An excellent biography
354044
Mary Rubio's biography of Lucy Maud Montgomery is both an interesting read in and of itself, and a fascinating companion piece for readers of the journals. Whereas it is clear that Rubio has substantial affection for her subject, she does present some of the less- than-glorious aspects of the author unflinchingly.  Mary Rubio clearly admires her subject, but does not do so blindly.  She is forgiving of Montgomery's human failings, and doesn't address some aspects of the journals in that forgiveness.

One of the most interesting passages of the book considers the strange tale of Herman Leard, although perhaps not in as an in-depth as it might have been.  Rubio does make an excellent attempt to state both the facts about Leard (his engagement to another woman at the same time) and the conflicts within Montgomery's account. At no point does she speculate as to the reasons Montgomery may have had in preserving the tale when certain elements of it were clearly tweaked for dramatic impact by Montgomery. Still, while never condemning Montgomery, Rubio seeks to be fair to all sides. A rare thing in a biography written by an individual who spent decades of her life compiling the research.

Rubio's book is exceptionally well balanced particularly considering her great fondness for the subject.  She takes the time and effort to consider Ewan MacDonald (Montgomery's husband) as a full person also, and in doing so helps solve the mystery of what actually ailed the man.  Since MacDonald seems to only exist in the journals as the millstone around Montgomery's neck, this information finally gives the man some dignity of his own.

The subject of Montgomery's very difficult son, Chester, is addressed honestly and with no attempt to conceal his faults.  This is in sharp contrast to Montgomery's own description of him within the journals, where her devastation over his conduct was often mystifying because she did seek to spare her family by concealing details.

One of the best things about this biography is Mary Rubio's detailed descriptions of what was going on in Montgomery's life while she was writing each of her books.  She examines the possible motivations behind some of the subject matter, and shines a new light on several of LMM's books in doing so.

An excellent, very fast-paced read and I believe it would be of interest to individuals not particularly familiar with Lucy Maud Montgomery.  Mary Rubio resists sensationalizing any of the information she presents and presents a kind, but not sugar-coated look into the life of a woman who has often been termed an enigma.
162764
An interesting and well researched biography, sympathetic to its subject but never fawning. The meat of the book is very well presented and quite readable and Murdoch gives us a real sense of the man. The last section dealing with Julian's treatment through history seemed a bit superfluous and added little more than a dozen or so pages to a rather short volume.
111136
Isaacson's book is a meticulously detailed portrait of the life of one of America's greatest statesmen. This biography is not a whitewash, and Isaacson does not see the need to abridge or simplify the biography of a supremely complicated person.

This was not a quick read, and I frequently found myself paging back to earlier sections to remember one detail or another. But it was time well spent. This book deserves a place on your bookshelf.
4938935
An excellent book. Isaacson has provided us with a superb biography that chronicles not only Jobs's life, but the life of the industry itself.
4427722
This is the biography of a man as much as of a writer. I admit to preferring Forster's non-fiction to his fiction (although I find the continual disparagement of the modestly presented Maurice to be pointless, not to say unwarranted). And I am fascinated by the man. He is a window into so much from early-twentieth-century British life among the upper-class to British India to Bohemians (of whom Forster was quite wry) to literary analysis. Furbank is scrupulously honest and rarely falls prey to forcing an agenda on Forster's life. His goal is to reveal the man, and he succeeds. I suggest Furbank's book over any other biography or analyses of Forster currently on the market.
3379428
This biography of William Seward is very informative, well-researched and a incredibly readable.  There is not much else you can ask for in a historical biography of a 19th century politician.  Seward was an extra ordinary politician who many thought would be president.  Instead, he became one of the greatest and most important politicians and Cabinet officers in our history.  The book is worth reading for the section on the Civil War and Seward's relationship with Lincoln alone.  There is so much more to the story and the author covers it all in rich detail.  I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the era, or in reading about a fascinating, complex and important historical figure.
2000917
Flexner has created what seems very hard to find nowadays: a balanced biography. The research and conclusions are solid, and it is an enjoyable read, even entertaining at times. For a scholarly work, this was a welcome surprise.

The illustrations and formatting of this edition made the purchase well worth the extra money spent; it is a quality book that I will keep around.
4295269
This is a wonderfully rich biography of such a significant historical figure. Metaxas' historical research is first-rate, as he quotes primary sources at great length throughout the book: papers, letters, journals, etc. One really feels that history has been brought to life in this excellent book.

Metaxas presents Bonhoeffer's life story in a highly chronological way, beginning with his childhood and family life, then on through his travels abroad, and culminating with the pivotal final years in Germany. Yet despite the book's nearly 550-page length, I did not at all feel as though the book was too long or too detailed. Metaxas writes in such an engaging style that I did not want to stop reading. If I could have, I might have read the book through in one sitting, because it really was that interesting. I highly recommend this book.
4688585
An excellent Biography on the life of Martin Luther. I knew much about Luther that was generally known but other ideas and concepts are included in this book. Interesting to read about Luther's childhood days, his friendships and the life of his parents. Of course Wittenberg, Wartburg, The 95 thesis and all of the reformation info is in here.  I enjoyed flow of the book. It was relaxing and covered an in-depth range of ideas about the man who changed church history. I would highly recommend to anyone who enjoys this topic.
4447605
Whether you love Jerry Lewis or hate him, you won't be able to stop reading this definative biography that corrects years and years of misinformation and paints a brutally honest picture of the entertainer. It's certainly a warts-and-all bio, filled with unflattering information, but its leveled with a real appreciation for Lewis's work as a comedian, actor and director. This biography gets beneath the skin and gives you a real insight to Lewis. He's not a monster but he's also not someone you'd want to spend a lot of time with off the pages of this excellent biography.
719976
I know that a good number of people would purchase this biography on the basis of what new light could be shed on Ted Hughes' relationship with you-know-who, or through curiosity on what the infamous poet was really like, from birth to death, but either way, I think you'll be satisfied and a whole lot more once you put it down.

I checked this out at my local library and became immersed in every chapter in no time flat. The book is hard to put down because it is written extremely well and offers broad insight into everything that made Hughes who he was. It's obvious that Hughes was a very engaging presence even in childhood, and the biography, like so many others, inevitably plunges into his first meeting and ultimately unstable relationship with Sylvia Plath (an entire chapter serves as a quick summary of Plath's life before the fated meeting).

What separates this biography from, say, "Her Husband", is that after Plath commits suicide, the book carries on in Hughes' favor, chronicling his rather difficult life onward, indulging us with every detail as to the seemingly major damage done to his reputation in the wake of Plath and Assia's suicide, his short-lived relationships with the few women in his later years, his artistic struggles, and his eventual redemption. The book does not glorify him or draw a biased line just because it's his biography, although some would beg to differ; it simply tells it like it is. Some moments of his life were great, but most were rife with darkness, and it makes you understand that he was not a man to be hated for his indiscretions, but a man to be cherished for his grand vision and bold demeanor. There is no question that he and Plath, two extraordinary poets that made each other famous, have made their peace in the afterlife.
4649301
John Quincy Adams by Harlow Unger is a well written and well researched biography of our sixth President.

John Quincy suffered many personal tragedies along with many political triumphs and disappointments.  The narrative weaves naturally from the political to the personal and back again.  Here and there the recounting of the family relations and failures of John Quincy's own sons get confusing, but this is a minor criticism.

John Quincy led a most remarkable life.  Unger's biography of him is enjoyable and informative read not just for the history buff, but for the casual reader as well.  It is a biography worthy of a five stat rating.
3116061
This is a very well done biography of Che Guevara, someone who did not lead a life that would make a biographer's life particularly easy.

 Anderson seems to have followed Che's path everywhere, and does a good job of exploring his character. It is certainly not a book that paints him as a left wing saint; nor does it pander to the many on the right who despise him.

 Anderson shows Che as a personality best suited for revolution and war;  one who was ill suited to the detailed,, desk bound work of managing a state once his side was in power.

 It was a surprise to me to learn the extent to which Che influenced Castro toward Communisism, that Castro was proclaiming himself to be just focused on freeing Cuba from Batista right up until he seized power.

 The book is strongest in the days leading up to Cuba and in Cuba itself, and somewhat falls apart in the last quarter of the book when Che tries and fails to spread the revolution beyond Cuba.
4246455
This 1952 bio of the great Fanny Brice is much more interesting than others I've read, mostly due to the fact that it was partly written by Fanny herself. She had been planning to write her autobio, and author Norman Katkov met her at the time she was interviewing co-writers. She died not long after that interview and he was given all her notes on which this warm and amusing biography was largely based. Katkov was able to interview many of Brice's surviving vaudeville, burlesque, Ziegfeld-era, and Baby Snooks colleagues whose fond recollections give life to this biography. With their help, as well as Fanny's notes, Katkov brings her to life again. It's a most enjoyable read.
4150655
I have been researching Plath's life and death, and found this biography to be the most objective and well-rounded of the bunch. the author draws on a wide array of sources, and paints a most compelling portrait of Plath, which is both real and compassionate.
2387273
This is a fine biography that both covers Franklin's life very well and provides a solid sketch of the world she lived in, without going into the endless detail that some "life and times" biographies do.  The book provides a clear understanding of who Franklin was and how she acted, both good and bad.  She was a brilliant scientist and a warm, caring friend to many; on the other side she was a perfectionist (it goes with the brilliance) and an intellectual snob.  It's the task of biography to show us the whole person, and this book does that.
The book also provides a fascinating description of the world of postwar science in Britain.  It was still the era of "small science" in which brilliant individuals made major discoveries while working in cramped, dirty conditions with minimal facilities and what now seem absurdly small budgets.  Individual scientists still designed their own equipment (one of Franklin's early contributions was the design of an improved X-ray camera) and still spent endless days on pencil-and-paper mathematical computations unless they were lucky enough to get permission from the budget gods to hire a "computer" human to do the arithmetic for them.
By covering Franklin's career in detail, Maddox makes clear that her work on DNA was only part of her career, and probably not the most important part.  When she died the arc of her career was still climbing.  Had Franklin lived she would have been a likely candidate for a Nobel Prize based not on her role in DNA but on research done later by her own team of researchers under her own direction.  Her death at age 37 cutting her career short was a loss to all human society.
2070558
Schmidt has written an excellent bio from start to finish.  His writing is organized, clear, and easy to read.  This is a pleasure as so many biographies lack many of these qualities.  A nice selection of photographs.  And most important, a well researched effort with logical and reasonable insight offered and no gossip.

Her story is simply as sad and tragic as they come.  I didn't realize just how tragic until I read this.