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Biography and Memoir April 2019
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Up jumped the devil : the real life of Robert Johnson
by Bruce M. Conforth
Robert Johnson is the subject of the most famous myth about the blues: he allegedly sold his soul at the crossroads in exchange for his incredible talent, and this deal led to his death at age 27. But the actual story of his life remains unknown save for a few inaccurate anecdotes. Up Jumped the Devil is the result of over 50 years of research. Gayle Dean Wardlow has been interviewing people who knew Robert Johnson since the early 1960s, and he was the person who discovered Johnson’s death certificate in 1967. Bruce Conforth began his study of Johnson's life and music in 1970 and made it his mission to fill in what was still unknown about him. In this definitive biography, the two authors relied on every interview, resource and document, most of it material no one has seen before. As a result, this book not only destroys every myth that ever surrounded Johnson, but also tells a human story of a real person. It is the first book about Johnson that documents his years in Memphis, details his trip to New York, uncovers where and when his wife Virginia died and the impact this had on him, fully portrays the other women Johnson was involved with, and tells exactly how and why he died and who gave him the poison that killed him. Up Jumped the Devil will astonish blues fans who thought they knew something about Johnson.
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The Kennedy heirs : John, Caroline, and the new generation ; a legacy of triumph and tragedy
by J. Randy Taraborrelli
A unique burden was inherited by the children of President John Fitzgerald Kennedy and his celebrated siblings, Senators Robert and Ted Kennedy. Raised in a world of enormous privilege against the backdrop of American history, the lives of this third generation of Kennedys often veered between towering accomplishment and devastating defeat. In his revelatory new book, acclaimed Kennedy historian J. Randy Taraborrelli draws back the curtain on the next generation of America’s most famous family.
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The widow Washington : the life of Mary Washington
by Martha Saxton
"Biography of Mary Ball Washington, George Washington's mother. Places her life as an orphan, a young wife in rural Virginia, a slaveholder, a widow, and mother to the first president in the context of the changing economic circumstances and cultural values of colonial Virginia and a young nation"
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Crown of Blood: The Deadly Inheritance of Lady Jane Grey
by Nicola Tallis
As recounted in Crown of Blood, King Edward VI's cousin Lady Jane Grey (whose great-grandfather was Henry VII) reigned over Britain for only nine days. In this well researched and engaging biography, historian Nicola Tallis not only relates the landmark events in the lives of Henry VIII and his children (important context to Lady Jane's life and death), but vividly depicts the young woman's intellect, skills, and especially her Protestant piety. According to Tallis, Jane made her mark on history by standing up for her religious beliefs in the face of deadly opposition. Women's history fans and Tudor buffs won't want to miss this accessible account.
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| Victoria The Queen: An Intimate Biography of the Woman Who Ruled an Empire by Julia BairdWhat it is: a lively and sympathetic portrait of Queen Victoria, Britain's second-longest reigning monarch (after Elizabeth II).
Read it for: journalist Julia Baird's thoughtful myth-debunking -- contrary to popular belief, Victoria did not shirk her royal duties following the death of her beloved husband Prince Albert.
Reviewers say: "readers will feel as though the story of the famous British queen is being told for the first time" (Booklist). |
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| Daughters of the Winter Queen: Four Remarkable Sisters, the Crown of Bohemia... by Nancy GoldstoneStarring: Elizabeth Stuart, a granddaughter of Mary, Queen of Scots whose disastrous political marriage precipitated the Thirty Years' War; Elizabeth's four spirited daughters, whom she raised in exile during the Dutch Golden Age.
Why it matters: Elizabeth's determination to maintain her daughters' royal power and influence still resonates, as every British monarch since George I can be traced "in unbroken line" to this lesser-known family. |
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Marie Antoinette : the journey
by Antonia Fraser
Describes the life of Marie Antionette from her betrothal as a fourteen-year-old girl to the future King Louis XVI, through her life in the French court, to her courage in the face of revolutionaries who sent her to the guillotine
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| Four Princes: Henry VIII, Francis I, Charles V, Suleiman the Magnificent and the Obsessions... by John Julius NorwichWhat it is: a sweeping group biography of four long-reigning 16th-century monarchs who dramatically shaped the era's politics and culture.
Want a taste? "Sometimes friends, more often enemies, always rivals, the four of them together held Europe in the hollow of their hands."
About the author: The late John Julius Norwich was a popular historian and the author of Absolute Monarchs: A History of the Papacy. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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