Fascinating Life Stories

41: A Portrait of My Father, by George W. Bush
Only twice in history has the son of a U.S. president become president himself, and never before have readers been granted an interior view of what it’s like to live through such unusual circumstances. George W. Bush’s touching, unapologetically reverential biography of his father, George H.W. Bush, is not only a fascinating portrait of the 41st president, but a unique memoir of growing up in, and becoming part of, a political family.

Not That Kind of Girl, by Lena Dunham
Already possessing a resume full of enviable accomplishments (from an award-winning film to a zeitgeist-defining HBO television series), Gen Y wunderkind Lena Dunham has leveled up again with the publication of this engaging, insightful, and frankly funny memoir. The famously uninhibited writer and actress bares on all the page, sharing stories of her foibles and insecurities surrounding sex, friendships, work, and life.

Neil Patrick Harris: Choose Your Own Autobiography, by Neil Patrick Harris
A television mainstay since his teens, Neil Patrick Harris has passed through the Hollywood gauntlet and lived to tell the tale. As if his stories of growing up Doogie, coming out, becoming Barney, and putting on the glam as Hedwig weren’t enough, he’s turned them into something altogether more exciting by structuring his book in the style of a Choose Your Own Adventure novel, allowing readers to experience the chronological story of his life, or chart a different course.

The Roosevelts: An Intimate History, by Geoffrey C. Ward
A companion to Ken Burns’ seven-part PBS documentary series, this volume looks at the lives of three people who carry the name famous surname: President Theodore Roosevelt, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (Theodore’s distant relation), and Franklin’s wife Eleanor. Ward transforms these towering historical figures into flesh-and-blood humans—failings, quirks, and all.

Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis, by Barbara Leaming
Jackie Kennedy was American royalty, yet her remarkable life has been overshadowed by the tragedy that took the life of her husband and changed the fate of a nation. Barbara Leaming delves into the former First Lady’s life in the wake of JFK’s assassination, and argues that her decades-long struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder pushed her down a path she never imagined walking.

On His Own Terms: A Life of Nelson Rockefeller, by Richard Norton Smith
Born into one of the most powerful families in America, Nelson D. Rockefeller believed from childhood that he was destined for political greatness, and spent decades working toward one singular goal: the United States presidency. That he never succeeded does nothing to diminish his remarkable accomplishments, from his 16 years as governor of New York to his tenure as Gerald Ford’s vice president, one heartbeat away from his dream. Working from thousands of pages of documents and hundreds of interviews, Smith creates a fully-realized portrait of the original Rockefeller Republican’s life and controversial political career.

The Mockingbird Next Door, by Marja Mills
This fascinating account of the author’s years living in the house next door to Harper Lee, one of the world’s most famously reclusive authors, is  a must-read not only for the explanation of why Lee never published anything after To Kill a Mockingbird, but also for its portrait of a changing South.

Napoleon: A Life, by Andrew Roberts
This definitive biography of one of the greatest military minds in history goes beyond the battles to explore the forces that shaped the famously short-statured man who cast a long shadow over European history. Enriched with details contained in tens of thousands of Napoleon’s recently published personal letters, Roberts’ exhaustive work reveals the man behind the historical legend.

Billy Joel, by Fred Schruers
Drawn from over 100 hours of exclusive interviews with Joel, this in-depth biography follows the Piano Man from his unassuming childhood on Long Island to his superstardom in the 1970s and ’80s. Schruers reveals how key relationships in the singer’s life—from lifelong friendships to short-lived marriages—inspired some of the most famous songs of the last century.

The Woman I Wanted to Be, by Diane von Fürstenberg
From her birth in Belgium, to her marriage to (and divorce from) a German prince, to the creation of her iconic dress and fashion empire, Diane von Fürstenberg has lived an unusual and remarkable life. In this revealing memoir, she takes us through her life’s journey, explaining how her drive to live as an independent woman helped define her career and her role as a mother.
Shop all Biographies