Stach, Reiner.

Summary: This volume of Reiner Stach's acclaimed and definitive biography of Franz Kafka tells the story of the final years of the writer's life, from 1916 to 1924--a period during which the world Kafka had known came to an end. Stach's riveting narrative, which reflects the latest findings about Kafka's life and works, draws readers in with a nearly cinematic power, zooming in for extreme close-ups of...

Summary: "Strayhorn: An Illustrated Life is a stunning collection of essays, photographs, and ephemera celebrating Billy Strayhorn, one of the most significant yet under-appreciated contributors to 20th century American music. Released in commemoration of Strayhorn's centennial, this luxurious coffee-table book offers intimate details of the composer's life from musicians, scholars, and Strayhorn's...

Ellsberg, Robert

Summary: This praised and best-selling daily reader presents short, comprehensive biographies of 365 saints and spiritual masters from Christianity and other faith traditions, including Mary Magdalene, Therese of Lisieux, Thomas Aquinas, Mother Teresa, Moses, Martin Luther, and Gandhi.

Herndon, Booton.

Summary: The men of the 77th Infantry Division couldn't fathom why Private Desmond T. Doss would venture into the horrors of World War II without a single weapon to defend himself. They called him a coward, but the soft--spoken medic insisted that his mission was to heal, not kill. Herndon shares the story of how Doss became the first conscientious objector to receive the Medal of Honor.

McCain, John

Summary: A history of Americans at war, told through the personal accounts of thirteen remarkable soldiers who fought in major military conflicts, from the Revolutionary War of 1776 to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. You'll meet Joseph Plumb Martin, who at the tender age of fifteen fought in the Revolutionary War; Charles Black, a freeborn African American sailor in the War of 1812; and Sam...

Felt, Hali.

Summary: "Until Marie Tharp's ground-breaking work in the 1950s, the floor of the ocean was a mystery--then, as now, we knew less about the ocean than we did about outer space. In a time when women in the scientific community were routinely dismissed, Marie's work changed our understanding of the earth's geologic evolution. While her partner, Bruce Heezen, went on expeditions to collect soundings...

Summary: "A comprehensive biography of the life of artist-poet Kahlil Gibran and his development as an artist transcending geographical boundaries of East and West--includes many rare photographs and images of his work"--

Summary: Did you know that James Monroe was the first president to appear without a wig in public? Or that George W. Bush appointed the first African-American secretary of state? Presidents of the United States invites the reader inside the White House to discover fascinating facts about the U.S. commanders-in-chief-their origins, accomplishments, and place in history-as told through famous quotes,...

Abrams, Jeanne E.

Summary: How the three inaugural First Ladies defined the role for future generations, and carved a space for women in AmericaAmerica's first First Ladies--Martha Washington, Abigail Adams, and Dolley Madison--had the challenging task of playing a pivotal role in defining the nature of the American presidency to a fledgling nation and to the world. In First Ladies of the Republic, Jeanne Abrams breaks...

Ackroyd, Peter

Summary: "Alfred Hitchcock was a strange child. Fat, lonely, burning with fear and ambition, his childhood was an isolated one, scented with fish from his father's shop. Afraid to leave his bedroom, he would plan great voyages, using railway timetables to plot an exact imaginary route across Europe. So how did this fearful figure become the one of the most respected film directors of the twentieth...

Bishop, Patrick (Patrick Joseph)

Summary: "One of Britain's most renowned military historians revisits the death of Zionist leader Avraham Stern-- head of Israel's notorious Stern Gang-- at the hand of a British policeman during WW II"--

Brant, John

Summary: Julius Achon is the director of the Achon Uganda Children's Fund, a charity whose mission is to improve the quality of life in rural Uganda. He was captured at 12 and turned into a boy soldier; then miraculously found a career as one of the world's foremost middle-distance runners. How these life jumps happened is told here.

Brockes, Emma

Summary: "From the author of She Left Me The Gun, an explosive and hilarious memoir about the exceptional and life-changing decision to conceive a child on one's own via assisted reproduction. When British journalist, memoirist, and New York-transplant Emma Brockes decides to become pregnant, she quickly realizes that, being single, 37, and in the early stages of a same-sex relationship, she's going to...

Brown, Daniel

Summary: "Out of the depths of the Depression comes an irresistible story about beating the odds and finding hope in the most desperate of times - the improbable, intimate account of how nine working-class boys from the American West showed the world at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin what true grit really meant. ... Brown has created an unforgettable portrait of an era, a celebration of a remarkable...

Burgan, Michael

Summary: Discusses the life of the famous African American track and field star who won four gold medals at the 1936 Olympic games in Berlin.

Bush, George W. (George Walker)

Summary: The 43rd president offers an intimate biography of his father, who went from being a World War II fighter pilot, to become the director of the CIA, vice president under Ronald Reagan, and President of the United States himself.

Bush, George W. (George Walker)

Summary: A collection of military oil paintings and profiles presents the stories of post-9/11 veterans, their experiences on the battlefield, road to recovery, and continuing contributions as civilians.

Bynum, Victoria E.

Summary: Between late 1863 and mid-1864, an armed band of Confederate deserters battled Confederate cavalry in the Piney Woods region of Jones County, Mississippi. Calling themselves the Knight Company after their captain, Newton Knight, and aided by women, slaves, and children who spied on the Confederacy and provided food and shelter, they set up headquarters in the swamps of the Leaf River. There,...

Campbell, William A.

Summary: Contains the history of villages, camps, and islands in the northeastern Georgian Bay area of Parry Sound District as well as brief family histories of the cottagers in the area. Covers such places as the French River mouth, Bustard Islands, Key Harbour, Key Junction, Pakesley, Ludgate, Britt and Byng Inlet.