Biography & Autobiography

"I don't think anyone should write their autobiography until after they're dead." — Samuel Goldwyn

Pragmatic and Passionate, Cunning and Callous: On David S. Brown’s “The First Populist: The Defiant Life of Andrew Jackson”
Daniel N. Gullotta reviews David S. Brown’s new biography, “The First Populist: The Defiant Life of Andrew Jackson.”
Daniel N. GullottaJul 11, 2022
- Biography & Autobiography
Brilliant Scholar or Predatory Charlatan?: On Jerry Z. Muller’s “Professor of Apocalypse: The Many Lives of Jacob Taubes”
Steven Aschheim reviews “Professor of Apocalypse: The Many Lives of Jacob Taubes,” a new biography by Jerry Z. Muller.
Steven E. AschheimJun 27, 2022
- Biography & Autobiography
“The Sights and Sounds of Life”: On Matthew Sturgis’s Biography of Oscar Wilde
“Oscar Wilde: A Life” displays an almost Tolstoyan attention to detail.
Kaya GençApr 15, 2022
- Biography & Autobiography
A Genius on the Wrong Side of History: Tolstoy’s Conflicts and Contradictions
Maria Rubins weighs Tolstoy’s complicated legacy, with the help Andrei Zorin’s new biography and Vadim Shneyder’s “Russia’s Capitalist Realism.”
Maria RubinsApr 14, 2022
- Biography & Autobiography
An Ontology of Hate: On Shaul Magid’s “Meir Kahane: The Public Life and Political Thought of an American Jewish Radical”
Meir Kahane reveled in hateful tactics and propagated hate as an ontological principle.
David N. MyersApr 7, 2022
- Biography & Autobiography
An Amazon of the Avant-Garde: On Lynn Garafola’s “La Nijinska: Choreographer of the Modern”
A well-researched biography of a neglected major choreographer of avant-garde dance.
Harlow RobinsonMar 24, 2022
- Biography & Autobiography
A Private Gentleman: On “The Trials of Harry S. Truman”
Widely despised at the end of his presidency, Harry Truman’s reputation has grown since.
Henry DykstalMar 1, 2022
- Biography & Autobiography
Chekhov Large and Small
Bob Blaisdell examines new biographies of Anton Chekhov by Michael C. Finke and Donald Rayfield.
Bob BlaisdellFeb 15, 2022
- Biography & Autobiography
Resisting the Food Establishment: On Mayukh Sen’s “Taste Makers: Seven Immigrant Women Who Revolutionized Food in America”
Sen has brought to light a stellar cast of culinary experts that readers may not know about but should.
Sharmila MukherjeeFeb 14, 2022
- Biography & Autobiography
- Food & Drink
A Necessary, Hazardous Calling: On Judith Mackrell’s “The Correspondents: Six Women Writers on the Front Lines of World War II”
A well-crafted true story of female journalists reporting from the front lines.
Stephanie GortonFeb 3, 2022
- Biography & Autobiography
Workmanlike Surrealism: On Alex Danchev’s “Magritte: A Life”
Alex Danchev’s final book is a sparkling biography of a prolific, popular artist.
Peter PlagensJan 21, 2022
- Biography & Autobiography
Madness as Method: On Andrew Hussey’s “Speaking East: The Strange and Enchanted Life of Isidore Isou”
A new biography of the founder of Lettrism, the “avant-garde of the avant-garde.”
Marius HenteaJan 7, 2022
- Biography & Autobiography