biographies

Read about the incredible life and career of LeBron James.

"Celebrates the life of a musical genius [Duke Ellington], detailing hundreds of his compositions and uncountable concert appearances"--OCLC.

"[Tells] the dramatic story of Phillis Wheatley, an African-American poet who refused to marry a man she had never met and return with him to Africa as a missionary. She was enslaved in Africa as a child and transported to Boston, where she was sold to an evangelical family. Agreeing to the proposed marriage--arranged by Congregationalist minister Samuel Hopkins--would have echoed the social mores of the time, particularly those for enslaved black women. However, due to her prodigious talents as a poet, Wheatley won her freedom a year prior to Hopkins' arrangement, allowing her to take her future into her own hands"--OCLC.

"Which Native American leader left the most lasting legacy, Geronimo or Sitting Bull? Most Americans and many people worldwide have heard these two famous names. Today, however, the general public knows little about the lives of these great leaders. During the second half of the nineteenth century when they opposed white intrusion and expansion into their territories, just the mention of their names could spark fear or anger. After they surrendered to the army and lived in captivity, they evoked curiosity and sympathy for the plight of the American Indian. Author Bill Markley offers a thoughtful and entertaining examination of these legendary lives in this new joint biography of these two great leaders"--Provided by publisher.

A biography of George Armstong Custer, focusing on his childhood and early military career before his unfortunate fall at the Battle of Little Bighorn.

"Oil magnate J. Paul Getty, once the richest man in the world, is the patriarch of an extraordinary cast of sons, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. While some have been brought low by mental illness, drug addiction, and one of the most sensational kidnapping cases of the twentieth century, many of Getty's heirs have achieved great success, [making] significant marks in a variety of fields. Now, across four continents, a new generation of Gettys is emerging--and not coasting on the dynasty's still-immense wealth. A far-flung yet close-knit group, the ascendant Gettys are bringing this family onto the global stage in the twenty-first century. Through extensive research, including access to J. Paul Getty's diaries and love letters, and interviews with family members and friends, [this book] offers an inside look into the benefits and burdens of being part of today's world of the ultra-wealthy"--Provided by publisher.

"Barbara Pym lived through extraordinary times. Throughout social and political upheaval, she wrote diaries, notes, letters, stories and more than a dozen novels, which often reflected the themes of Pym's own experience. [In this book,] Paula Byrne brings Barbara Pym back to center stage as one of the great English novelists: a generous, shrewdly perceptive writer and a brave woman with an unparalled sense of fun"--Provided by publisher.

"Overturn everything you knew about history's greatest minds in this raucous and hilarious book, where it turns out there's a finer line between 'genius' and 'idiot' than we've previously known. As Albert Einstein almost certainly never said, everyone is a genius--but if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid. So begins Katie Spalding's spunky takedown of the Western canon, and how genius may not be as irrefutably great as we commonly understand. While most of us may never become Einstein, it may surprise you to learn that there's probably a bunch of stuff you can do that Einstein couldn't. And, as Spalding shows, the famous prodigies she explores here were quite odd by any definition"--Amazon.

"This . . . book takes on Churchill in his entirety, separating the man from the myth that he . . . cultivated, and scrutinizing his legacy on both sides of the Atlantic. In . . . prose, . . . [the author] illuminates key moments and controversies in Churchill's career--from the tragedy of Gallipoli, to his . . . imperialist and racist attitudes, dealings with Ireland, support for Zionism, and complicated engagement with European integration. Charting the evolution and appropriation of Churchill's reputation through to the present day, [this book] . . . renders the nuance and complexity of this giant of modern politics"--Provided by publisher.

"Physicist Stephen Hawking was a scientist for the modern age. He is as renowned for his theories on time and space as he is for his unique life story. Undeterred by a debilitating illness, he trained his mind to work in a new way to become the leading light in modern science. This . . . researched biography tells Hawking's story, highlighting his scientific breakthroughs and how, despite his struggle with a degenerative condition, he became . . . [a] celebrated and inspiring scientist of his generation"--Provided by publisher.