Cold winter days are perfect for
reading biographies of the people who have shaped history, culture, politics
and entertainment. Scott Eyman has made
a name for himself writing about Hollywood.
His latest book discusses one of Hollywood’s most famous and most enduring
actors. This exhaustive look at Wayne
was started before the Duke’s death.
Eyman interviewed Wayne and family members. He draws on previously unpublished
reminiscences from friends, family and associates as well as documents from
Wayne’s production company. Over 600
pages of text delves into Wayne’s life with more authority than previous
publications.
Bruce Allen
Murphy is another author with expertise.—not of Hollywood, but of the U.S.
Supreme Court. His latest book Scalia, a Court of One examines the
history of Justice Antonin Scalia.
Called one of the most outspoken and polarizing Supreme Court justices,
Scalia’s career has not evolved in the way Court watchers expected. Rather than uniting the conservative
majority, Scalia’s personality has isolated him from his colleagues and
provided plenty of fodder for critics.
Gail
Sheehy’s writing career has resulting in sixteen books and numerous articles
for New York magazine. Her book Passages
has been named one of the ten most influential books of our times by the
Library of Congress. Her autobiography Daring, My Passages recounts her
groundbreaking career as a 1960’s “girl” journalist. Sheehy reflects on desire, ambition and
wanting it all, and how she managed to achieve it all.
The fourth
President of the United States, James Madison, has been misunderstood and
underappreciated for years. Lynne Cheney
tries to rectify this situation in James
Madison, a Life Reconsidered.
Madison was not only the intellectual force behind the creation of the
Constitution, but was essential to its ratification. He also worked tirelessly to secure passage
of the Bill of Rights. He lead the First
Congress and served as President Washington’s chief advisor. Cheney explores Madison’s genius and debunks
myths that have burdened his reputation.
Worthy Fights by Leon Panetta with Jim
Newton is a look at a politician who never shied away He has been labeled a man who
accepted two of the most consequential careers of any American public servant
in the past fifty years. Panetta
accepted the position of Director of the CIA in 2009. He moved the CIA from a state of turmoil back
to the vital center of America’s war on terrorism. Following the death of Osama bin Laden he
served as U.S. Secretary of Defense and inherited two troubled wars. This autobiography is not only a personal
memoir, but a look at the defining events and people who have shaped our recent
history.
Robin
Roberts has captivated viewers on Good Morning America with her poise, humor
and honesty. Her autobiography Everybody’s Got Something is no
different. This book recounts her battle
with breast cancer and the rare blood disorder MDS. Roberts weaves her own personal history and
family throughout the book to explain how she coped with two devastating
diagnosis in the course of five years.
This inspirational book will be enjoyed by fans of Roberts as well as
those who have struggled with a major illness.
Jimmy Stewart Bomber Pilot by Starr
Smith recounts the military career of one of Hollywood’s brightest stars during
World War II. Stewart enlisted in the army several months
before the attack on Pearl Harbor. He
was at the height of his fame but felt it was his duty to serve his country. His transition from Hollywood star to
decorated bomber pilot is told in this book filled with historical facts and
personal anecdotes.
What so Proudly We Hailed by Marc
Leepson focuses on the life of songwriter and patriot Francis Scott Key. The Star
Spangled Banner was written under dramatic and unlikely conditions. Key was on the deck of a British warship in
Baltimore harbor during the all-night Battle of Baltimore. Contradictions were a way of life for Francis
Scott Key. He was a slave owner who
fought slave trafficking and defended slaves in court for free. He was an influential confidant and adviser
to Andrew Jackson. He circulated with
intellectuals of the era and played a little-known but important role in
shaping the early policies of the United States.
During the
Roaring Twenties, architect Charles-Edouard Jeanneret-Gris renamed himself Le
His career evolved over the
next fifty years so include some of the most important structures in the world
as well as architectural and planning theories still used today. Anthony Flint presents a picture of Le
Corbusier in Modern Man, the Life of Le
Crobusier, Architect of Tomorrow.
Using archival materials, interviews and the buildings themselves, Flint
explains Le Corbusier’s legacy.
These and
many other biographies await the reader on the shelves at the Peter White
Public Library.
By Pam Christensen
Library Director
John Wayne, The Life and Legend
No comments:
Post a Comment