A Bio Better Than Fiction
345019
Trevor Noah's life story is as much of a page-turner as you could want.  Bi-racial in the complex world of apartheid and its aftermath, Noah describes his childhood and young adult maneuvering through the multiplex of tribe, race and social class in Johannesburg, South Africa.  Add to that the struggles of poverty and family dysfunction overlaid with Noah's unmatched humor and wit and you have a great read.
2064690
This book surprised me. I expected a rather dry biography, but instead found a portrait of a fascinating man, nicknamed Raven, created through a collection of anecdotes and stories. The author is also a character in the book since it appears she spent several years interviewing him as well as joining him on his daily runs. The book has a lot of emotion- humor, pathos, even suspense. It also has a lot of facts, such a long list of people who had joined the daily runs on Miami Beach through the years. Besides the interesting snippets of Raven's running partners, I got to know Raven himself as a somewhat driven figure with a big heart. He's a person I'd like to know. The author makes that almost possible in the book.
4129000
This is one of the finest biographies I've ever read, thoughtfully conceived and gracefully written.  I've read several other studies of George Washington, but for the first time I feel I understand him.  The book deserves more than the five stars I can give it here.  Chernow proves that a biographer can humanize George Washington without debunking him.  One-volume biographies of Washington will, of course, continue to be written, but for the remainder of my life, Chernow's will be the standard against which I measure any others.

Two quibbles, one technical and the other substantive.  1. It's difficult to find the citations because page numbers of the text are not given above the endnotes. 2. Chernow often makes shrewd guesses about what his characters might have been thinking, but occasionally he overreaches.  For instance, when slaves weep at the departure of Martha Washington from Mount Vernon in 1789, Chernow writes that possibly the slaves were weeping for their "six friends and family members being forcibly relocated to New York; perhaps the remaining slaves feared mistreatment at the hands of overseers in the Washington's absence." (572)  Maybe, maybe not; in any case, this sort of mind reading across centuries puts historians on shaky ground.
4944855
I'm a big fan of Miller but mistook his semi-autobiographical novels as close to literal truth. I'm glad I came across this biography, since it paints a fuller picture of his life. Miller's an incredible writer and this book does a great job of tracking his story. It puts Miller in a more accurate light and makes him more real. Hopefully, it aids in keeping Miller relevant to modern readers.

The biography is clearly written, and does its job admirably.
1151158
I do not often read nonfiction, but I felt compelled to examine this biography. It presents facts not previously known and a story far removed from the glittery version of which the public is most familiar. Since I have also read the biography by Florence Delaporte I was pleased to find different information and a different focus that compliments the French biography while not taking away from it. Bravo!
1293058
His story has been told by others, but what sets this biography apart is the detailed research by the author. Also, the publisher has put the research together in a well-composed book. A visual artist such as Paul Lynde needs a lot of illustrations to fully detail his ultimate portrait, and the author delivers nicely on this requirement. For enjoyment and a well-rounded profile of the comedian, here's a biography worth chosing.
836173
There is no way around it - this book requires a very real investment of time.  But what a payoff!  In addition to having a really thick book to put on your shelf to impress your friends, this is one of the greatest biographies over written.

Caro has chosen a truly unique character to profile.  Robert Moses is unlike any other person I've encountered in my reading.  The man backed down the Governor of New York and the President of the United States from a non-elected position in New York City government.  In addition, Moses dominated every mayor of New York and the politics of the city itself for almost 40 years.  No wonder the book is so long.

In addition, the book can't help but be a biography of modern New York City.  So much of the city bears the fingerprints of Robert Moses that learning about the man necessarily teaches you a lot about how the city became what it is today.

A must-read for fans of biography, stories of power, and New York City.
3749034
Howard Hughes' life had all the elements to make a titillating yarn -- Hollywood movie-making, dozens of sexy starlets, racing airplanes, spending millions of dollars on a whim, and a truly eccentric protagonist.  This bio is a page-turner because the subject's life was far more intriguing than any of the movies he strove so hard to create.  The author doesn't burden his narrative with the details of Hughes' business dealings, which could probably occupy several volumes in themselves.  Instead, we learn mostly about his personal relationships and obsessions.  The text could have stood another word-editing, as there are some questionable word choices and grammatical slipups, but these are minor irritations in a fascinating yarn.
1358200
This book is both remarkable and superb. First, the remarkable part. The biography section of your local bookstore or library sags under the weight of books about famous people. This is that rare book about a once famous Hollywood powerhouse who has all but vanished during the quarter century since his death. That disappearance is all the more remarkable if you scan just a partial list of his clients (Howard Hughes, Clark Gable, William Randolph Hearst, Marlene Dietrich) or his girlfriends (Lana Turner, Ava Gardner, Ginger Rogers, Rita Hayworth). Gladstone has done a remarkable feat of resurrection, making the once famous and then forgotten Greg Bautzer come alive again for the reader.

Which brings me to the superb part. The challenge for a serious biographer is to figure out how to do the research necessary to tell the story but then tell that story without loading down the reader with that research. Gladstone accomplishes this metamorphosis brilliantly. The research involved--as recorded in more than 25 pages of endnotes and bibliography--is staggering. Somehow, though, he weaves it all into a fascinating and enjoyable rags-to-riches story of an obscure young lawyer's rise to power and fame. He tells the tale in prose that is clear and concise and witty.
2822207
I was vaguely familiar with the name of Charles Walters, and knew he directed musicals. But what surprised me upon reading Brent Phillips's biography of him was the extent of his creativity, his influence. Confession: I am a behind-the-scenes Hollywood junkie, especially of the golden age of film. The book is written with grace and an impressive marshaling of facts. And for a relatively short book, Phillips manages to cram in more sheer information than the typical Hollywood bio. The author, a former dancer, clearly has a special rapport with Walters as they share an art. Perhaps more writers of musicians' lives should be musicians themselves, poets should write on poets, and actors could bring more insight into the work of other actors. Simon Callow's brilliant book on Charles Laughton is a prize example of this. I think what has kept Walters's name from being more a household word is his simple modesty, which is very much on display here. Bravo to Brent Phillips for bringing him out into the light so more of us can appreciate him.
982835
At last a full length biography on a much under-appreciated band. Simon Wordsworth writes with the passion of a Spoonful fan but is not afraid to be critical when required. His commendable research and  affable style of writing make "Do You Believe Magic" one of the better Rock bios out there.
1518652
I find it funny that some reviews tell people to read biographies rather  than this fictional work.  If you're interested in a history lesson this  likely isn't the book for you.  I'm sure you'll glean the general flow of  Grant's life from GRANT SPEAKS, but biography it's not.  And I can't be  happier.
This book is a page-turner.  While rooted in history, it  diverges in wonderfully creative ways!  It is a bold book with something to  say about Grant, the period in America, and the human condition in  general.
At times I felt the book tried too hard to be funny when all it  needed was to look at the humanity it had set up, but overall this a solid  four-star selection.
3323063
If you are going to read a biography this year, make it this one!!
Gerard Helferich's biography is brilliantly written and entirely readable. It is about a man few of us know enough about, but certainly should. His far-reaching contributions to science and his humanity make it relevant.
After reading Prescott's history of the Spanish conquest of Mexico, I was lead to this biography and the joy of learning about a man who explored and understood the land and peoples of South America better than most do today.
His five year exploration of South American preceded the Lewis and Clark explorations and this book would rival any written about that historic journey.
This publication is exceptional.
121556
It's been said of this memoir/biography that it reads like a novel, but of course that's not quite true. Even the most abundantly lively literary creations are still creations, whereas the heroines of the title here are undeniably real. It's a tribute to their personalities, and to Gessen's skill, that they seem so from the first page.

The story--basically that of the twentieth century itself--is of such unimaginably wide scope that Gessen's tight focus on her family makes perfect sense, and she doesn't need to indulge in literary pyrotechnics or crazy stories to justify it. But when picking the perfect one-paragraph vignette, and particularly in the extended section in which she describes the death of her great-grandfather at the hands of the Nazis--told as three completely different tales, based on the multiple reconstructions she was able to piece togeher from survivors' stories--the craft and creativity that went into shaping this becomes apparent.

It's fascinating from beginning to end, marred only by an oocasional brusqueness, as if the hand that elides so much to keep the focus along has become impatient. These moments are often followed by a few paragraphs of florid embellishment, as if to overcompensate. But Gessen need make no apologies: this is compelling reading, and an important resource for understanding the human reality of history.
4014937
Great cover art, a tour de force to match the quality of the narrative  within.  The "split" personality pictured on the cover is Billy,  nee Dorothy, Tipton, a small-time musician who lived and worked as a man  for over 50 years.
I'm not a big fan of biographies, so it takes a lot  for me to pick one up.  I found Middlebrook's story of Billy so compelling  that it was hard for me to put this biography down until I finished  it.
Middlebrook has been criticized for using too much conjecture, but  she is always scrupulous about letting the reader know when she is doing  just that.  Her exhaustive research about the life of musicians -- and  lesbians -- in the first half of this century allow this conjecture, I  believe, because Billy left very little of herself behind when she died a  decade ago.  A few photos, a few letters, and a number of people who knew  her as either or both Billy and Dorothy survive; Middelbrook builds an  intriguing narrative from these remnants and scraps of Billy's life.  Nonbiog reader that I am, I am now looking forward to reading Middlebrook's  _Anna_Sexton_, too.
A postscript: I thought Middlebrook was very adroit  in using 3rd person pronouns -- he, she -- in such a way as to keep the  reader clear throughout the book on just which side of Billy's psyche and  persona was being described at any given moment in time.
315077
Beth Macy takes a subject (the globalization of furniture manufacturing) that may not, at first look, peak the interest of everyone and turns it into a page-turner.  The story of John Bassett III is one of personal loss and courage against all odds.  A fascinating biography that reads like a novel.
2563893
This biography is a well researched, fascinating account of an American original.  It reads like a novel, but also has the scholarship and insight into Barthelme's work that one would demand.  It's also a personal and moving portrait since the author knew Barthelme at one point during his life.  I highly recommend this.  Should get noticed for awards and certainly deserves to be read for its pleasure.