Biography and Memoir
May 2024
Recent Releases
The Making of a Leader: The Formative Years of George C. Marshall
by Josiah Bunting III

Educator Josiah Bunting III's well-researched biography chronicles the early life and military career of United States Secretary of State and creator of the Marshall Plan, George C. Marshall (1880-1959), who became the first and only U.S. Army general to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Try this next: The Commanders: The Leadership Journeys of George Patton, Bernard Montgomery, and Erwin Rommel by Lloyd Clark.
Candy Darling: Dreamer, Icon, Superstar
by Cynthia Carr

Journalist Cynthia Carr chronicles the life of trans actress, Warhol superstar, and Velvet Underground muse Candy Darling in this lively biography named a Must-Read by The New York Times Book Review, Nylon, Town & Country, and more. Try this next: As It Turns Out: Thinking About Edie and Andy by Alice Sedgwick Wohl.
Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent
by Judi Dench with Brendan O'Hea

Academy Award-winning actress Judi Dench dishes on her seven-decade career (including roles in 20 of Shakespeare's plays) in this witty and engaging series of transcribed interviews with her longtime friend Brendan O'Hea, himself an actor at Shakespeare's Globe. Try this next: Making It So by Patrick Stewart.
An Unfinished Love Story: A Personal History of the 1960s
by Doris Kearns Goodwin

In this affecting blend of biography, memoir, and history, Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Doris Kearns Goodwin reveals the tumult of the 1960s as experienced by her husband, speechwriter Dick Goodwin, who died in 2018. Materials from the Goodwins' personal archives offer an evocative portrait of the era. Try this next: Counselor: A Life at the Edge of History by Ted Sorensen.
The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality
by Amanda Montell

Sounds Like A Cult podcast host Amanda Montell's tongue-in-cheek follow-up to Cultish offers an engaging blend of cultural commentary and personal reflection focusing on the limitations of our cognitive biases. Try this next: Selling the Dream: The Billion-Dollar Industry Bankrupting Americans by Jane Marie.
The Rulebreaker: The Life and Times of Barbara Walters
by Susan Page

Award-winning USA Today journalist Susan Page plumbs the life and career of legendary broadcast news pioneer Barbara Walters in this well-researched and incisive biography featuring interviews with dozens of Walters' loved ones and colleagues. Try this next: Susan, Linda, Nina & Cokie: The Extraordinary Story of the Founding Mothers of NPR by Lisa Napoli.
Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder
by Salman Rushdie

Booker Prize-winning novelist Salman Rushdie (The Satanic Verses) reflects on the 2022 attempt on his life and the aftermath in his compelling and life-affirming memoir exploring life, loss, and resilience. Try this next: Know My Name by Chanel Miller.
Ian Fleming: The Complete Man
by Nicholas Shakespeare

In this dramatic and richly detailed portrait of James Bond creator and naval intelligence officer Ian Fleming, novelist Nicholas Shakespeare (The Dancer Upstairs) utilizes never-before-seen Fleming family archival materials to craft "the definitive biography of the popular author" (Publishers Weekly). Further reading: The Man with the Golden Typewriter: Ian Fleming's James Bond Letters edited by Fergus Fleming.
Where Rivers Part: A Story of My Mother's Life
by Kao Kalia Yang

In this Esquire Best Memoir of 2024, Hmong American author Kao Kalia Yang follows up The Song Poet, her 2016 memoir about her father, with a lyrical memoir of her refugee mother's fraught journey to safety after escaping war-torn Laos as a teen. For more on the Laotian Civil War, check out Yang's award-winning debut, The Latehomecomer. 
Contact your librarian for more great books!
Contact your librarian for more great books!
Sonoma County Library
707-545-0831www.sonomalibrary.org