[bksvol-discuss] Fw: Biography and Memoir July 2009

From: "Amber Wallenstein" <amber.wallens@xxxxxxxxx>
To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Tue, 21 Jul 2009 07:11:57 -0400
New and Recently Released!

Crazy for the Storm: A Memoir of Survival - by Norman Ollestad
Publisher: Ecco
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 06/02/2009
ISBN-13: 9780061766725
ISBN-10: 0061766720
In February 1979, 11-year-old Norman Ollestad was aboard a small plane with his 
father and his father's girlfriend when they crashed into the side of the
San Gabriel Mountains. Both the pilot and Norman's father were killed (and the 
female passenger was too injured to walk) so young Norman had to find his
way down the 8,500 foot mountain alone. Luckily for Norman, his father--who had 
pushed Norman to excel at surfing and competitive downhill skiing--had
prepared him well for the physical and emotional challenges of this seemingly 
impossible trek, which Ollestad chronicles in Crazy for the Storm. Readers
who liked Jon Krakauer's Into Thin Air won't want to miss this engrossing and 
poignant survival memoir.

Losing Mum and Pup : A Memoir - Buckley, Christopher
Publisher: Grand Central Pub
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 05/06/2009
ISBN-13: 9780446552394
ISBN-10: 0446552399
In twelve months between 2007 and 2008, Christopher Buckley coped with the 
passing of his father, William F. Buckley, the father of the modern conservative
movement, and his mother, Patricia Taylor Buckley, one of New York's most 
glamorous and colorful socialites. He was their only child and their 
relationship
was close and complicated. Writes Buckley: "They were not - with respect to 
every other set of loving, wonderful parents in the world - your typical mom
and dad."  As Buckley tells the story of their final year together, he takes 
readers on a surprisingly entertaining tour through hospitals, funeral homes,
and memorial services, capturing the heartbreaking and disorienting feeling of 
becoming a 55-year-old orphan. Buckley maintains his sense of humor by recalling
the words of Oscar Wilde: "To lose one parent may be regarded as a misfortune. 
To lose both looks like carelessness." Just as Calvin Trillin and Joan Didion
gave readers solace and insight into the experience of losing a spouse, 
Christopher Buckley offers consolation, wit, and warmth to those coping with the
death of a parent, while telling a unique personal story of life with legends.

My Remarkable Journey - by Larry King
Publisher: Weinstein Books
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 05/19/2009
ISBN-13: 9781602860865
ISBN-10: 1602860866
Since his first radio broadcast on May 1, 1957, Larry King has talked--and 
listened--to tens of thousands of people, both famous and not-so-famous. In My
Remarkable Journey, King looks back on his storied life, from his humble roots 
in Depression-era Brooklyn to his success as the host of CNN's long-running
Larry King Live. Candid and revealing, King also doesn't shy away from 
discussing potentially sensitive topics like his multiple failed marriages and 
his
1971 arrest for grand larceny. Fans of King and his humorous, good-natured 
attitude shouldn't miss this memoir, which Kirkus Reviews describes as "vintage
King."

Longshot: The Adventures of a Deaf Fundamentalist Mormon Kid and His Journey to 
the NBA - by Lance Allred
Publisher: HarperOne
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 06/01/2009
ISBN-13: 9780061718588
ISBN-10: 0061718580
At 6'11", professional basketball player Lance Allred looks right at home on 
the ball court. But what sets Allred apart from his teammates is the fact that
he is almost completely deaf; in fact, he's the NBA's first legally 
hearing-impaired player. Add to that Allred's fascinating backstory--he's the 
son of
a Montana polygamist and a grandson of the late Mormon fundamentalist leader 
Rulon Allred--and you've got one heck of an unlikely success story, the details
of which Allred shares in Longshot. If you are a basketball fan, enjoy books 
about overcoming long odds, or like behind-the-scenes glimpses into polygamist
societies, you can't go wrong with this unique and winning autobiography.

Clara's War: One Girl's Story of Survival - by Clara Kramer
Publisher: HarperCollins
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 05/01/2009
ISBN-13: 9780061728600
ISBN-10: 0061728608
When Clara Kramer, now president of the Holocaust Resource Foundation at Kean 
University, was 12 years old, her Polish hometown was overtaken by the Nazis
and all Jews were ordered to relocate to the ghetto. Desperate to escape, 
Kramer's family--along with 17 other Polish Jews--hid in a grimy and cramped
underground bunker. Aiding the Kramers and their companions in their struggle 
to survive and remain concealed was the most of unlikely of allies: their
former neighbor, Mr. Beck, a drunken anti-Semite. "Both a gripping thriller and 
a heartbreaking drama of human kindness, this is sure to become a classic
of Holocaust history," says Booklist.
Table of Contents
Born in July

Caesar: Life of a Colossus - by Adrian Keith Goldsworthy
Publisher: Yale University Press
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 09/22/2006
ISBN-13: 9780300120486
ISBN-10: 0300120486
July 13, 100 BC. In this in-depth biography of Roman dictator Julius Caesar, 
historian Adrian Goldsworthy examines the entirety of the famed leader's life,
from his birth to his assassination on the Ides of March in 44 BC. In addition 
to detailing Caesar's political and military exploits, Goldsworthy also
discusses the leader's personal life, including his notorious womanizing and 
his time as the high priest of a cult. Ancient-history buffs will be enthralled
by this "authoritative and exciting portrait not only of Caesar but of the 
complex society in which he lived" (The New York Times).
Table of Contents
First Chapter

Like a Lampshade in a Whorehouse: My Life in Comedy - by Phyllis Diller
Publisher: J.P. Tarcher/Penguin
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 02/16/2006
ISBN-13: 9781585424764
ISBN-10: 1585424765
July 17, 1917. Ready for some laughs? With chapter names like "A Dame and a 
Drunk" and "The Madonna of the Geritol Set," funny lady Phyllis Diller is here
to share her rise to fame and tickle your funny bone time and time again. 
Diller relates her childhood in Ohio, her foray into television and stand-up
comedy at the age of 37, and the atmosphere of the 1950s comedy scene. She also 
speaks frankly about her failed marriages and extensive plastic surgery.
This uproarious book is a treat for anyone who enjoys Diller's wit and 
self-deprecating humor.
First Chapter
Table of Contents

Mrs. Kennedy: The Missing History of the Kennedy Years - by Barbara Leaming
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 10/01/2002
ISBN-13: 9780743227490
ISBN-10: 0743227492
Call Number:
July 28, 1929. In recent months, both the U.S. and foreign press have made 
frequent comparisons between U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama and the iconic 
Jacqueline
Bouvier Kennedy Onassis. In Mrs. Kennedy, biographer Barbara Leaming offers a 
penentrating look at this fascinating woman who is still grabbing headlines
15 years after her death. Leaming focuses not on the entirety of Jackie's life 
but on the 1,000 days of John F. Kennedy's administration. She pays particular
attention to Jackie's impact on JFK's image as well the struggles she faced in 
her marriage. Don't miss this compelling and original look at one the 20th
century's biggest names.
First Chapter

The People's Tycoon: Henry Ford and the American Century - by Steven Watts
Publisher: Vintage Books
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 10/10/2006
ISBN-13: 9780375707254
ISBN-10: 0375707255
July 30, 1863. The eldest of six children born to Michigan farmers William and 
Mary Ford, Henry Ford became one of the wealthiest men in America with the
success of his Ford Motor Company and its mass-produced automobiles. This 
definitive biography examines the real man behind the myth, explores the 
dramatic
contradictions of his life (including the child he fathered out of wedlock 
while publicly advocating high standards of morality), and assesses his 
accomplishments
within the context of late 19th- and early 20th-century America. For more on 
Ford, check out Greg Grandin's new book, Fordlandia: The Rise and Fall of
Henry Ford's Forgotten Jungle City.
First Chapter
Focus on: American Founders

Benjamin Franklin: An American Life - by Walter Isaacson
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 07/01/2003
ISBN-13: 9780684807614
ISBN-10: 0684807610
Founding Father Benjamin Franklin was a true Renaissance man; at various times 
in his life, he was a scientist, politician, statesman, printer, shopkeeper,
writer, businessman, and an inventor. In this engaging biography, author Walter 
Isaacson chronicles Franklin's accomplished life and illustrates how he
helped to create an American national identity. The Washington Post says that 
this portrait of the multi-talented, self-styled man of the people is 
"wonderfully
written...insightful and imaginative."
First Chapter
Table of Contents

Founding Mothers: The Women Who Raised Our Nation - by Cokie Roberts
Publisher: William Morrow
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 04/01/2004
ISBN-13: 9780060090258
ISBN-10: 0060090251
If you've ever flipped through a U.S. history textbook, it's possible that you 
could come away with the false impression that only men were involved in
founding the United States of America. In response, ABC News and NPR political 
analyst Cokie Roberts offers this entertaining, inspirational, and 
well-researched
look at the contributions, trials, and tribulations of the women who helped 
shape the American nation. She profiles historical figures whose names are
well-known, like First Lady Abigail Adams, and those who are less familiar, 
such as spy Peggy Shippen. "A much-needed look at the unheralded sacrifices
and heroism of colonial women," notes Booklist.
First Chapter

Samuel Adams: A Life - by Ira Stoll
Publisher: Free Press
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 11/04/2008
ISBN-13: 9780743299114
ISBN-10: 0743299116
Though often overshadowed by other Founding Fathers, Boston-born Samuel Adams 
was one of the first in the American colonies to call for independence from
Britain. In fact, his pivotal roles in nearly every aspect of the American 
Revolution led Thomas Jefferson to later declare that Adams was "truly the man
of the Revolution." In this illuminating biography, journalist Ira Stoll 
details Adams' life and role in United States history, including his work as a
newspaper editor, Massachusetts governor, and statesman. Check out Samuel Adams 
to learn more about this most underrated of American revolutionaries.
First Chapter
Table of Contents

An Imperfect God: George Washington, His Slaves, and the Creation of America - 
by Henry Wiencek
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 09/01/2004
ISBN-13: 9780374529512
ISBN-10: 0374529515
Though the Founding Fathers were dedicated to the idea that all men were 
created equal, many of them--including President George Washington--were 
slaveholders.
But unlike his contemporaries, Washington eventually emancipated his 
slaves--some his blood relatives--upon his death in 1799. An Imperfect God is 
historian
Henry Wiencek's investigation into Washington's moral struggle with slavery, 
his activities as a slave owner, and his decision to free his slaves at the
end of his life. For another book about a Founding Father's relationship with 
slavery, check out Garry Wills' Negro President: Jefferson and the Slave
Power.
First Chapter
Table of Contents
[bksvol-discuss] Fw: Biography and Memoir July 2009

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