Countless biographers have tried to unveil the real Jean-Paul Sartre without his consent or cooperation. Only John Gerassi--the "non-godson" of Sartre, an atheist--was honored with the responsibility of being Sartre's official biographer. After drafting the commission with Sartre on the...

Named "one of the best books of 2006" by The New York Sun Described by Carl Van Doren as "a harmonious human multitude," Benjamin Franklin was the most famous American of his time, of perhaps any time. His life and careers were so varied and successful that he remains, even today,...

The Pilgrim Edition of the Letters of Charles Dickens Volume 1. 1820-1839

From Bing Crosby's early days in college minstrel shows and vaudeville, to his first hit recordings, from his 11 year triumph as star of America's most popular radio show, to his first success in Hollywood, Gary Giddins provides a detailed study of the rise of this American star.

Revealing the early forces that helped shape Ernest Hemingway as one of America's greatest writers--his father's self-destructive battle with depression and his mother's fierce independence and spiritualism--this volume of Michael Reynold's extensive biography brings young Ernest through World War I...

In the first authorized biography of W. B. Yeats for over 50 years, Roy Foster brings new light to one of the most complex and fascinating lives of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. Working from a great archive of personal and contemporary material, he dramatically alters traditional...

A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK OF THE YEAR * A Pulitzer Prize-winning historian takes us as close as we have ever been to the real John F. Kennedy in this revelatory biography of the iconic, yet still elusive, thirty-fifth president. "An utterly incandescent study of one...

The second volume plunges into the White House years and the Great Depression, the time when Eleanor exerted enormous influence over the course of the country. In the thirties, Eleanor becomes even more surprising and multifaceted. A loyal wife, a devoted mother, a woman who courted romance and...

The Years of Lyndon Johnson is the political biography of our time. No president--no era of American politics--has been so intensively and sharply examined at a time when so many prime witnesses to hitherto untold or misinterpreted facets of a life, a career, and a period of history could...

What biography series is complete without a title on the current U.S. President: Barack Obama? The election of an African American president was truly a monumental day in American history. His legacy will live on as a barrier-breaker and a pioneer. Learn all about our 44th President in this...

An inspiring story of a modern American icon, here is the first comprehensive account of the life and times of Michelle Obama. With disciplined reporting and a storyteller's eye for revealing detail, Peter Slevin follows Michelle to the White House from her working-class childhood on Chicago's...

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * Discover the global phenomenon that tells an unforgettable story of love, loss, courage, and healing. "Compellingly artful . . . [a] blockbuster memoir."--The New Yorker (Best Books of the Year) It was one of the most...

This biography provides a well-rounded analysis of Queen Charlotte by considering her own perspectives on queenship and her role in Britain.

NATIONAL BESTSELLER . A MULANEY READS PICK . A kaleidoscopic history of the Grateful Dead that explores the American counterculture through the life of iconoclastic frontman Jerry Garcia, and his merry band "By writing this book, Jim Newton informs the rest of the world what...

A complete, nuanced study of Laura Bush's work as first lady, which blended the traditional feminine expectations of the role with the political agenda and global advocacy of the modern office. Jill Abraham Hummer, a leading expert on first ladies, adds to the highly acclaimed Modern First...

A groundbreaking exploration of one of America's most iconic and misunderstood authors Edgar Allan Poe: A Life is the most comprehensive critical biography of Poe yet produced, exploring his fascinating life, his extraordinary work, and the vital...

An in-depth look at one of the film industry's most audacious working actors In 1982, a gangly teenager named Nicolas Coppola made his film debut and changed his name to Nicolas Cage, determined to distance himself from his famous family. Once he achieved stardom as the rebel hunk of 1983's Valley...

Unique among presidents' wives, Lady Bird Johnson was not only one of the leading environmentalists of the twentieth century, she also redefined the institution of First Lady. In this first book in an innovative new series, Lewis Gould shows why Mrs. Johnson ranks with Eleanor Roosevelt as a...

Born four months apart, Bruce Springsteen and Billy Joel both released their debut albums in the early 1970s, quickly becoming two of the most successful rock stars of their generation. While their critical receptions have been very different, surprising parallels emerge when we look at the arcs of...

Abraham Lincoln drew upon history in his political career and particularly when crafting the rhetorical masterpieces that still resonate in the present day. Jesse Derber explores how Lincoln's views of the limits of human understanding drove a belief in--and untiring pursuit of--historical truth....