Cash: The Autobiography

Cash: The Autobiography Review

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He was the "Man in Black," a country music legend, and the quintessential American troubadour. He was an icon of rugged individualism who had been to hell and back, telling the tale as never before. In his unforgettable autobiography, Johnny Cash tells the truth about the highs and lows, the struggles and hard-won triumphs, and the people who shaped him.

In his own words, Cash set the record straight -- and dispelled a few myths -- as he looked unsparingly at his remarkable life: from the joys of his boyhood in Dyess, Arkansas to superstardom in Nashville, Tennessee, the road of Cash's life has been anything but smooth. Cash writes of the thrill of playing with Elvis, the comfort of praying with Billy Graham; of his battles with addiction and of the devotion of his wife, June; of his gratitude for life, and of his thoughts on what the afterlife may bring. Here, too, are the friends of a lifetime, including Willie Nelson, Roy Orbison, Bob Dylan, and Kris Kristofferson. As powerful and memorable as one of his classic songs, Cash is filled with the candor, wit, and wisdom of a man who truly "walked the line."

James Joyce: A New Biography

James Joyce: A New Biography Review

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A revealing new biography—the first in more than fifty years—of one of the twentieth-century’s towering literary figures

James Joyce is one of the greatest writers of the twentieth century, his novels and stories foundational in the history of literary modernism. Yet Joyce’s genius was by no means immediately recognized, nor was his success easily won. At twenty-two he chose a life of exile; he battled poverty and financial dependency for much of his adult life; his out-of-wedlock relationship with Nora Barnacle was scandalous for the time; and the attitudes he held towards Ireland, England, sexuality, politics, Catholicism, popular culture—to name a few—were complex, contradictory, and controversial.

            Gordon Bowker draws on material recently come to light and reconsiders the two signal works produced about Joyce’s life—Herbert Gorman’s authorized biography of 1939 and Richard Ellman’s magisterial tome of 1959—and, most importantly by binding together more intimately than has ever before been attempted the life and work of this singular artist, Gordon Bowker here gives us a masterful, fresh, eminently readable contribution to our understanding, both of Joyce’s personality and of the monumental opus he created.  

            Bowker goes further than his predecessors in exploring Joyce’s inner depths—his ambivalent relationships to England, to his native Ireland, and to Judaism—uncovering revealing evidence. He draws convincing correspondences between the iconic fictional characters Joyce created and their real-life models and inspirations. And he paints a nuanced portrait of a man of enormous complexity, the clearest picture yet of an extraordinary writer who continues to influence and fascinate over a century after his birth. Widely acclaimed on publication in Britain last year, perhaps the highest compliment paid was by Chris Proctor, of London’s Tribune: “Bowker’s success is to lead you back to the texts, perhaps understanding them better for this rich account of the maddening insane genius who wrote them.”

 

Whitney Houston: An Unauthorized Biography

Whitney Houston: An Unauthorized Biography Review

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She still wondered, "Am I good enough? Am I pretty enough? Will they like me?" It was the burden that made her great and the part that caused her to stumble in the end. If you could hear me, no I would tell you, you weren't just good enough, you were great. -- Kevin Costner

We all read the same stories and found ourselves believing the rumors. The stories of drug use and drunken nights out, her problems with money and marriage, and even those about how much Kevin Costner despised working with her on the film, The Bodyguard, because of her diva-like ways. But quotes like the one above, along with everything else Kevin Costner shared about his friendship with Whitney Houston, can't help but make you wonder just how misunderstood she really was.

This book takes you full circle through Whitney Houston's life, starting with her first solo in her mother's choir at the New Hope Baptist Church in New Jersey to her funeral in that very same church. Every page will give you more and more insight into the tragic superstar, leaving you with an understanding of just how incredible she was, even when the tabloids were declaring otherwise.

Yeager: An Autobiography

Yeager: An Autobiography Review

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General Chuck Yeager, the greatest test pilot of them all -- the first man to fly faster than the speed of sound . . .the World War II flying ace who shot down a Messerschmitt jet with a prop-driven P-51 Mustang . . .the hero who defined a certain quality that all hotshot fly-boys of the postwar era aimed to achieve: the right stuff.



Now Chuck Yeager tells his whole incredible life story with the same "wide-open, full throttle" approach that has marked his astonishing career.  What it was really like enaging in do-or-die dogfights over Nazi Europe.  How after being shot over occupied France, Yeager somehow managed to escape.  The amazing behind-the-scenes story of smashing the sound barrier despite cracked ribs from a riding accident days before.



The entire story is here, in Yeager's own words, and in wondeful insights from his wife and those friends and colleagues who have known him best.  It is the personal and public story of a man who settled for nothing less than excellence, a one-of-a-kind portrait of a true American hero.

An Autobiography

An Autobiography Review

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Trollope's autobiography, despite causing him problems with critics after his death for his attitudes to writing, is considered one of the most significant autobiographies of its period.

The Autobiography of a Flea, Book 3

The Autobiography of a Flea, Book 3 Review

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Third in our favorite insect's observations of (and participations in) the erotic events occurring at St. Thaddeus.

The Child's Book of American Biography

The Child's Book of American Biography Review

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The Child's Book of American Biography is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by Mary Stoyell Stimpson is in the English language, and may not include graphics or images from the original edition. If you enjoy the works of Mary Stoyell Stimpson then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection.