into a connoisseur of Italian Renaissance painting and a dealer in secret partnership with Joseph Duveen. With the keen gaze that Berenson brought to a picture, Rachel Cohen analyzes his high-wire act of self-invention against the glittering, aristocratic, anti-Semitic world of art collecting."--Cynthia Saltzman -- Cynthia Saltzman"Cohen draws a psychological portrait of a man guided by passionate aesthetic ideals and tortured by the compromises in the world of commerce that he felt compelled to make. . . . If you live in an American city, there's a good chance that you can go to a museum today and see an exquisite Sienese Madonna, or a Venetian Holy Family, or a Florentine portrait. You have Berenson—and his collector-acolytes—to thank."—Hugh Eakin, Wall Street Journal -- Hugh Eakin * Wall Street Journal *"The most dynamic biography yet of the groundbreaking art historian Bernard Berenson...Cohen investigates Berenson’s contradictions, metamorphoses, and dramatically unconventional life with vivacious authority. . . . Cohen deftly channels the sweeping intensity of Berenson’s aesthetic ecstasy, hard-won expertise, surprising adventures, and vital legacy.”—Booklist, Starred Review * Booklist, Starred Review *"In her remarkable biography, Cohen approaches Berenson's life as a panorama full of artifice and profundity, whose brilliant flashes of color are inextricable from its substrates of shadow. The book leaves an indelible impression, not merely in the way it catalogues Berenson's accomplishments and failings, but also in its dissection of the struggle between desire and alienation that characterizes American art—and life—to this day."—Thomas Micchelli, Bookforum -- Thomas Micchelli * Bookforum *Book of the Week“[As] Rachel Cohen, the author of this elegantly written biography. . . .nicely puts it, Berenson was ‘a person whose capacity for metamorphosis approached that of a moth.’”—Martin Gayford, The Sunday Telegraph -- Martin Gayford * The Sunday Telegraph *“Rachel Cohen’s unobtrusively and thoroughly well written short volume skilfully negotiates the contradictory sides of Berenson’s character – the aesthete and the huckster; the man who lived only for art and the man who very much liked to surround himself with the appurtenances of wealth.”—Sam Leith, The Spectator -- Sam Leith * The Spectator *“Rachel Cohen has written an admirable short life...[and] a touching portrait”—James Stourton, Literary Review -- James Stourton * Literary Review *"Berenson's extraordinary and colorful life—from his humble birth in Lithuania, to Harvard and thence to his august and influential position as a critic and art historian, to the renowned splendor of his Florentine villa I Tatti—makes a rich and compelling subject. Ms. Cohen's remarkable book affords the occasion also for rumination upon self-invention and authenticity, upon the making of the man, and of taste, too."—Claire Messud, Wall Street Journal -- Claire Messud * Wall Street Journal *“Rachel Cohen who has written an extremely thoughtful and readable biography of Berenson”—Charles Saumarez-Smith, Apollo Magazine -- Charles Saumarez-Smith * Apollo Magazine *Chosen as a highly recommended book by the Boston Authors Club in 2014. -- Honorable Mention * Boston Authors Club *"An absorbing new biography."—Jewish Daily Forward * Jewish Daily Forward *‘This book proves to be a remarkably balanced treatment of a profoundly complicated and compelling life.’—Robert Simon, Burlington Magazine -- Robert Simon * Burlington Magazine *"An irresistibly readable and accessible account of this complicated character, who could be by turns brilliant and petty, generous toward others and scornful of himself, an inveterate philanderer and a staunch husband."—Ann Landl, ARTnews -- Ann Landl * ARTnews *Shortlisted for the 2015 Jewish Quarterly Wingate Prize 2014 -- Wingate Prize * Jewish Quarterly *

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Book SynopsisJohn Merrick had lived for more than twenty years imprisoned in a body that condemned him to a miserable life in the workhouse and to humiliation as a circus sideshow freak. But beneath that tragic exterior, within that enormous and deformed head, thrived the soul of a poet, the heart of a dreamer, the longings of a man. Merrick was doomed to suffer forever—until the kind Dr. Treves gave him the first real home in the London Hospital and the town's most beautiful and esteemed actress made possible Merrick's cherished dream of human contact—and love.

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Book SynopsisTen years after his classic Rain Men - ''cricket''s answer to Fever Pitch,'' said the Daily Telegraph - Marcus Berkmann returns to the strange and wondrous world of village cricket, where players sledge their team-mates, umpires struggle to count up to six, the bails aren''t on straight and the team that fields after a hefty tea invariably loses. This time he''s on the trail of the Ageing Cricketer, having suddenly realised that he is one himself and playing in a team with ten others every weekend. In their minds they run around the field as fast as ever; it''s only their legs that let them down. ZIMMER MEN asks all the important questions of middle-aged cricketers. Why is that boundary rope suddenly so far away? Are you doomed to getting worse as a cricketer, or could you get better? How many pairs of trousers will your girth destroy in one summer? Chronicling the 2004 season, with its many humiliating defeats and random injuries, this coruscatingly funny new book laughs in the face oTrade ReviewA book about, and for, anyone whose dreams outreach their abilities * GUARDIAN *[a] humorous masterpiece to treasure * INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY *Berkmann's observation and wit reveals all that's truly great about cricket and the spirit of the sport. The Game of Life as it should be played. * LADS MAG *Berkmann's acute powers of observation, especially of the ageing male species, are cutting but accurate. And under his penmanship the generalisation is wholly reasonable. * INDEPENDENT *

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