biography

Draws on period letters and papers to chronicle the opening of the first permanent English settlement in the New World, describing the day-to-day existence of the British men and women who dreamed of finding gold and prosperity in the New World and instead found hardship and misery.

Traces the history of Rockefeller Center, discussing how money, politics, art, architecture, business, and society helped shape the Center's history and the ways it redefined New York City.

The author chronicles the life of his father, a Russian Jew who came to New York at the turn of the century searching for a better life and instead finding frustration and tragedy; and examines their difficult relationship.

Chronicles the life of Edward Bulwer, discussing how he gained fame throughout mid-nineteenth-century Europe but after the First World War his reputation became tarnished, causing his works to become less widely read.

Tells the story of William Adams, an Englishman who was part of a Dutch crew that arrived in Japan in 1600 in hopes of opening trade, discussing how he became a favorite in the ruling shogun's court, and his later attempts to extend trade privileges to England.

Tells the story of German Jewish entrepreneur Max Schohl and his family, describing their attempts to emigrate to the U.S., Great Britain, Chile, and Brazil--all to which they were denied entrance--and Max's death at Auschwitz.

The author describes his privileged life in Havana before he was sent at the age of eleven to the U.S. in 1962, in the wake of the Cuban Revolution.

Norma Barzman discusses her experiences as a Hollywood screenwriter, focusing on her marriage to follow writer Ben Barzman, their exile in France due to the blacklisting of the McCarthy era, and the lasting effect it had on their lives.

Donnell Alexander chronicles the experiences he had growing up in Sandusky, Ohio, as the son of a man who took on a thousand identities but skimped on fatherhood.

The author profiles twenty-six influential twentieth-century Americans--including Presidents, entertainers, business leaders, and other famous figures--and discusses their effect on American life and politics.