February’s Best Biographies & Memoirs

Wild Bill: The True Story of the American Frontier’s First Gunfighter, by Tom Clavin
Is there anyone more closely associated with the mythology of American westward expansion than “Wild Bill” Hickok? Even during his lifetime, fiction and legend overshadowed fact, but this painstakingly researched biography sets the record straight, and the results are at least as interesting as the sensational portrait that developed following a deadly quick-draw duel (the first of its kind) with a man named Davis Tutt—over a watch, of all things. Over his short life, Hickock took on dozens of different roles, and rubbed shoulders with many of the era’s folk heroes. Clavin’s exploration of the reality behind the myth is both enlightening and wildly entertaining.

Grateful American: A Journey from Self to Service (B&N Exclusive Edition), by Gary Sinise with Marcus Brotherton
Playing the disabled Lieutenant Dan character in the film adaptation of the novel Forrest Gump changed Sinise’s life forever: embraced by the military for his sensitive portrayal, he made a commitment to support active-duty servicemembers and veterans that became a calling—and, following the attacks of September 11, 2001, began to overshadow acting as his life’s mission. From his stage, film, and TV career through his work in entertaining and fundraising for veterans, Sinise’s tells the story of his life and his passion for service. The exclusive B&N edition features a letter from the author and a series of postcards.

I.M.: A Memoir, by Isaac Mizrahi
Celebrity designer Isaac Mizrahi grew up gay in a Syrian Orthodox Jewish family before he became a performer, a talk-show host, and a fashion icon. Throughout his life, he has moved through all of these identities and more, and walked in lofty celebrity circles that have included the likes of Richard Avedon, Audrey Hepburn, and Oprah Winfrey. This new memoir chronicles the highs and lows of his fascinating life.

Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood, by Trevor Noah
Now in paperback: When The Daily Show host Trevor Noah was born in apartheid South Africa, his existence was literally a crime: the union of his white father and black Xhosa mother would have, had it been discovered, been punishable by five years in prison. As a result, Noah was hidden away for much of his young life, before liberation saw his mother embark with him on an adventurous existence to try to make up for the years of privation. It would be a fascinating story even if he hadn’t gone on to take over as host of the venerable political comedy show. Noah’s anecdotes and stories covering the breadth of his life take on extra weight, given its unlikely trajectory.

The Perfect Predator: A Scientist’s Race to Save Her Husband from a Deadly Superbug: A Memoir, by Steffanie Strathdee and Thomas Patterson, with Teresa Barker
This memoir is extraordinarily unique–a personal story of epidemiology, a medical mystery involving a scientist’s effort to save her husband. While visiting Egypt, Tom Patterson was overcome by one of the most dangerous antibiotic-resistant bacteria known. Desperate to save his life, epidemiologist Steffanie Strathdee came upon a long out-of-favor treatment: phage therapy, or the introduction of a virus in an attempt to overpower a bacterial infection. The resulting story is the stuff of a nail-biting medical thriller, yet the resurrection of a forgotten treatment might have implications that extend far beyond the fate of one couple.
Whose story inspires you?