Biography

Comedian, teatime talk show host and all-round entertainer, multi-award winning Paul O'Grady is one of the most popular figures on British television.But his real-life journey has been more dramatic than any of his on-stage stories.Born into a noisy Irish Catholic household in Birkenhead, Paul was… More

First published in 1977, this book explores biography in the post-Renaissance period and investigates some of the problems implicit in this literary form. The introduction considers various aspects of biographical theory as expressed by practitioners and critics. The rest of the book is a detailed… More

…art of biography. Indeed, if there is any art in biography, it is the rare reviewer that acknowledges it or knows how to discuss it. Usually the reviewer regards biography as an occasion to wax eloquent about what he or she thinks of the subject. Little space, if any, is devoted to the biography's… More

Romantic biography lives. Despite the so-called 'death of the author', popular interest in the lives of the major Romantic writers has reached a new peak. Romantic Biography brings together Romantic biographers and critics to consider some of the key questions surrounding this publishing phenomenon.… More

…the first sailing ships spied the Antarctic coastline in 1820, the frozen continent has captured the world's imagination. David Day's brilliant biography of Antarctica describes in fascinating detail every aspect of this vast land's history--two centuries of exploration, scientific investigation,… More

For centuries it was suspected that there must be an undiscovered continent in the southern hemisphere. But explorers failed to find one. On his second voyage to the Pacific, Captain Cook sailed further south than any of his rivals but still failed to sight land. It was not until 1820 that the… More

Bono is a passionate, articulate celebrity who has transcended his role as international rock star and become an effective political activist. This book provides insights into his life story and contributions to both popular culture and politics. â ¢ Contains many direct quotes from Bono's speeches… More

In this clear, concise, and captivating book, renowned scientist, environmentalist and bestselling author David Suzuki tells the life story of a stately tree on the Pacific coast of North America. Lyrical and richly detailed, with stunning illustrations by Canadian artist Robert Bateman, Tree tells… More

This is the first complete biography of the last of the great British comedians, published to coincide with his 80th birthday in November 2007. More

Clint Eastwoodâ actor, director, composer, musician, and politicianâ is undeniably one of the most prolific and accomplished celebrities of the modern age. This book provides insights into Eastwood's life and entire career, from early television appearances to recent award-winning films. â ¢… More

From the moment Colin Firth took on the role of Mr Darcy in the 1995 BBC adaptation of 'Pride and Prejudice', emerging from the lake in 'that scene', he was set on a path from sex symbol to national treasure and Hollywood star. More

Flush: A Biography, an imaginative biography of Elizabeth Barrett Browning's cocker spaniel, is a cross-genre blend of fiction and nonfiction by Virginia Woolf published in 1933 and reprinted in 2005 by Persephone Books. Written after the completion of her emotionally draining The Waves, the work… More

Essays in Biography is a play on words conveying Carl Rollyson's attempt to explore the nature of biography in pieces about the history of the genre and in portrayals of biographers (Plutarch, Leon Edel, and W. A. Swanberg), literary figures (Lillian Hellman, Jack London), philosophers and critics… More

…in a living context together with others.â In this major new biography, Stefan MÃŒller-Doohm turns this maxim back on Adorno himself and provides a rich and comprehensive account of the life and work of one of the most brilliant minds of the twentieth century. This authoritative biography range More

A scholarly, passionate and brilliantly-written biography of Pablo Picasso by Patrick Oâ Brian, the famous author of the much-loved Aubrey-Maturin series, reissued in a stunning new cover. Patrick Oâ Brianâ s outstanding biography of Picasso explores comprehensively the life of this awe-inspiring… More

The definitive biography of one of pop music's most private stars. Annie Lennox of the Eurythmics has always been an enigma, ill at ease with the trappings of fame, and giving away little about herself, but now the writers have given her the biography she deserves: compelling, sympathetic,… More

The first biography of the great historian whose career was made and unmade by Hitler. Hugh Trevor-Roper's life is a rich subject for a biography - with elements of Greek tragedy, comedy and moments of high farce. Clever, witty and sophisticated, Trevor-Roper was the most brilliant historian of his… More

Frank Collymore: A Biography is the first book-length biography of Frank Collymore, Barbadian educator, poet, editor, stage actor, mentor and tireless promoter of West Indies Literature. Born at Woodville Cottage in Saint Michael in 1893, Collymore became an invaluable contributor to the arts and… More

…in 2012, Pascal Mérigeau's definitive biography of legendary film director Jean Renoir is a landmark work-the winner of a Prix Goncourt, France's top literary achievement. Now available in the English language for the first time, Jean Renoir: A Biography, is the definitive study of one of the most… More

**The first complete biography of Cadwallader Colden (1688-1776), the longest-serving Lieutenant Governor of New York and a brilliant intellectual, multifaceted colonial Renaissance man, and consummate royalist.  ** This is the first complete biography of Cadwallader Colden (1688-1776), one of the… More

…This comprehensively revised edition of Jad Adams's classic biography, is written with unparalleled access to Benn's private records, and describes the long and turbulent career of one of the most charismatic politicians of the last hundred years. The first biography to have been written with full More

First published in 1996, Mary Street Alinder's biography of Ansel Adams remains the only full biography of one of the greatest American photographers. Alinder is a respected scholar, and also had a close connection to Adams, serving as his chief assistant in the last five years of his life. The… More

…provide students and teachers with short books on important aspects of Shakespeare criticism and scholarship. Each book is written by an authority in its field, and combines accessible style with original discussion of its subject. Shakespeare and Biography is not a new biography of Shakespeare More

The first biography written with Paul McCartney's approval and with access to family members and friends closest to him. Superbly evoking half a century of popular music and culture, Paul McCartney is the definitive life of a long-misunderstood genius. In this masterly biography, history's most… More

The definitive biography of Cristiano Ronaldo, named Football Book of the Year at the Cross Sports Book Awards 2016 Fully updated to include the 2015-16 season Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the greatest footballers of all time, a dream he pursued from the age of just twelve when he left his humble… More

The first ever biography of one of Canadaâ s best-known and most colourful personalities by an award-winning author. From his northern childhood on, it was clear that Pierre Berton (1920â 2004) was different from his peers. Over the course of his eighty-four years, he would become the most famous… More

…a distinctively American sensibility in his work, had a lifelong love of the work of Oliver Goldsmith, an Anglo-Irish poet and novelist. Over a period of years, Irving expanded a brief biography he had written about Goldsmith into this comprehensive work that is lauded for its depth and insight. More

Janet Morganâ s definitive and authorised biography of Agatha Christie, with a new retrospective foreword by the author. Agatha Christie (1890â 1976), the worldâ s bestselling author, is a public institution. Her creations, Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple, have become fictionâ s most legendary… More

…anchor as her husband rose to the presidency, Michelle Obama is to many the consummate life partner in politics and the epitome of the 21st-century working mom. Michelle Obama: A Biography offers an unprecedented look at one of the most captivating women of our time, one who is sure to add her More

…Hollywood actor to governor of California and two-term President of the United States. There is no doubt that Ronald Reagan was one of the most complex and fascinating personalities of our time. Ronald Reagan: A Biography captures all the varied aspects of Reagan's life and career, portraying him More

Sonia Sotomayor: A Biography is an overview of Justice Sotomayor's life and career from her childhood to her ascent to the Supreme Court. It is also an early assessment of her performance on the court, her relationships with her colleagues, and the particular influence she is likely to exert on… More

This is the first authoritative biography of Slobodan Milosevic, currently on trial at The Hague for crimes against humanity. Adam LeBor, a critically acclaimed author and journalist who covered the Yugoslav Wars for the Independent and The Times, documents the life of a man whose policies… More

The classic biography of Alfred Wainwright. Alfred Wainwright's unique hand-drawn and hand-written PICTORIAL GUIDES TO THE LAKELAND FELLS have been an inspiration to walkers for over forty years. Yet despite many bestselling books and three television series, Wainwright remained an intensely private… More

The biography of Danny Blanchflower In these days of player' agents, corporate hospitality, share options and television bonuses, it's often the football, the glory and the romance of the game, that gets overlooked. Back in the 1950s and 1960s there was no footballer in love with his trade than… More

An awe-inspiring, inspirational and rollicking biography of the big-hearted, pioneering philanthropic eye-surgeon, Fred Hollows, written by his close friend, Australia's most trusted journalist, Ray Martin. Public opinion polls consistently place Fred Hollows next to Sir Donald Bradman as the most… More

Biography as a literary genre is largely the product of the eighteenth century and of one seminal work, James Boswell's Life of Samuel Johnson (1791). Boswell's innovations revolutionized the genre and made it the target of suppression and censorship. He sought not only to memorialize a great man… More

The devastating effect of Prince Albert's death on Queen Victoria is the stuff of legend, and in this fascinating biography Robert Rhodes James reveals the extraordinary man who inspired her devotion. An incredibly human portrait, this vivid account traces Albert's life from beginning to end,… More

A classic biography of one of the greatest spiritual teachers of our times In 1909, when he was just fourteen, Krishnamurti was proclaimed the world teacher in whom Maitreya, the Bodhisattva of compassion, would manifest. The proclamation was made by Annie Besant, then president of the Theosophical… More

…Robert Service has written a calmly authoritative biography on this seemingly unknowable figure. Making use of recently opened archives, he has been able to piece together the private as well as the public life, giving the first complete picture of Lenin. This biography simultaneously provi More

The first new biography for a generation of one of the great figures of English literature Poet, essayist, biographer, lexicographer, critic, conversationalist and wit, Dr Johnson is one of the great figures of English literature, perhaps the most quoted English writer after Shakespeare. Our view of… More

Long-awaited and comprehensive biography of the great Irish author James Joyce James Joyce was one of the greatest writers of the twentieth century, but he was not immediately recognised as such; rather he lived in exile in the cosmopolitan Europe of the 1920s in a bid to escape the suffocating… More

… nominated turn opposite James Dean in Rebel Without a Cause and his tragic murder at the age of thirty-seven. Finally, in this riveting new biography filled with exclusive, candid interviews with both Mineoâ s closest female and male lovers and never-before-published photographs, Michael Gregg… More

Whereas other books about Madonna have been based on previously published material, this biography is the result of fifteen years of exclusive interviews with people who are speaking publicly for the first time, including close friends, business associates and even family members. Acclaimed… More

Sherlock Holmes: The Unauthorized Biography blends what we already know of the great sleuth's career with carefully documented social history to answer the questions admirers have long puzzled over. Nick Rennison reveals for the first time Holmes's influence on the political events of… More

…uncle and nephew team of DJ Redfoo (Stefan Kendal Gordy) and DJ SkyBlu (Skyler Austen Gordy). But, in order to truly understand LMFAO, you must first understand where they came from. LMFAO: An Unauthorized Biography profiles the lives and careers of Redfoo and SkyBlu, stemming from their experienc More

The most detailed and revealing biography to date of a Hollywood great. Steve McQueen is that rare Hollywood combination of a classic actor and a style icon in the tradition of James Dean. â The King of Coolâ , as he was dubbed, was at one time the highest-paid film star in the world, a status… More

Widely considered to be the most important biography of Nelson Mandela, Antony Sampsonâ s remarkable book has been updated with an afterword by acclaimed South African journalist, John Battersby. Long after his presidency of South Africa, Nelson Mandela remained an inspirational figure to millions… More

A comprehensive, compelling biography following the life and style of the inimitable Elsa Schiaparelli by renowned biographer Meryle Secrest. One of the most extraordinary fashion designers of the twentieth century, Elsa Schiaparelli was an integral figure in the artistic movement of the times. Her… More

THE GROUNDBREAKING NEW BIOGRAPHY OF A MAN WITH ONE OF THE MOST ICONIC AND FASCINATING CAREERSâ AND LIVESâ IN HOLLYWOOD.   For five decades, Jack Nicholson has been part of film history. With twelve Oscar nominations to his credit and legendary roles in films like Easy Rider, Five Easy Pieces,… More

…As a lawyer, he won the Supreme Court Case Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka that integrated all public schools in the United States. But Marshall's contributions extend far beyond significantly advancing the civil rights movement in this nation. Thurgood Marshall: A Biography discusses the l More

A national symbol of romance since the 1970s, Redford's stardom has often eclipsed the life and trials of the man himself. In this biography -- written with Redford's personal papers, journals, script notes, correspondence, and hundreds of hours of taped interviews -- Michael Feeney Callan strips… More

Katy Perry: A Biography examines who the young woman behind the hit songs, explicit lyrics, racy album covers, unconventional dress, and sometimes odd behavior really is. Through this nine-chapter narration of Perry's life, readers will gain insight into all stages of her development as a person and… More

The engaging biography of one of the most celebrated and enduring authors of Western literature Charles Dickens grew up in harsh poverty and became one of the worldâ s most beloved authors. Biographer Fred Kaplan takes a brilliant, multifaceted approach in his examination of Dickensâ s life: his… More

…albums and won numerous awards, including five Grammys and two BRITS. At the same time she has become an object of fascination for celebrity magazines the world over thanks to her tumultuous personal life. This intimate biography follows her life story, with details of her father's drug addiction More

…and screen mannerisms are legion, and his guy-next-door-cum-superhero image has found a hysterically appreciative following among millions of moviegoers. Naman Ramachandranâ s marvellous biography recounts Rajiniâ s career in meticulous detail, tracing his incredible cinematic journey from A More

…Arkansas opens up the vault to friend and biographer W. Scott Lamb (Pujols: More Than the Game, 2011) to tell his life story. In this thoroughly unique biography of one of the most likeable, influential leaders in America, Lamb covers the entire scope of Mike Huckabeeâ s life and career. With ful More

This fascinating biography of Freddie Mercury which received outstanding acclaim from Queen and rock fans worldwide, has now been updated for reissue to coincide with the release of the film about his life. Laura Jackson addresses topics including: * The reality behind Queen's flamboyant front man… More

…is one of the most brilliant, successful and intriguing of the new manager/coaches to emerge from British football. Alex Montgomery's acclaimed biography brings O'Neill's story right up to date with an account of his first few months in charge at Aston Villa and deals with every aspect of his life… More

…him nearly forty years to complete. Grant attacks writing much like George Lucas tackled Star Wars; lets do it in the wrong order, start somewhere in the middle and work backwards. Although it was written first, Biography of a Wildman represents volume two in Grants saga and is a detailed account of More

This affectionate and in-depth biography examines the incredible life of this remarkable man. From his early life growing up in a pub in Sussex, through the scandals he encountered as an editor, to how his life has taken a new turn with his stateside career and recent marriage.Piers Morgan is one of… More