New Biography Selections

           Young Elizabeth: The Making of the Queen, is written by Kate Williams, a British author who also has written books about other royals such as Queen Victoria and Josephine Bonaparte. In this work, we learn of the events leading up to Queen Elizabeth’s coronation; from her birth in 1926 as the first daughter of the younger brother to England’s future King Edward VIII, to heir apparent of her father King George VI, after his brother abdicates the throne to marry the commoner Wallis Simpson. Getting a late start in being groomed as the future queen, Elizabeth was an adept student, leading her to establish a monarchy that exhibited her intelligence and adaptability. The text is accompanied by several black and white photos.

            Master of Ceremonies: A Memoir is written by entertainer Joel Grey. Born in 1932 to a Jewish-American family in Cleveland, Ohio and the son of Vaudeville performer Mickey Katz, he began his career at the age of 9. Grey has acted in plays, films, and television for over seven decades and is best known for his roles in Cabaret, Chicago, and Wicked. He also delves into his personal life; after several years of marriage he divorced and came out as a gay man. Grey also is well-known as a photographer.

            Kick Kennedy: The Charmed Life and Tragic Death of the Favorite Kennedy Daughter, is written by Barbara Leaming. It tells the story of Kathleen “Kick” Kennedy, one of the nine children of Joseph and Rose Kennedy, centering on Kick’s arrival in England when she and her family accompanied their father to the court of St. James upon his appointment as the American ambassador in 1938. In England, she became part of upper class social life, meeting and marrying William Cavendish, Marquess of Hartington. Kick’s mother Rose opposed the marriage because she would be marrying outside of the Catholic Church. Tragically, Cavendish was killed in combat shortly after their marriage. Devastated, Kick remained in England; she eventually fell in love and became engaged to the Earl Fitzwilliam. Unfortunately they both were killed in a 1947 airplane crash. 

Celebrity Birthdays in January

            Have you wondered what celebrities have birthdays in January? Here are some books about and/or written by a few of them.

            Stephen Hawking was born on January 8, 1942, in England. The renowned physicist is known for his work on quantum mechanics, his writings for popular audiences as well as academic ones, and for his disability caused by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). His classic work A Brief History of Time: from the Big Bang to Black Holes, originally published in 1988, discusses questions about space, time, and the origin and fate of the universe. Another book, My Brief History, is the story of Hawking’s life including his childhood, education, and work.

            Kate Middleton, or Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, was born on January 9, 1982, in England. She is the wife of the future king of England, Prince William. In Kate: the Future Queen, written by Katie Nicholl, we learn about her childhood, education, and relationships. Kate Style: Chic and Classic Look, written by Alisande Healy Orme, is devoted to the wardrobe, makeup and hairdos of Kate; and includes information about her favorite shops and designers.

            Betty White was born on January 17, 1922, in the United States. She is a Hollywood celebrity who got her start in radio, then transitioned to television in a variety of sitcoms (including The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Golden Girls) and game shows. The book Betty White: the First 90 Years, written by Andrew E. Stoner, recounts her life and acting career from birth to the present – age 93! In Betty and Friends: My Life at the Zoo, written by White, we learn of her lifelong love of zoo animals and her work as an animal welfare advocate. She has been a trustee of the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association since 1974.

            Michelle Obama was born on January 17, 1964 in the United States. She is the current First Lady, a lawyer and the author of the book American Grown: the Story of the White House Kitchen Garden and Gardens across America. This book describes how she and her daughters established a vegetable garden on the South Lawn of the White House; encompassing the First Lady’s interests in healthy eating, gardening, and prevention of childhood obesity. Also included are recipes created by White House chefs using foods from the harvests.

            Guy Fieri was born on January 22, 1968 in the United States. He is a television personality on the Food Network, a co-owner of five restaurants and a co-author of several books about food. In Guy on Fire: 130 Recipes for Adventures in Outdoor Cooking, Guy presents a range of dishes suitable for barbeques, camping, and tailgating. In Diners, Drive-Ins, Dives, the Funky Finds in Flavortown: America’s Classic Joints and Killer Comfort Food the reader gets lots of recipes, character sketches and photos of some of America’s most iconic restaurants.

October Birthdays

    Celebrate October by reading up on the lives of celebrities who have birthdays this month.

October 1st: Former President Jimmy Carter:
  1.Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter: the Georgia Years, 1924-1974; written by E. Stanly Godbold, a professor of history, it examines the lives of both Carters prior to his election to the presidency
  2.White House Diary; written by the former president, it is an edited and annotated version of the diary he kept during his White House years

October 1st: Singer, actress and author Julie Andrews
  1.Home: a Memoir of My Early Years; written by Andrews and covering her life between birth and Walt Disney’s discovery of her in 1962
  2.Julie Andrews’ Collection of Poems, Songs, and Lullabies; a collection selected by Andrews and her daughter Emma Walton Hamilton

October 2nd: Musician Sting
  1.Sting, Back on the Beat: a Biography; written by Christopher Sanford, a rock music critic, it traces Sting’s career from a schoolteacher, to his work with The Police, to his successes as a solo artist

October 16th: Actress and author Suzanne Somers
  1.I’m Too Young for this!: the Natural Hormone Solution to Enjoy Perimenopause; written by this talk show host and natural health writer; this is her twenty-fourth book

October 26th: Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
  1.Living History, written by Clinton herself about her years in politics, first as a partner in her husband’s career and then as a senator from New York
  2.Bill and Hillary: the Politics of the Personal, details the political partnership and personal relationship of the Clintons

Music Icons that Baby Boomers Will Remember

    Here is a selection of books about several of yesteryear’s music idols that all self-respecting members of the over-fifty generation can identify. They are all available at our library.

    The Bee Gees: the Biography, written by David N. Meyer, is a comprehensive life story about the four Gibb brothers – Maurice, Robin, Barry and Andy, who sold 250 million records over a forty year-career. It includes detailed information about their poverty-ridden childhoods, their musical successes beginning in the 1960s, their interactions with other music personalities, their battles with one another, and their drug addictions. A small selection of black-and-white photos is included in the book.

    Days that I’ll Remember: Spending Time with John Lennon and Yoko Ono is written by Jonathan Cott, who first got to know John and Yoko when he interviewed them when he was the London correspondent for Rolling Stone magazine. This expanded from a professional relationship to one of friendship. Cott is able to provide personal details about the couple as well as his own recollections of the era’s music, politics and culture. A few black-and-white photos are scattered among the text.

    I Would Die 4 U: Why Prince Became an Icon, is written by Toure, a journalist and television personality. Toure uses interviews with Prince’s band members, former girlfriends and music scholars to describe Prince’s unique brand of music based on his perceptions of God and religion.

    Led Zeppelin: the Oral History of the World’s Greatest Rock Band is written by Barney Hoskyns, a prolific music writer whose interviews with some of rock’s most famous musicians, record company executives and recording engineers provide insight into the band’s twelve-year duration. Several black-and-white photos are interspersed throughout the book, along with a small section of color photos.

    Rocks Off: 50 Tracks that tell the Story of the Rolling Stones, written by Bill Janovitz, who himself is a musician as well as a Rolling Stones aficionado. Janovitz’s technique is to use fifty of the Stones songs to relate aspects of their music and their personal lives, over the course of their fifty-year career.

Female Celebrity Biographies

 Who among us doesn’t appreciate vicariously living the lives of the rich and famous by reading their biographies? Here, for your enjoyment, are the stories of three talented women.

 Dearie: the Remarkable Life of Julia Child is authored by Bob Spitz, an award-winning journalist and non-fiction writer. This book, written on the centennial of Child’s birth year, contains more than 500 pages of detail on Julia’s beginnings, and continues with her career with the OSS during World War II; her romance with and marriage to Paul Child, a fellow OSS employee; their lives in post-World War II Paris where Julia received her training as a chef; and a return to America and her career as a public television icon. Through it all, the reader is able to view middle to late-twentieth century society and culture and how they affected women’s roles. Black and white photos are scattered throughout the book.

 Hello, Gorgeous: Becoming Barbra Streisand is written by William J. Mann, who was critically acclaimed for this work and who has authored other female movie star biographies. Here he presents the early years of Streisand’s career and her meteoric rise to the top, using as research the private papers of Jerome Robbins and Bob Fosse and interviews with several of her intimates from this time. Black and white photos are scattered throughout the book.

 Jackie After O: One Remarkable Year When Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Defied Expectations and Rediscovered Her Dreams, written by journalist and author Tina Cassidy, examines the year 1975 when Jackie began laying the foundation of her life after marriage to Onassis. It includes details on his death, Jackie’s troubled relationship with his daughter, her burgeoning career at Viking Press, and more.

The Astaires: Fred and Adele

     If you think you know all there is to know about Fred Astaire, one of the best dancers of twentieth-century movie musicals and cinema partner to several leading ladies; then you may or may not have heard of Fred’s early years. This book, written by classical scholar and modern theater historian Kathleen Riley, traces the origins of Fred’s career in which he and older sister Adele, showing talent early on, relocate to New York City to train and then perform in early twentieth-century vaudeville. Strong family ties with their parents and one another help Fred and Adele cope with early career disappointments but their talents shine through and eventually they attain success on the Broadway circuit during their twenties.

     At first Adele is identified as the more talented of the two, with her natural comic and dancing skills garnering her more recognition. But Fred’s perfectionist drive eventually draws attention to his genius. In their thirties, Adele retires to marriage and Fred takes on Hollywood, performing in several musicals and other films throughout the years.

     Several black-and-white pictures are interspersed throughout the text, highlighting the duo’s performances and relationships with theater notables of the day. A chronology of their theater performances is given and notes and bibliography aid those readers interested in further research.

A Beautiful Mind

A Beautiful Mind by Sylvia Nasar

This Pulitzer Prize finalist for biography is based on the life of mathematician John Nash. The book follows the life of Nash from his first entrance into academia, through the onset of his schizophrenic break and his arrival on the other side of said break. This volume not only takes us through the life of Nash but through the period in which he lived; characterizing the world of academia during the middle 20th century as an exclusive and often times anti-Semitic atmosphere. The book also describes the emergence of the new Ivy League, institutions such as MIT and NYU, which won their prestige in part by accepting Harvard and Princeton’s bias cast-offs.

Nasar writes a beautiful biography that any non-fiction reader would enjoy, especially so if they have a mathematic background, however, such background is not required.

In addition to being a Pulitzer finalist, this book was also a 1998 New York Times Notable Book and the Winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award for Biography.

Sylvia Nasar is a professor of business at Columbia University and is a trained economist who has worked for many top news organizations including The New York Times, Fortune and US News.

Read-a-Likes

Grand Pursuit: The Story of Economic Genius by Sylvia Nasar

A Fractured Mind: My Life with Multiple Personality Disorder by Rober B. Oxnam

The Man Who Loved Only Numbers by Paul Hoffman

The Soloist by Steve Lopez


P.L.W.

August Birthdays

Martha Stewart – August 3, 1941
Being Martha: The Inside Story of Martha Stewart and her Amazing Life, written by Lloyd Allen, a friend of Martha’s daughter and a former neighbor, paints a flattering picture of her as viewed by her mother, daughter, brother, and others. Less adulatory and more well-balanced is Martha: On Trial, In Jail, and on a Comeback, written by Robert Slater. It is based on a series of in-depth interviews of people who have dealt with Martha. Martha herself is not interviewed. The book mainly focuses on her trial, incarceration and her future projects after release from prison.

Lucille Ball – August 6, 1911
Laughing with Lucy: My Life with America’s Leading Lady of Comedy, written by Madelyn Pugh Davis with Bob Carroll Jr., recounts the stories, both familiar and little-known, of the production of the I Love Lucy show and the other Lucille Ball sitcoms. Davis and Carroll were the show’s co-writers.

Julia Child – August 15, 1912
A Covert Affair: Julia Child and Paul Child in the OSS, written by Jennet Conant, tells the story of Julia and Paul’s lives as members of the Office of Strategic Services during World War II, long before Julia’s career as a chef took off. Years later, they were involved in another battle when McCarthy-era politics threatened many of their intelligence colleagues including Jane Foster, who actually may have been a Soviet spy.

Galileo's Daughter: A Historical Memoir of Science, Faith, and Love

Written by Dava Sobel, this is an account of the lives of Galileo Galilei and his daughter, Sister Maria Celeste, based upon the remaining correspondence between the two as well as other biographical sources. Galileo, a man of genius and of deep religious faith, spent a lifetime battling the Roman Catholic Church over his controversial astronomical theories. Maria Celeste, one of his three illegitimate children who eventually entered a convent in Florence, was of a similar bent to her father, described by him as "a woman of exquisite mind, singular goodness, and most tenderly attached to me.”

Through the reading of this book, we become acquainted with the historical events of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, including Bubonic Plague outbreaks and the Thirty Years’ War. We learn of Galileo’s introductory works in the science of physics and his inventions which included the telescope. We are able to observe the actions of this era’s men of politics, religion and science and how they influenced the future. Most of all, we are witness to the expression of deep love and friendship between a father and a daughter.

July Birthdays/Biographies

Tom Cruise – July 3, 1962
Tom Cruise: an Unauthorized Biography, written by Andrew Morton, promises new revelations about the popular actor. The book describes his childhood, his three marriages, and his involvement with the Scientology religion. The reader will enjoy the photographs too.

George Steinbrenner – July 4, 1930
Steinbrenner: the Last Lion of Baseball, written by Bill Madden, was published shortly before the subject’s recent death. It chronicles the early career of Steinbrenner in the family shipping business before his purchase of the Yankees, then focuses on Steinbrenner’s strong control over team activities that led to the Yankees’ seven World Series titles and the hiring and firing of several managers. Author Madden’s thirty years experience as a sportswriter for the New York Daily News serves him well.

Dalai Lama – July 6, 1935
Dalai Lama: Man, Monk, Mystic, written by Mayank Chhaya, presents the biography of the reincarnated 14th Dalai Lama derived from a series of interviews. This political and religious leader of Tibet escaped capture by the Chinese and has been exiled in India since 1959. The author also describes the Buddhist traditions of Tibet along with the history of the Tibet-China conflict.

Alex Rodriguez – July 27, 1975
A-Rod: the Many Lives of Alex Rodriguez, written by Selena Roberts, gives the biographical details and more of this controversial baseball player. The youngest player ever to hit 500 home runs and a star for the Yankees, Alex Rodriguez also has been accused of using performance-enhancing drugs.