Collection: Biography & Memoir

A vivid account of the political triumphs and domestic tragedies of the Jewish king Herod the Great during the turmoil of the Roman revolution

Herod the Great (73-4 BCE) was a phenomenally energetic ruler who took advantage of the chaos of the Roman revolution to establish himself as a major figure in a changing Roman world and transform the landscape of Judaea. Both Jews and Christians developed myths about his cruelty and rashness: in Christian tradition he was cast as the tyrant who ordered the Massacre of the Innocents; in the Talmud, despite fond memories of his glorious Temple in Jerusalem, he was recalled as a persecutor of rabbis.

The life of Herod is better documented than that of any other Jew from antiquity, and Martin Goodman examines the extensive literary and archaeological evidence to provide a vivid portrait of Herod in his sociopolitical context: his Idumaean origins, his installation by Rome as king of Judaea and cultivation of leading Romans, his massive architectural projects, and his presentation of himself as a Jew, most strikingly through the rebuilding of the Jerusalem Temple. Goodman argues that later stories depicting Herod as a monster derived from public interest in his execution of three of his sons after dramatic public trials foisted on him by a dynastic policy imposed by the Roman emperor.

A poetic and moving picture book biography celebrating the life and work of the visionary Japanese American woodworker George Nakashima.

Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, George Nakashima began a love story with trees that grew throughout his remarkable life as architect, designer and woodworker. During World War II, George, with his wife Marion and their baby daughter, endured incarceration in Minidoka prison camp, where he drew comfort from the discipline of woodworking. Once free, George dedicated the rest of his life to crafting furniture from fallen or discarded trees, giving fresh purpose and dignity to each tree, and promoting a more peaceful world.

Author Holly Thompson narrates Nakashima's life using haibun, a combination of haiku and prose, which twines smoothly through Toshiki Nakamura's earthy illustrations. A foreword by Nakashima's daughter Mira and robust back matter will deepen young readers' understanding of woodworking and poetry and offer added insights to the work of a master artisan.

Full color photographs. -Hello, Stranger-Friend- begins Maya Angelou's story about Thandi, a South African Ndebele girl, her mischievous brother, her beloved chicken, and the astonishing mural art produced by the women of her tribe. With never-before-seen photographs of the very private Ndebele women and their paintings, this unique book shows the passing of traditions from parent to child and introduces young readers to a new culture through a new friend.

Examining the cultural belief that our animal instincts are to be corrected or corralled, nature advocate and rewilding facilitator Vanessa Chakour explores our inner and outer landscapes through the lens of wild animals.

How can wolves, misunderstood in myths but vital to ecosystems, teach us to rewrite dangerous stories and respect nature's wisdom? How do the peaceful coexistence strategies of black bears offer insights into sharing resources? How can the engineering feats of beavers guide us in fostering regenerative building solutions and vibrant ecosystems? What can the loyal partnership of seahorses teach us about nurturing and love?

In Earthly Bodies, Vanessa draws parallels from struggles she has weathered in her own life to those endured by twenty-three wild animals--from wolves to sea lions--exploring our unease of feeling like prey; challenging the entrapment of our limiting beliefs; contextualizing the turmoil of fractured landscapes; and affirming our primal ache to belong.

Vanessa's pivotal encounters with creatures in sync with their primal rhythms and demands illustrate the necessity of relying on the intelligence of gut instinct; of the magnetic pull of attraction; of the body's mandate for restorative rest; and of the sacred bonds of love. We often cut ourselves off from identifying with wild animals--like wolves, foxes, bats and bears, and other animal relatives--out of fear, ignorance, disgust, or misunderstanding, yet our earthly human bodies can lead us in our pursuits of pleasure, love, wonder, healing, and connection.

With each section containing an aspect of injured animal's return home to their natural habitat, and--in our case--to an embodied, instinctual self, Earthly Bodies meditates on how this journey from enclosures, to rehabilitation, to soft release, and finally to homing raises questions about our humanity. In so learning, we understand how we might benefit from embracing our own animal nature to gain deeper self-actualization, find common ground with our fellow animals, and learn to thrive together.

A thrilling new biography of Dwight Eisenhower set in the months leading up to D-Day, when he grew from a well-liked general into one of the singular figures of American history.

On June 6, 1944, General Dwight Eisenhower addressed the thousands of American troops preparing to invade Normandy, exhorting them to embrace the "Great Crusade" they faced. Then, in a fleeting moment alone, he drafted a resignation letter in case the invasion failed.

In The Light of Battle, Michel Paradis, acclaimed author of Last Mission to Tokyo, paints a vivid portrait of Dwight Eisenhower as he learns to navigate the crosscurrents of diplomacy, politics, strategy, family, and fame with the fate of the free world hanging in the balance. In a world of giants--Churchill, Roosevelt, De Gaulle, Marshall, MacArthur--it was a barefoot boy from Abilene, Kansas, who would master the art of power and become a modern-day George Washington.

Drawing upon meticulous research and a voluminous body of newly discovered records, letters, diaries, and firsthand accounts from three continents, Paradis brings Eisenhower to life, as a complicated man who craved simplicity, a genial cipher whose smile was a lethal political weapon.

With a page-turning pace and an eye for the overlooked, Paradis interweaves the grand arc of history with more human concerns, bringing readers into the private moments that led to Eisenhower's most pivotal decisions. By deftly integrating the personal and the political, he reveals how Eisenhower's rise both reflected and was integral to America's rise as a global superpower.

An unflinching look at how character is forged, and leadership is learned, The Light of Battle breathes new life into the man who made "the leader of the free world" the mantle of the American presidency.

A memoir of service by the most recent U.S. ambassador to Moscow, John Sullivan, who was on the diplomatic front lines when Putin invaded Ukraine--and who is now presenting the first behind-the-scenes account of how U.S.-Russia relations hit their nadir, and explaining where we can go from here.

For weeks before the invasion of Ukraine, U.S. Ambassador to Russia John Sullivan was warning that it would happen. When troops finally crossed the border, he was woken in the middle of the night by an employee at Embassy Moscow with a prearranged code. The signal was even more bracing than the cold of that February night: it meant that Sullivan needed to collect his bodyguards and get to the embassy as soon as possible. The war had begun, and U.S.-Russia relations would never be the same.

In Midnight in Moscow, Sullivan offers a memoir of his last post, as well as a broader argument about how our relationship with Russia has deteriorated over the past three years and where it's going. His arrival in Moscow coincided almost exactly with a dramatic series of escalations by the Kremlin. He saw firsthand how the Russian leadership repeatedly lied about their intentions to invade Ukraine in the weeks leading up to the attack--while also devoting huge numbers of personnel and vast resources to undermining the U.S. diplomatic presence in Russia. But it was not until Vladimir Putin gave the order to launch a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 25, 2022 that Sullivan had to admit that Russia was not just at war with its neighbor: it was also at war, in a very real sense, with the United States, and with everything that it represents. Russian leaders' treachery and naked hostility, he says, is definitive proof that there can be no negotiation with Putin's regime or with the Russians at large until their government is thoroughly transformed. A unique perspective on a pivotal moment in world history, Midnight in Moscow also draws shocking historical parallels to explain why we need to stand up to Moscow--and how far we should be prepared to go in that confrontation.

Women are leading the way in every branch of the United States government. Learn more about how Kamala Harris became the nation's first woman vice president and Amy Coney Barret's rise to the Supreme Court. Then discover women leading countries around the globe. From the past to the present, women are leading the charge to make a better world.

Reproductive rights have been hot-button issues for generations, and recent legal decisions have put these arguments back in the spotlight. Groups such as the National Black Women's Reproductive Justice Agenda and others are leading a movement to protect reproductive rights.

Women are creating change in all areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Learn about how Pooja Chandrashekar founded ProjectCSGirls and how Marie Tharp helped map the ocean floor. Then discover how women solve the world's hardest problems with STEM. From the past to the present, women are opening doors in many fields.

A child survivor of the Holocaust, Trudie Strobel settled in California, raising a family and never discussing the horrors she witnessed. After her children grew up, the trauma of her youth caught up with her, triggering a paralyzing depression. A therapist suggested that Trudie attempt to draw the memories that haunted her, and she did--but with needle and thread instead of a pencil. Resurrecting the Yemenite stitches of her ancestors, and using the skills taught by her mother, whose master seamstress talent saved their lives in the camps, Trudie began by stitching vast tableaus of her dark and personal memories of the Holocaust. What began as therapy exploded into works of breathtaking art, from narrative tapestries of Jewish history rendered in exacting detail to portraits of remarkable likeness, and many of her works are now in public and private collections.

In Stitched & Sewn, Jody Savin tells the dramatic story of how a needle and thread saved Trudie Strobel's life twice, and Ann Elliott Cutting's photographs showcase Trudie's remarkable works of art. With a foreword by Michael Berenbaum, author of eighteen books, co-founder of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, and co-producer of the Academy Award-winning documentary One Survivor Remembers.

World War II sits in our collective memory as the "Good War" the one where the sides were clear and the sacrifices great. Literature and film have produced very few images of a certain group of heroic soldiers who died on foreign beaches, fields and jungles. The African American soldier, in segregated units, fought and died on those battlefields, and for the most part, their contribution has been largely overlooked. The story of William A. Morris Jr.'s service in the all black 369th Coast Artillery Regiment and the 4251st Trucking Company during World War II is a story of a black soldier from a small town fighting for a country that is still wrestling with the ugliness of racism. At the core of this soldier's story, there is a miracle. Morris' unique story has a real heroine, a dog named Trixie. This little terrier mutt found him in England just before D-Day and stayed with him throughout the war, from Omaha Beach to the Battle of the Bulge. He saved her life and she saved his. This book follows William and Trixie's journey from the horrors of war in Europe to the arms of Morris' family back home. It is a story of hope, courage, faith and love. More than just a story of a black soldier and his dog, The Soldier That Wagged Her Tail holds a universal message that inspires all of us.

HIGHWAY TO HEAVEN: A SPIRITUAL JOURNEY THROUGH THE LIFE OF BLESSED CARLO ACUTIS: "By their life and mission, they imitate Christ in his prayer on the mountain, bear a witness to God's lordship over history and anticipate the glory which is to come. In solitude and silence, by listening to the word of God, participating in divine worship, personalasceticism, prayer, mortification and the communion of fraternal love, they direct the whole of their lives and all their activities to the contemplation of God." (Vita Consecrata.8)The spirit of the Lord abides with all of us. This spirit filled saints are Miraculous Phenomenon of the world! They through their life of holiness, write a glorious history of ideal and beautiful spirituality. The descent of the Holy Spirit made our saints to be the owner of a life of graces, gifts, charisms and fruits.This book speaks the meteoric life of a child who was a contemporary of our time. In spite of his short lifetime, Carlo Acutis has given, throughout his living, flesh and soul to the figure of the Apostle of God as a perfect pattern to be imitated in order to evidence how fellow creatures must be loved. Saints are Christ's best gift to the Church and Church's best gift to the world. God calls everyone tobe a saint. Sanctity is the real wealth of the Catholic Church. Today holiness is possible and the Church 18 Highway to Heaven needs holy people and our foremost objective is to be saints.Carlo Acutis was born in London on May 3, 1991and was baptized on May 18 in Our Lady of Dolours church. He is considered to be a genius among those who lived in the 21st century. He was capable enough to use computer and internet as a tool for infusing devotion to the modern generation. He utilized each moment to spread devotion to Jesus and also he tried to live as much holy as he could. He died on 12 October2006 due to leukaemia. His life challenges us to live a virtuous Life in this media holic period. I try to bring before you the spiritual journey which he made during his life on earth. Hope his life may help you to live a saintly life. I pray that all of us may be reunited in paradise with Carlo to praise our eternal Master. Specially thanking Acutis family for accepting me as a brother to Carlo Acutis. I feel it is God's special grace for me to be added among the holy family of Acutis. I pray and hope that this spiritual journey through the life of Carlo may inspire all of you to follow the footsteps of our Lord to be perfect as the heavenly Father. A brief study of his spiritual journey will move and inspire you to a deeper understanding of what it means to live and die for the love of God. Ephrem Kunnappally

A memoir and manifesto from the world's most Michelin starred chef, Alain Ducasse, with introductions by internationally renowned writer Jay McInerney and chef Clare Smyth.

At twelve years old, Alain Ducasse had never been to a restaurant. Less than fifteen years later, he received his first Michelin star. Today he is one of just two chefs to have been awarded twenty-one stars.

Now, for the very first time, Ducasse shares a lifetime of culinary inspirations and passions in a book that is part memoir and part manifesto. Good Taste takes us on a journey from his childhood, where he picked mushrooms with his grandfather on a farm in Les Landes, to setting up groundbreaking schools and restaurants across the world. He is now taking off his chef's whites and passing on what he knows to the next generation.

Ducasse writes a poignant ode to the humble vegetables that have inspired his entire cuisine and to the masters that guided him along the way, from Paris to New York to Tokyo. As he looks to the future, he reflects on just what 'good taste' means.

Archimedes had probably the most inventive mind in all history. His war machines beat the mighty Roman Navy. Marcus Claudius Marcellus was the Roman General who finally beat Archimedes. But Marcellus was a fan as well as a foe. The genius of Archimedes becomes clear as Marcellus tells his son why he admired the great man so much.

Archimedes inventions are explained in a clear and fun way by award-winning author and illustrator, Shoo Rayner, who has written over 200 books for children and illustrated 80 more for other great authors, such as Michael Morpurgo, Michael Rosen and Rose Impey.

"Shoo Rayner has a way of breaking things down and making them easy to understand and entertaining too..."