The late tennis champion, activist, and AIDS victim remembershis experiences in the segregated South of his youth, his triumphson the court, his family and religious life, and his struggle withhis disease. Reprint. NYT.

In a book that is both biography and the most exciting form ofhistory, here are eighteen years in the life of a man, AlbertEinstein, and a city, Berlin, that were in many ways the definingyears of the twentieth century. Einstein in Berlin In the spring of 1913 two of the giants of modern sciencetraveled to Zurich. Their mission: to offer the most prestigiousposition in the very center of European scientific life to a manwho had just six years before been a mere patent clerk. AlbertEinstein accepted, arriving in Berlin in March 1914 to take up hisnew post. In December 1932 he left Berlin forever. “Take a goodlook,” he said to his wife as they walked away from their house.“You will never see it again.” In between, Einstein’s Berlin years capture in microcosm theodyssey of the twentieth century. It is a century that opens withextravagant hopes--and climaxes in unparalleled calamity. These aretumultuous times, seen through the life of one man who is at oncewitness to and architect of his day--and

Although his popularity is eclipsed by Rembrandt today, PeterPaul Rubens was revered by his contemporaries as the greatestpainter of his era, if not of all history. His undeniableartistic genius, bolstered by a modest disposition and a reputationas a man of tact and discretion, made him a favorite among monarchsand political leaders across Europe—and gave him the perfect coverfor the clandestine activities that shaped the landscape ofseventeenth-century politics. In Master of Shadows, Mark Lamster brilliantly recreates theculture, religious conflicts, and political intrigues of Rubens’stime, following the painter from Antwerp to London, Madrid, Paris,and Rome and providing an insightful exploration of Rubens’s art aswell as the private passions that influenced it.

No writer alive today exerts the magical appeal of GabrielGarcía Márquez. Now, in the long-awaited first volume of hisautobiography, he tells the story of his life from his birth in1927 to the moment in the 1950s when he proposed to his wife. Theresult is as spectacular as his finest fiction. Here is García Márquez’s shimmering evocation of his childhoodhome of Aracataca, the basis of the fictional Macondo. Here are themembers of his ebulliently eccentric family. Here are the forcesthat turned him into a writer. Warm, revealing, abounding in imagesso vivid that we seem to be remembering them ourselves, Living toTell the Tale is a work of enchantment.

In the tradition of our best-selling Secret Lives of the U.S.Presidents (120,000 copies in print), here are outrageous anduncensored profiles of the world's greatest artists, complete withhundreds of little-known, politically incorrect, and downrightbizarre facts. Consider: Michelangelo had such repellant body odorthat his assistants couldn't stand working for him. Pablo Picassodid jail time for ripping off several statues from the Louvre.Gabriel Dante Rossetti's favorite pet was a wombat that slept onhis dining room table. Vincent van Gogh sometimes ate paintdirectly from the tube. Georgia O'Keeffe liked to paint in thenude. Salvador Dal concocted a perfume from dung to attract theattention of his future wife. With outrageous anecdotes abouteveryone from Leonardo (accused sodomist) to Caravaggio (convictedmurderer) to Edward Hopper (alleged wife beater), Secret Lives ofGreat Artists is an art history lesson you'll never forget

A swashbuckling Texan, a teller of tall tales, a womanizer,and a renegade, Fred Cuny spent his life in countries rent by war,famine, and natural disasters, saving many thousands of livesthrough his innovative and sometimes controversial methods ofrelief work. Cuny earned his nickname "Master of Disaster" for hisexploits in Kurdistan, Somalia, and Bosnia. But when he arrived inthe rogue Russian republic of Chechnya in the spring of 1995,raring to go and eager to put his ample funds from George Soros togood use, he found himself in the midst of an unimaginably savagewar of independence, unlike any he had ever before encountered.Shortly thereafter, he disappeared in the war-rocked highlands,never to be seen again. Who was Cuny really working for? Was he a CIA spy? Who killedhim, and why? In search of the answers, Scott Anderson traveled toChechnya on a hazardous journey that started as as a magazineassignment and ended as a personal mission. The result is agalvanizing adventure story, a chilling pic

Acclaimed author Alison Weir brings to life the extraordinarytale of Katherine Swynford, a royal mistress who became one of themost crucial figures in the history of Great Britain. Born in themid-fourteenth century, Katherine de Ro?t was only twelve when shemarried Hugh Swynford, an impoverished knight. But her story hadtruly begun two years earlier, when she was appointed governess tothe household of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster and fourth son ofKing Edward III. Widowed at twenty-one, Katherine became John'smistress and then, after many twists of fortune, his bride in ascandalous marriage. Mistress of the Monarchy reveals a woman aheadof her time—making her own choices, flouting convention, and takingcontrol of her own destiny. Indeed, without Katherine Swynford, thecourse of English history, perhaps even the world, would have beenvery different.

“You keep fighting, okay?” I whispered. “We’re in thistogether. You and me. You’re not alone. You hear me? You are notalone. ” 5:38 p.m. It was the precise moment Sean Manning was born and thetime each year that his mother wished him happy birthday. But justbefore he turned twenty-seven, their tradition collapsed. A heartattack landed his mom in the hospital and uprooted Manning from hislife in New York. What followed was a testament to a family’sindestructible bond—a life-changing odyssey that broke a boy andmade a man—captured here in Manning’s indelible memoir.

Michael Servetus is one of those hidden figureheads of historywho is remembered not for his name, but for the revolutionary deedsthat stand in his place. Both a scientist and a freethinkingtheologian, Servetus is credited with the discovery of pulmonarycirculation in the human body as well as the authorship of apolemical masterpiece that cost him his life. The ChrisitianismiRestituto, a heretical work of biblical scholarship, written in1553, aimed to refute the orthodox Christianity that Servetus' oldcolleague, John Calvin, supported. After the book spread throughthe ranks of Protestant hierarchy, Servetus was tried andagonizingly burned at the stake, the last known copy of theRestitutio chained to his leg. Servetus's execution is significant because it marked a turningpoint in the quest for freedom of expression, due largely to thedevelopment of the printing press and the proliferation of books inRenaissance Europe. Three copies of the Restitutio managed tosurvive the burning, despite every effo

“Powerful. . . . A challenging, disturbing portrait of ademocratic hero, and an equally challenging case study of thedemocratic system.” —The New York Times “Rich in insight into Jackson’s personality. . . . Burstein makesfair on his promise to look dispassionately at this most passionateof presidents. . . . A very readable, insightful analysis into thecharacter and evolution of the American republic.” —PlainDealer “Excellent. . . . A must-read for anyone interested in thepresidency or early American history.” –Flint Journal “A useful, persuasively critical account of the development ofJackson’s self-image as an honorable patriarch and champion ofrighteous government..” —The Washington Post Book World “Impressive. . . . Persuasive. . . . Argues that the times shapedJackson and thrust him into the White House as the first ‘commoner’elected president because he so personified the young nation’sbold, brash spirit and s

When Anne Rice stopped crafting stories about vampires andbegan writing about Jesus, many of her fans were shocked. Thisautobiographical spiritual memoir provides an account of how theauthor rediscovered and fully embraced her Catholic faith afterdecades as a self-proclaimed atheist. Rice begins with herchildhood in New Orleans, when she seriously considered entering aconvent. As she grows into a young adult she delves into concernsabout faith, God and the Catholic Church that lead her away fromreligion. The author finally reclaims her Catholic faith in thelate 1990s, describing it as a movement toward total surrender toGod. She writes beautifully about how through clouds of doubt andpain she finds clarity, realizing how much she loved God anddesired to surrender her being, including her writing talent, toGod. Covering such a large sequence of time and life events is noteasy, and some of the author's transitions are a bit jarring. Fansof Rice's earlier works will enjoy discovering more about her lifean

An erudite history of medicine...a welcome addition to anymedical collection. -- Booklist How does medical science advance? Popular historians would have usbelieve that a few heroic individuals, possessing superhumantalents, lead an unselfish quest to better the human condition. Butas renowned Yale surgeon and medical historian Sherwin B. Nulandshows in this brilliant collection of linked life portraits, thetheory bears little resemblance to the truth. Through the centuries, the men and women Who have shaped theworld of medicine have been not only very human people but alsovery much the products of their own times and places. Presentingcompelling studies of great medical innovators and pioneers,Doctors gives us the extraordinary story of the development ofmodern medicine -- told through the lives of thephysician-scientists whose deeds and determination paved the way.Ranging from the legendary Father of Medicine, Hippocrates, toAndreas Vesalius, whose Renaissance masterwork on anatomy offeredinval

“I have been incredibly fortunate over the course of mycareer to have been associated with some extraordinary dramatic andmusical productions, and also some rather spectacular disasters.Looking back, I can find gifts and life lessons in everyone.” The legendary Patti LuPone is one of the theatre’s most belovedleading ladies. Now she lays it all bare, sharing the intimatestory of her life both onstage and off--through the dizzying highsand darkest lows--with the humor and outspokenness that have becomeher trademarks. With nearly 100 photographs, including an 8-page four-color insert,and illuminating details about the life of a working actor, frominspired costars and demanding directors to her distinctperspective on how she developed and honed her Tony Award–winningperformances, Patti LuPone: A Memoir is as inspirational asit is entertaining. And though the title might say “a memoir,” thisis ultimately a love letter to the theatre by a unique Americanartist. Raised on Long Island’s North Shor

Michael J. Neufeld, curator and space historian at theSmithsonian's National Air and Space Museum, delivers a brilliantlynuanced biography of Wernher von Braun. Chief rocket engineer of the Third Reich and one of the fathersof the U.S. space program, Wernher von Braun is a source ofconsistent fascination. Glorified as a visionary and vilified as awar criminal, he was a man of profound moral complexities, whoseintelligence and charisma were coupled with an enormous and, somewould say, blinding ambition. Based on new sources, Neufeld'sbiography delivers a meticulously researched and authoritativeportrait of the creator of the V-2 rocket and his times, detailinghow he was a man caught between morality and progress, between hisdreams of the heavens and the earthbound realities of his life.

Call Me Anna is an American success story that grew out of abizarre and desperate struggle for survival. A harrowing,ultimately triumphant story told by Patty Duke herself--wife,mother, political activist, President of The Screen Actors Guild,and at last, a happy, fulfilled woman whose miracle is her ownlife. (Nonfiction)

From the author of the best-selling biography Woody Allen—themost informative, revealing, and entertaining conversations fromhis thirty-six years of interviewing the great comedian andfilmmaker. For more than three decades, Woody Allen has been talkingregularly and candidly with Eric Lax, and has given him singularand unfettered access to his film sets, his editing room, and histhoughts and observations. In discussions that begin in 1971 andcontinue into 2007, Allen discusses every facet of moviemakingthrough the prism of his own films and the work of directors headmires. In doing so, he reveals an artist’s development over thecourse of his career to date, from joke writer to standup comedianto world-acclaimed filmmaker. Woody talks about the seeds of his ideas and the writing of hisscreenplays; about casting and acting, shooting and directing,editing and scoring. He tells how he reworks screenplays even whilefilming them. He describes the problems he has had casting Ameri

“The best biography of Lord Byron ever written,” according toPoet Laureate W. S. Merwin, is now back in print afterdecades. Of the hundreds of books on Byron and his work, not one has beendevoted to the immediate aftermath of his life; and yet it is thesefirst twenty posthumous years that yield the most unexpected andexciting discoveries about the character of the poet and thebehavior of those who once surrounded him—wife, sister, friends,enemies. With the burning of his memoirs almost as soon as news of his deathreach England in May 1924, there began the sequence of impassionedcontroversies that have followed one another like the links in achain ever since. What sort of man was the begetter of thesedramas? Unflagging in energy and acumen, Doris Lang- ley Mooresifts the various witnesses, their motives and credentials, and notonly reveals how much questionable evidence has been accepted butdevelops a corrected picture that appeals and persuades. Drawing upon a very large amount of unpublished material

Susan Loomis arrived in Paris twenty years ago with littlemore than a student loan and the contents of a suitcase to sustainher. But what began then as an apprenticeship at La Varenne Ecolede Cuisine evolved into a lifelong immersion in French cuisine andculture, culminating in permanent residency in 1994. "On Rue Tatin"chronicles her journey to an ancient little street in Louviers,one of Normandy's most picturesque towns. With lyrical prose andwry candor, Loomis recalls the miraculous restoration that she andher husband performed on the dilapidated convent they chose fortheir new residence. As its ochre and azure floor tiles emerged,challenges outside the dwelling mounted. From squatters to a surlypriest next door, along with a close-knit community wary ofoutsiders, Loomis tackled the social challenges head-on, throughpersistent dialogue-and baking. "On Rue Tatin "includes deliciousrecipes that evoke the essence of this region, such as Apple andThyme Tart, Duck Breast with Cider, and Braised Chicken i

In Unbowed, Nobel Prize winner Wangari Maathai recountsher extraordinary journey from her childhood in rural Kenya to theworld stage. When Maathai founded the Green Belt Movement in 1977,she began a vital poor people’s environmental movement, focused onthe empowerment of women, that soon spread across Africa.Persevering through run-ins with the Kenyan government and personallosses, and jailed and beaten on numerous occasions, Maathaicontinued to fight tirelessly to save Kenya’s forests and torestore democracy to her beloved country . Infused with herunique luminosity of spirit, Wangari Maathai’s remarkable story ofcourage, faith, and the power of persistence is destined to inspiregenerations to come.

The extraordinary story of Andrew Jackson—the colorful,dynamic, and forceful president who ushered in the Age of Democracyand set a still young America on its path to greatness—told by thebestselling author of The First American. The most famous American of his time, Andrew Jackson is a seminalfigure in American history. The first “common man” to rise to thepresidency, Jackson embodied the spirit and the vision of theemerging American nation; the term “Jacksonian democracy” isembedded in our national lexicon. With the sweep, passion, and attention to detail that made TheFirst American a Pulitzer Prize finalist and a national bestseller,historian H.W. Brands shapes a historical narrative that’s asfast-paced and compelling as the best fiction. He follows AndrewJackson from his days as rebellious youth, risking execution tofree the Carolinas of the British during the Revolutionary War, tohis years as a young lawyer and congressman from the newly settledfrontier state of Tennessee

Offers a remarkable perspective on how a brutal mobster couldlead a sweet home life as a suburban dad.” —New York Times “One of the most searing volumes ever written about the mob .. . An] unforgettable memoir.” —Publishers Weekly “Admirers of Mafia fiction . . . should enjoy DeMeo’s attemptto strip off the gaudy veneer of what is, what was, and [what]always will be very dirty business.” —Detroit Free Press