Selvbiografier

Richard Ellmann's James Joyce, published in 1959, has been called "the greatest literary biography of the twentieth century." Ellmann's Joyce provides the biography of the biography-an eye-opening account of how Ellmann's book came to be, the intrigue surrounding it, and its enduring impact on the study and making of literary lives.

An exciting new title in the vein of Hidden Figures, which tells the inspiring stories of long-overlooked women physicists and astronomers who discovered the fundamental rules of the universe and reshaped the rules of society.Women physicists and astronomers from around the world have transformed science and society, but the critical roles they played in their fields are not always well-sung. Her Space, Her Time, authored by award-winning quantum physicist Shohini Ghose, brings together the stories of these remarkable women to celebrate their indelible scientific contributions. In each chapter of the book, Ghose explores a scientific topic and explains how the women featured in that chapter revolutionized that area of physics and astronomy. In doing so, she also addresses particular aspects of women’s experiences in physics and astronomy: in the chapter on time, for instance, we learn of Henrietta Leavitt and Margaret Burbidge, who helped discover the big bang and the cosmic calendar; in the chapter on space exploration, we learn of Anigaduwagi (Cherokee) aerospace scientist Mary Golda Ross, who helped make the Moon landings possible; and in the chapter on subatomic particles, we learn of Marietta Blau, Hertha Wambacher, and Bibha Chowdhuri, who contributed to the discovery of the building blocks of the universe, and, in doing so, played a crucial role in determining who gets to do physics today.Engaging, accessible, and timely, Her Space, Her Time is a collective story of scientific innovation, inspirational leadership, and overcoming invisibility that will leave a lasting impression on any reader curious about the rule-breakers and trendsetters who illuminated our understanding of the universe.Some of the featured women scientists in the book•   Williamina Fleming•   Annie Jump Cannon•   Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin•   Antonia Maury•   Henrietta Leavitt•   Margaret Burbidge•   Mary Golda Ross•   Dilhan Eryurt•   Claudia Alexander•   Joyce Neighbors•   Navajo women of Shiprock •   Harriet Brooks•   Marie Curie•   Lise Meitner•   Marietta Blau•   Hertha Wambacher•   Bibha Chowdhuri•   Wu Chien-Shiung•   Women of the Manhattan Project•   Vera Rubin

An approachable critical biography of the late nineteenth-century Viennese composer. Gustav Mahler's status as an icon of fin-de-siècle Viennese music is assured, and while his life story has been told in numerous biographies, films, and novels, he remains an ambiguous, provocative figure. Supposedly haunted by death and trapped in a torrid marriage, Mahler's brief meeting with Freud has spurred psychoanalytical speculations, but there are other questions to explore as well. Mahler challenged musical form and style, but he rejected most other contemporary trends, identifying with traditional German Enlightenment and Romantic culture. He rose to the pinnacle of his profession, despite the protestations of antisemitic Vienna. This book draws on the latest research to construct a fresh interpretation of Mahler's music in relation to his life.

The first biography of an extraordinary woman and architect who left her mark on world capitals and reshaped modern designElla Briggs (1880-1977) was a talented architect, designer, and writer whose influence was felt on both sides of the Atlantic. She trained with the Viennese Secessionists and brought their radical ideas to Gilded Age New York. She designed modernist housing for the masses in Austria, was jailed as a suspected spy in Mussolini's Italy, and thrived in Weimar Germany before suffering persecution under the Nazis. Fleeing to London, she contributed to England's postwar reconstruction. Yet despite a long and prolific career, her name is largely forgotten today. Finding Ella Briggs restores Briggs to her rightful place in the history of modernist design. Despina Stratigakos and Elana Shapira bring together an international team of historians to provide the defining biography of this boldly unconventional designer. Whether she was fighting for integration at Europe's architecture schools or writing about innovative houses for American women's magazines like Good Housekeeping, Briggs embodied the transatlantic flow of modernism. This panoramic book uncovers new findings about Briggs, her networks, and projects, recovering the many facets of a life that spanned global borders and cultures. Beautifully illustrated and drawing on a wealth of previously unpublished research from archives around the world, Finding Ella Briggs is the inspiring story of a woman who defied all obstacles to pursue her dream of designing for the modern client. With contributions by Megan Brandow-Faller, Celina Kress, Dörte Kuhlmann, Ulrike Matzer, Christine Oertel, Eva B. Ottillinger, Barbara Penner, Sabine Plakolm-Forsthuber, Monika Platzer, Ursula Prokop, Sabrina Rahman, Katrin Stingl, Carmen Trifina, and Christine Zwingl.

The first book-length study of the biblical villain Haman, examining his depiction across Judaism, Christianity, and IslamHaman, infamous as the antagonist in the book of Esther, appears as a villainous figure in virtually all varieties of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. In this "biography" of Haman, Adam Silverstein traces the evolution of this villainous character from the ancient Near East to modern times, drawing on sources in a variety of languages and from diverse genres. Silverstein considers the evidence for a historical Haman and analyzes the abundance of material that that documents what those who read the Bible and the Qur'an have thought about him over the past two millennia. With this book, Silverstein offers an essential and original account of the rich diversity and openness of Abrahamic civilizations throughout history. Taking Haman as a case study, Silverstein guides the reader through diverse intellectual terrains, covering ancient Near Eastern cultures, pre-Islamic Iranian literature, Abrahamic scriptures and their interpretation, late antiquity, Islamic history, and interfaith relations. He shows how the figure of Haman has both united and divided Jewish, Christian, and Muslim communities, who collaborated fruitfully in their efforts to grasp the meaning and significance of their holy books, but who also deployed the "Haman" label polemically against each other. Silverstein also considers Haman's prebiblical origins, raising the possibility that the book of Esther was receiving and reconfiguring Haman no less than later works were, with Esther's villain taking his place in a long line of reimagined Hamans. Haman: A Biography is the first book-length study to contextualize an Abrahamic character not only within Jewish and Christian traditions but also with reference to the character's prebiblical background and reception in Islamic cultures.

In this moving story, the New York Times bestselling author of The Greatest Generation chronicles the values and lessons he absorbed from his parents and other people who worked hard to build lives on the prairie during the first half of the twentieth century. “A spare, elegant masterpiece.”—Ken BurnsTom’s father, Red, left school in the second grade to work in the family hotel—the Brokaw House, established in Bristol, South Dakota, by R. P. Brokaw in 1883. Eventually, through work on construction jobs, Red developed an exceptional talent for machines. Tom’s mother, Jean, was the daughter of a farmer who lost everything during the Great Depression. They met after a high school play, when Jean played the lead and Red fell in love with her from the audience. Although they didn’t have much money early in their marriage, especially once they had three boys at home, Red’s philosophy of “Never give up” served them well. His big break came after World War II, when he went to work for the Army Corps of Engineers building great dams across the Missouri River, magnificent structures like the Fort Randall and the Gavins Point dams. Late in life, Red surprised his family by recording his memories of the hard times of his early life, reflections that inspired this book.Tom Brokaw is known as one of the most successful people in broadcast journalism. Throughout his legendary career, Brokaw has always asked what we can learn from world events and from our history. Within Never Give Up is one answer, a portrait of the resilience and respect for others at the heart of one American family’s story.

During his reign, Lord Cobham was burnt alive, but I forget what for.In Jane Austen's breezy and entirely biased telling of English history, Mary, Queen of Scots is a scandalously wronged victim, Elizabeth I is a wicked villain and most historical facts and dates are cheerfully disregarded. It is accompanied here by other riotous early pieces in which young women steal money, escape from prison, agree to marry two men at once, faint and repeatedly 'run mad'.

With a Foreword by Simone BilesThe sensational two-time Olympian Jordan Chiles's heartfelt, inspiring memoir chronicling her unlikely path to the podium--including the unprecedented challenges, the joy of winning, the crushing pain of defeat, and the love and support of her devoted family and teammates that helps her stay strong. It was a rare and stunning reversal: after the judges at the 2024 Paris Olympics determined that Jordan had rightfully scored third place for her performance--following a successful challenge by her coach--she earned the bronze medal. Later, Jordan's euphoria turned to devastation when the Court of Arbitration for Sport stripped her of that medal based on nothing but semantics. Jordan called the ruling, "One of the most challenging moments of my career. Believe me when I say I have had many."In her powerful, eye-opening memoir, Jordan digs deep, sharing the story of her life's challenges--the racism she encountered as a gifted Black girl in a predominantly white elite sport, the childhood coach who called her fat and led her to develop eating issues, the grueling practices, the injuries, the moments of nearly calling it quits. Through it all, Jordan refused to give up. Through sheer grit--and the love of her family--she kept working and winning. When Simone Biles stepped away from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics after a case of the "twisties," Jordan stepped in to play a key role in securing silver for Team USA. And in Paris, Jordan made history as part of the first all-Black podium in all of men's and women's gymnastics.Told with refreshing candor and Jordan's irrepressible spirit, I'm That Girl is a glimpse of life in the psychologically and physically demanding upper echelons of women's elite gymnastics. Exploring the deep bonds so often forged in pressure cookers, Jordan speaks openly about her relationships with her teammates, including her best friend and "big sister" Simone Biles, and how their support for one another has proved invaluable on and off the mat.With the highs, lows, twists, and turns characteristic of the sport, and featuring a 16-page color photo insert, I'm That Girl reveals how one extraordinary young woman keeps her balance in a uniquely dizzying life. By way of her unwavering tenacity, Jordan has changed the culture of gymnastics, fighting every day to ensure that the girls she inspires are not pre-judged for their hair, their bodies, or their skin color. Insightful and deeply moving, I'm That Girl is a testament to the power of perseverance and the transformative joy of doing what you love, told by a fierce and unique individual who has been and will always be That Girl--the ultimate hype woman who shows up and gives it her all.