Biographies & Memoirs

Explore the stories of remarkable lives in our Biographies & Memoirs section at Thryft. Discover firsthand accounts of influential figures and captivating memoirs that'll inspire and educate. Our collection is carefully curated to ensure you find the perfect narrative to delve into.

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Dava Sobel

Galileo's Daughter: a Historical Memoir of Science, Faith and Love

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The Barnes & Noble ReviewDeemed by Albert Einstein to be "the father of modern physics...of modern science altogether," the man who dropped cannonballs from the Tower or Pisa, improved the telescope to discover the moons of Jupiter, and defended Nicolaus Copernicus's theory of the Earth's orbit was, in his day, considered a heretic. Dava Sobel, the author of Longitude, the story of John Harrison's invention of the chronometer, returns with Galileo's Daughter, a fascinating biography that gives an intimate look at the life of Galileo through the 124 letters written by his eldest daughter, Virginia, published in translation for the first time from the Italian. Virginia was one of Galileo's three children born out of wedlock. Together with her depressive younger sister, she was placed in the Convent of San Matteo near Galileo's Florence home at the age of 13, where she took the name Suor Maria Celeste, in tribute to her father's work. Galileo recognized in Virginia an "exquisite mind," and she, in turn recognized the depth of her father's faith in Catholicism and proved to be an unwavering source of loyalty, support, comfort, and strength for him when he was brought to trial before the Holy Office of the Inquisition in 1633. Born in Pisa on February 15, 1564, to a mathematician and the daughter of cloth merchants, Galileo betrayed his father's wishes to become a doctor and instead studied mathematics and philosophy, for he believed that "philosophy is written in this grand book the universe...but the book cannot be understood unless one first learns to comprehend the language and to read the alphabet in which it is composed...mathematics." He began his career teaching at the University of Pisa and the University of Padua until he eventually procured the patronage of the Medici Grand Dukes. Galileo's first commercial invention was the geometric and military compass in 1597, which functioned as an early pocket calculator. But the invention that would announce him to the world came ten years later, when he improved the Dutch spyglass, augmenting the power of the lens manifold times to focus the instrument on the moon and the stars. This reinvented telescope eventually enabled Galileo to discover four of Jupiter's moons, which he documented in his book, The Starry Messenger. His next book, Discourse on Bodies that Stay Atop Water or Move Within It, both challenged Aristotelian physics and announced the presence of sunspots, angering his colleagues and beginning his troubled future. Of course, the real problems for Galileo began when he sought to publish Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems, in which he began to establish proof of Copernicus's theory that the Earth revolves around the sun. While the bubonic plague was claiming lives throughout Europe and the Thirty Years' War was raging, Pope Urban VIII found Galileo's work most threatening. The pope believed that the motions of the heavenly bodies were the domain of the Holy Fathers of the Church and not of science or philosophy, and he found Galileo to be the greatest enemy of the Catholic Church since Martin Luther. The pope betrayed his former friend further when he forced a sickly Galileo to endure the grueling trials before the Inquisition, threatening him with torture and forcing him to live under house arrest for the remainder of his life. Throughout his life, and especially during the trials, Suor Maria Celeste served her infamous father, whom she addressed as Lord Father, as she would a patron saint. She cared for her him from the convent, whose grounds she never left, through her constant letters, which were sent along with baskets carrying shirts she cleaned and mended for him, confectioneries and health tonics she prepared, and legible, ornate transcriptions of his notes as she prepared his final manuscripts. As these letters reveal, though she was profoundly dedicated to her calling, her devotion to her father, and his love and appreciation for her, was steadfast. She never once doubted his faith or his controversial scientific discoveries. They worried for one another during their frequent illnesses, offered heartfelt condolences when colleagues or relatives passed away. His daughter remained Galileo's constant reader and companion until her death of dysentery at age 27. Though she kept all of his correspondence, his letters have disappeared, likely to have been destroyed by the Mother Abbess of the convent. By turns a moving portrait of the loving relationship between a father and daughter, a riveting chronicle of one of the most intensive battles between scientific truth and religious belief, and a fresh, revelatory biography of one of the most magnificent minds the world has ever known, Galileo's Daughter is a masterful weaving of the lives of the mind, the body, and the soul. —Kera Bolonik

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Chanrithy Him

When Broken Glass Floats : Growing Up Under the Khmer Rouge

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In a mesmerizing story, Chanrithy Him vividly recounts her trek through the hell of the "killing fields." She gives us a child's-eye view of a Cambodia where rudimentary labor camps for both adults and children are the norm and modern technology no longer exists. Death becomes a companion in the camps, along with illness. Yet through the terror, the members of Chanrithy's family remain loyal to one another, and she and her siblings who survive will find redeemed lives in America.A Finalist for the Kiriyama Pacific Rim Book Prize.

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Jenny Hartley, Vere Hodgson

Few Eggs and No Oranges : Vere Hodgson's Diary, 1940-45

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Vere Hodgson worked for a Notting Hill Gate charity during the Second World War ; being sparky and unflappable, she was not going to let Hitler make a difference to her life, but the beginning of the Blitz did, which is why she began her published diaries on 25 June 1940: 'Last night at about 1 a.m. we had the first air raid of the war on London. My room is just opposite the police station, so I got the full benefit of the sirens. It made me leap out of bed...' The war continued for five more years, but Vere's comments on her work, friends, what was happening to London and the news ('We hold our breath over Crete', 'There is to be a new system of Warning') combine to make Few Eggs and No Oranges unusually readable. It is a long - 600 page - book but a deeply engrossing one. The TLS remarked: 'The diaries capture the sense of living through great events and not being overwhelmed by them... they display an extraordinary - though widespread - capacity for not giving way in the face of horrors and difficulties.' 'A classic book that still rings vibrant and helpful today... a heartwarming record of one articulate woman's coping with the war,' wrote the Tallahassee Democratic Review.

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William J. Duiker

Ho Chi Minh - A Life

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Recommendation: This book is a great read for those interested in the life of Ho Chi Minh, who was key in the revolution and reunification of Vietnam. The author covers Minh's life from his impoverished youth to his time in the US, France and the Soviet Union. The most outstanding feature of the book is its vivid description of the struggles of the Vietnamese, and the author's ability to bring the story to life.

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H.F.M. Prescott

Mary Tudor - The Spanish Tudor

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This book is a must-read for history buffs looking for a new perspective on Mary I's reign. Prescott's portrayal is compassionate and measured, adding depth to a maligned monarch. Her attempts to return persecuted Protestantism to the Catholic Church were ultimately unsuccessful, making this a tragedy in English history. Prescott's writing style is approachable, but her coverage of the subject's life is comprehensive and engaging.

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Martin Gilbert

Churchill and America

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Named Churchill's official biographer in 1968, renowned historian Sir Martin Gilbert has amassed exclusive archival and personal documentation to explore the statesman's famed affinity for and relationship with the United States. Churchill and America tells the intensely personal story of Winston Churchill's profound connection to America, which resulted in an Anglo-American alliance that has stood at the center of international relations for more than a century. Drawing on this extensive store of Churchill's own words -- his private letters, his articles and speeches, and press conferences and interviews given to American journalists on his journeys throughout the United States -- Gilbert paints a rich portrait of the Anglo-American relationship, illuminated by its most famous proponent.

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Thant Myint-U

The River of Lost Footsteps : Histories of Burma

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For nearly two decades Western governments and a growing activist community have been frustrated in their attempts to bring about a freer and more democratic Burma--through sanctions and tourist boycotts--only to see an apparent slide toward even harsher dictatorship. But what do we really know about Burma and its history? And what can Burma's past tell us about the present and even its future?In "The River of Lost Footsteps," Thant Myint-U tells the story of modern Burma, in part through a telling of his own family's history, in an interwoven narrative that is by turns lyrical, dramatic, and appalling. His maternal grandfather, U Thant, rose from being the schoolmaster of a small town in the Irrawaddy Delta to become the UN secretary-general in the 1960s. And on his father's side, the author is descended from a long line of courtiers who served at Burma's Court of Ava for nearly two centuries. Through their stories and others, he portrays Burma's rise and decline in the modern world, from the time of Portuguese pirates and renegade Mughal princes through the decades of British colonialism, the devastation of World War II, and a sixty-year civil war that continues today and is the longest-running war anywhere in the world."The River of Lost Footsteps" is a work both personal and global, a distinctive contribution that makes Burma accessible and enthralling. Thant Myint-U, educated at Harvard and Cambridge, has served on three United Nations peacekeeping operations, in Cambodia and in the former Yugoslavia, and was more recently the head of policy planning in the UN's Department of Political Affairs. He lives in New York City.

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John Kobler

Capone : The Life and World of Al Capone

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Recommended for true-crime enthusiasts fascinated by Capone's reign. The book offers an in-depth exploration of both the man and the era in which he thrived. Kobler's vivid portrayal of Capone's life, from his violent childhood to his ultimate downfall, makes for an unforgettable read.

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James Gleick

Isaac Newton

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Isaac Newton was born in a stone farmhouse in 1642, fatherless and unwanted by his mother. When he died in London in 1727 he was so renowned he was given a state funeral—an unheard-of honor for a subject whose achievements were in the realm of the intellect. During the years he was an irascible presence at Trinity College, Cambridge, Newton imagined properties of nature and gave them names—mass, gravity, velocity—things our science now takes for granted. Inspired by Aristotle, spurred on by Galileo’s discoveries and the philosophy of Descartes, Newton grasped the intangible and dared to take its measure, a leap of the mind unparalleled in his generation.James Gleick, the author of Chaos and Genius, and one of the most acclaimed science writers of his generation, brings the reader into Newton’s reclusive life and provides startlingly clear explanations of the concepts that changed forever our perception of bodies, rest, and motion. Ideas so basic to the twenty-first century we literally take them for granted.

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Pu Yi, W.J.F. Jenner

From Emperor to Citizen : Autobiography of Aisin-Gioro Pu Yi

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It is a great read for history enthusiasts who want to know about the last emperor of China's life. The book covers his life as a puppet emperor of "Manchukuo", his journey of being in war criminal prisons, and his life after his pardon as an ordinary citizen of People's China. The book offers a unique perspective on Chinese history and the remoulding of a person through political and social changes.

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Adeline Yen Mah

Falling Leaves Return to Their Roots : The True Story of an Unwanted Chinese Daughter

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Snow White's stepmother looks like a pussycat compared to the monster under which Adeline Yen Mah suffered. The author's memoir of life in mainland China and--after the 1949 revolution--Hong Kong is a gruesome chronicle of nonstop emotional abuse from her wealthy father and his beautiful, cruel second wife. Chinese proverbs scattered throughout the text pithily covey the traditional world view that prompted Adeline's subservience. Had she not escaped to America, where she experienced a fulfilling medical career and a happy marriage, her story would be unbearable; instead, it's grimly fascinating: Falling Leaves is an Asian Mommie Dearest.

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Simon Sebag Montefiore

Speeches That Changed the World

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Comprehensively updated with many new speeches including Earl Spencer's lament to 'The extraordinary and irreplaceable Diana', Nikita Khrushchev's secret speech of 1956 signalling the beginning of the end of Stalinist Russia, Patrick Pearse's rousing funeral oration that fanned the flames of the Easter Rising, Kevin Rudd's historic apology to Australia's mistreated Aborigines and Barack Obama's momentous US election night victory speech. Alongside these are the finest war cries of Winston Churchill, Martin Luther King's prophetic 'I have a dream' and 'I've seen the promised land' speeches, the inspiring words of JFK and impassioned pleas from Nelson Mandela - the first at his trial in 1964 and the second on his election as president of South Africa in 1994. In addition are historic speeches from Elizabeth I, Charles I, Oliver Cromwell, George Washington, Napoleon Bonaparte, Abraham Lincoln, Emmeline Pankhurst, Mahatma Gandhi, Vladimir Lenin, Neville Chamberlain, Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Charles de Gaulle, General George S. Patton, J Robert Oppenheimer, Mao Zedong, Malcolm X, Richard M. Nixon, Pope John Paul II, Vaclav Havel, Elie Wiesel, Mikhail Gorbachev and many other great historical figures. Speeches that Changed the World presents over 50 momentous and thought-provoking speeches from throughout history. Complete with a potted biography of each speaker, and telling the story of why each oration was significant and what happened as a result, this is a gripping history of the world told through its greatest and most impassioned speeches.

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Daniel Wildenstein

Monet or The Triumph of Impressionism

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Along with Turner, no artist has sought more than Claude Monet (1840–1926) to capture light itself on canvas. Of all the Impressionists, it was the man Cézanne called “only an eye, but my God what an eye!” who stayed completely true to the principle of absolute fidelity to the visual sensation, painting directly from the object. It could be said that Monet reinvented the possibilities of color, and whether it was through his early interest in Japanese prints, his time in the dazzling light of Algeria as a conscript, or his personal acquaintance with the major painters of the late 1800s, what Monet produced throughout his long life would change forever the way we perceive both the natural world and its attendant phenomena. The high point of his explorations were the late series of water lilies, painted in his own garden at Giverny, that, in their moves towards almost total formlessness, are really the origin of abstract art. This biography does full justice to this most remarkable and profoundly influential of artists, and offers numerous reproductions and archive photos alongside a detailed and insightful commentary.

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Elizabeth Wolf, Who H.Q., Gare Thompson

Who Was Eleanor Roosevelt?

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This book could be a good read for a user interested in learning more about how Eleanor Roosevelt transformed the role of the First Lady and became an influential champion of human rights and social justice. It captures the essence of her life and legacy, highlighting her passion, energy, and charismatic leadership. Reading this book could inspire readers to use their own voices to effect positive change in the world.

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Adeline Yen Mah, Kim McGillivray

Falling Leaves Return to Their Roots : The True Story of an Unwanted Chinese Daughter

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This book is a poignant memoir of Adeline Yen Mah's difficult childhood in a wealthy Chinese family. It highlights themes of family dynamics, cultural clashes, and resilience. Readers who appreciate candid accounts of personal struggles and triumphs will find this book compelling and thought-provoking.

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Frieda Wishinsky

DK Biography: Albert Einstein : A Photographic Story of a Life

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This book is a good read for anyone who wants to develop an understanding of Albert Einstein's life, his milestones, and his contribution to society. The book presents his theories and ideas in a simple way, making it a great resource for students and anyone interested in science.

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Alison Weir

The Six Wives of Henry VIII

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This book is recommended for history enthusiasts and those interested in learning about the lives of the six wives of Henry VIII, their unique personalities and their influence on the tumultuous reign of the King. Alison Weir's writing style is engaging and informative, with insights into the lives and inner thoughts of these extraordinary women.

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Harold C. Schonberg

The Lives Of The Great Composers : Third Edition

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This book would be a great fit for anyone with an interest in classical music and the lives of those who created it. The author provides a unique perspective by presenting these legendary composers as real people with relatable experiences. Its extensive coverage and rich detail would make it an excellent addition to any music lover's library.

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Ronald Reagan, Annelise Anderson, Kiron K. Skinner

Reagan, In His Own Hand : The Writings of Ronald Reagan that Reveal His Revolutionary Vision for America

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Hidden in the archives of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library for more than a decade, the writings contained in Reagan, In His Own Hand redefine the way we think about American history of the past quarter century and about the fortieth American president. By revealing an active mind wrestling with the problems of a sluggish economy, social pathologies, welfare reform, and the Cold War struggle with the Soviet Union, these never-before-seen documents, many reproduced in his own handwriting, prove Reagan to be both the visionary and intellectual powerhouse behind his administration's landmark policies.

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Christopher Hudson

The Killing Fields

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This book is a powerful and moving account of the Cambodian genocide, providing a firsthand account of the atrocities committed by the Khmer Rouge regime. It is a must-read for anyone interested in learning about this dark chapter in history and the resilience of the human spirit in the face of unimaginable horrors.

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Thant Myint-U

The River of Lost Footsteps : Histories of Burma

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Recommendation: The River of Lost Footsteps is a mesmerizing exploration of Burma's complex past, taking readers on a captivating journey through the country's rich history. Thant Myint-U weaves personal narratives with historical accounts, providing an intimate and insightful perspective that brings Burma to life. With lyrical prose and a meticulous attention to detail, this book offers a profound understanding of the country's struggles, triumphs, and the enduring resilience of its people. Whether you are a history enthusiast or simply seeking a compelling tale, The River of Lost Footsteps is a must-read that will leave a lasting impression.

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Thant Myint-U

The River of Lost Footsteps

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Burma is currently ruled by a harsh dictatorship unmoved by Western activists and sanctions. It is also the sight of the longest-running conflict in the world. Drawing both on his own family's stories and his years of hands-on political experience working with the United Nations, Thant Myint-U has written an illuminating account of how Burma's rich past informs its violent present, and of how the world might transform the country's future. In The River of Lost Footsteps , Thant Myint-U tells the story of modern Burma, in part through a telling of his own family's history, in an interwoven narrative that is by turns lyrical, dramatic, and appalling. His maternal grandfather, U Thant, rose from being the schoolmaster of a small town in the Irrawaddy Delta to become the UN secretary-general in the 1960s. And on his father's side, the author is descended from a long line of courtiers who served at Burma's Court of Ava for nearly two centuries. Through their stories and others, he portrays Burma's rise and decline in the modern world, from the time of Portuguese pirates and renegade Mughal princes through the decades of British colonialism, the devastation of World War II, a sixty-year civil war that continues today, military repression and the emergence of Nobel Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. The River of Lost Footsteps is a work both personal and global, a distinctive contribution that makes Burma accessible and enthralling. Thant Myint-U is the author of Where China Meets India and has written articles for the New York Times , the Washington Post and the New Statesman.

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Jay Wurts, Le Ly Hayslip

When Heaven and Earth Changed Places: A Vietnamese Woman's Journey from War to Peace

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This book could be a good read for you if you want to gain a deep understanding of the human spirit and the devastating consequences of war. Through Le Ly Hayslip's powerful storytelling, you will be transported to Vietnam during the war, experiencing the unimaginable hardships she endured. But amidst the darkness, you will also witness her unwavering faith in humanity and her determination to overcome adversity. This is a deeply inspiring and unforgettable story that will leave you with a profound appreciation for the strength of the human spirit.

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Karen Levine

Hana's Suitcase : The Quest to Solve a Holocaust Mystery

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This award-winning true Holocaust story, newly updated, connects generations through one woman’s quest to find the truth behind a mysterious suitcase.  In March 2000, Fumiko Ishioka, the curator of a small Holocaust education center in Tokyo, received an empty suitcase from the museum at Auschwitz. On the outside, in white paint, were the words “Hana Brady, May 16, 1931, Orphan.”   Fumiko and the children at the center were determined to find out who Hana was and what happened to her all those years ago, leading them to a startling and emotional discovery.   The dual narrative intertwines Fumiko’s international journey to find the truth about Hana Brady’s fate with Hana’s own compelling story of her life in a quiet Czech town, which is shattered by the arrival of the Nazis, tearing apart the family she loves. This suspense-filled work of investigative nonfiction draws in young readers and makes them active participants in the search for Hana’s identity.  Praise for Hana’s Suitcase • “Hana wanted to become a teacher, and surely through this little book her dream is being realized.” —Archbishop Desmond Tutu, from his new foreword to Hana’s Suitcase • “The account . . . is part history, part suspenseful mystery . . . with an incredible climactic revelation.” — Booklist

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Belle Yang

Forget Sorrow : An Ancestral Tale

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"A healing portrait drawn in epic ink strokes."-Elle When Belle Yang was forced to take refuge in her parents’ home after an abusive boyfriend began stalking her, her father entertained her with stories of old China. The history she’d ignored while growing up became a source of comfort and inspiration, and narrowed the gap separating her—an independent, Chinese-American woman—from her Old World Chinese parents.In Forget Sorrow, Yang makes her debut into the graphic form with the story of her father’s family, reunited under the House of Yang in Manchuria during the Second World War and struggling—both together and individually—to weather poverty, famine, and, later, Communist oppression. The parallels between Belle Yang’s journey of self-discovery and the lives and choices of her grandfather, his brothers, and their father (the Patriarch) speak powerfully of the conflicts between generations—and of possibilities for reconciliation.Forget Sorrow demonstrates the power of storytelling and remembrance, as Belle—in telling this story—finds the strength to honor both her father and herself.

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Bob Woodward

After Watergate

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"After Watergate" provides an in-depth account of how the presidency has been permanently altered following the Watergate scandal. It delves into the subsequent presidencies of Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush, and Clinton and how each administration failed to handle the inquisitorial environment of the media and Congress. Using presidential documents, interviews, and prosecutorial records, Woodward shows the impact of the new ethics laws on presidents and the country. This book is a must-read for those interested in the history of the presidency and the consequences of unchecked power.

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Said Zahari

Dark Clouds at Dawn : A Political Memoir

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Dark Clouds at Dawn is a must-read for those interested in political history and the ever-changing landscape of politics. The book offers insight into Said's personal experiences, as well as the political climate of the time, making it a fascinating and informative read. Said's unique perspective is the most distinctive feature of this book and sets it apart from other political memoirs. Overall, Dark Clouds at Dawn is a captivating and thought-provoking memoir that is both informative and entertaining.

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George Goodwin

Fatal Colours - The Battle Of Towton

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Taking its title from Henry VI's lament at the Battle of Towton in Shakespeare's play, this book examines Henry's disastrous reign and the personal failings of the king, then describes the events leading up to Towton and the battle itself – the first savage clash of arms between Lancastrians and Yorkists in the Wars of the Roses. In his introduction, David Starkey sketches the evolution of English kingship, providing the background to 1461.

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Slavenka Drakulić

Cafe Europa : Life After Communism

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Croatian journalist, novelist, and essayist Slavenka Drakulić notes that Eastern Europeans are so anxious to become like their Western counterparts that every city and town has a Cafe Europa that is a pale imitation of similar establishments in cities like Paris and Rome. She presents here a collection of essays that explore life in various Eastern European countries since the fall of communism. As a citizen of Croatia (formerly part of Yugoslavia) living now in Vienna with her Swedish husband, she writes knowingly as a survivor of a communist regime, as one who realizes that pitfalls still lie ahead for nations emerging from the Soviet yoke. In Albania, she observes rage everywhere in people who seem to want to smash all vestiges of the Hoxha regime. In Romania, she comments on the execrable state in which public toilets are maintained: "[T]he standard of Romanian toilets reflects the nature of the communist system of which it is a legacy"; "the absence of any improvement is... a warning for the future of democracy" there. Drakulic's pungent and insightful ruminations not only describe life in her part of the world?she makes us feel it as well.--Publishers Weekly

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Douglas Brinkley

TIME The 100 Most Influential People of All Time

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In this mesmerizing book, TIME chronicles the fascinating lives and revolutionary times of history's 100 Most Infl uential People. Here are royals and revolutionaries, spiritual leaders and scientists, artists and explorers, philosophers and philanthropists. Here are heroes and villains, Christ and the Buddha, Galileo and Einstein, Joan of Arc and Alexander the Great, Aristotle and Jefferson. Here are the individuals whose lives shaped the destinies of millions and changed history in its flight.

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Isabel Fonseca

Bury Me Standing : The Gypsies and Their Journey

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A masterful work of personal reportage, this volume is also a vibrant portrait of a mysterious people and an essential document of a disappearing culture.  Fabled, feared, romanticized, and reviled, the Gypsies—or Roma—are among the least understood people on earth. Their culture remains largely obscure, but in Isabel Fonseca they have found an eloquent witness. In Bury Me Standing , alongside unforgettable portraits of individuals—the poet, the politician, the child prostitute—Fonseca offers sharp insights into the humor, language, wisdom, and taboos of the Roma. She traces their exodus out of India 1,000 years ago and their astonishing history of persecution: enslaved by the princes of medieval Romania; massacred by the Nazis; forcibly assimilated by the communist regimes; evicted from their settlements in Eastern Europe, and most recently, in Western Europe as well. Whether as handy scapegoats or figments of the romantic imagination, the Gypsies have always been with us—but never before have they been brought so vividly to life. Includes fifty black and white photos.

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Yijin Wert, Jian Li

Zheng He, The Great Chinese Explorer - A Bilingual Story Of Adventure And Discovery (Chinese And English)

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Zheng He, The Great Chinese Explorer is a bilingual tale that provides an entertaining and educational insight into the life of one of China's most famous explorers. It is a great read for individuals interested in adventures and discovery. The book offers a unique perspective on China's history and the legacy of Zheng He, from his childhood dreams to his remarkable seafaring accomplishments.

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Jon Swain

River of Time

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"River of Time" is a captivating personal account of the five years Jon Swain spent living in the lands of the Mekong river. Readers who enjoy personal narratives about adventure and self-discovery in exotic locales will appreciate this book. Swain does an excellent job of portraying the region’s incredible natural beauty while also delving deeply into the violence and corruption that plagued the area. He writes with a poignant honesty that resonates long after the final page is turned.

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Lou Cannon

President Reagan : The Role of a Lifetime

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This book will be a good read for those interested in political biographies and American history. The author provides critical insight into Reagan's presidency, highlighting his successes and failures, and delving into his economic policies and the Iran-contra scandal. The book is praised for its masterful depiction of Reagan's legacy and its incisive analysis of one of America's most important presidents.

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Nien Cheng

Life and Death in Shanghai

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The book conveys with power and impact the horrors faced by one brave Chinese woman during the cultural revolution.

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Malachy. McCourt

A Monk Swimming

from RM31.20 MYR

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A Monk Swimming [Paperback] McCourt, Malachy

from RM31.20 MYR

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John Dickie

Cosa Nostra - A History Of The Sicilian Mafia

from RM27.08 MYR

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The Mafia has been given many names since it was founded in the mid-19th century - the Sect, the Brotherhood, the Honoured Society, and now Cosa Nostra. This book reconstructs the history of the Sicilian Mafia from its origins to the modern day.

from RM27.08 MYR

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John Man

Kublai Khan

from RM27.55 MYR

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The authoritative biography of the great Mongol ruler, by the author of Genghis Khan and Attila.In Xanadu did Kubla KhanA stately pleasure dome decreeKublai Khan lives on in the popular imagination thanks to these two lines of poetry by Coleridge. But the true story behind this legend is even more fantastic than the poem would have us believe.Kublai Khan inherited the second largest land empire in history from his grandfather, Genghis Khan, and which he extended further, creating the biggest empire the world has ever seen; from China to Iraq, from Siberia to Afghanistan. His personal domain covered sixty-percent of all Asia, and one-fifth of the world’s land area.The West first learnt of this great Khan through the reports of Marco Polo. Kublai had not been born to rule, but had clawed his way to leadership, achieving power only in his 40s. He inherited Genghis Khan’s great dream of world domination but unlike his grandfather he saw China and not Mongolia as the key to controlling power, and turned Genghis’s unwieldy empire into a federation. Using China’s great wealth, coupled with his shrewd and subtle governance, he created an empire that was the greatest since the fall of Rome, and shaped the modern world as we know it today. He gave China its modern-day borders and his legacy is that country’s resurgence, and the superpower China of tomorrow.

from RM27.55 MYR

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John Orloff, Roland Emmerich

Anonymous - William Shakespeare Revealed

Regular price RM14.19 MYR from RM9.94 MYR Save up to 30%

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"Anonymous" could be a good read for those interested in Shakespearean conspiracy theories and historical fiction. The book explores the idea that Shakespeare may not have been the true author of his plays, and instead proposes Edward de Vere, the Earl of Oxford, as the real writer. With stunning visual aids and insights from the cast and crew of the accompanying film, readers can immerse themselves in the scandalous political intrigue and romantic scandals of Elizabethan England.

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Raymond Briggs

Ethel & Ernest

from RM23.16 MYR

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This book is a must-read for anyone who appreciates heartfelt, poignant stories that capture the essence of ordinary life. Ethel & Ernest takes you on a beautiful journey with Raymond Brigg's parents, from their chance encounter to their final moments. Through Brigg's unique strip-cartoon format, you get a glimpse into their lives filled with love, humor, and the bittersweetness of life's inevitable hardships. It's a book that will make you laugh, cry, and appreciate the beauty of even the simplest moments.

from RM23.16 MYR

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Michael D'Antonio

Hershey : Milton S. Hershey's Extraordinary Life of Wealth, Empire, and Utopian Dreams

from RM13.86 MYR

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Extensively researched and vividly written by Pulitzer Prize­–winning journalist Michael D’Antonio, Hershey is the fascinating story of the unique American visionary Milton S. Hershey.The name Hershey evokes many chocolate bars, the company town in Pennsylvania, one of America’s most recognizable brands. But who was the man behind the name? In this compelling biography, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Michael D’Antonio gives us the real-life rags-to-riches story of Milton S. Hershey, a largely uneducated businessman whose idealistic sense of purpose created an immense financial empire, a town, and a legacy that lasts to this day. Hershey, the son of a minister’s daughter and an irresponsible father who deserted the family, began his career inauspiciously when the two candy shops he opened both went bankrupt. Undeterred, he started the Lancaster Caramel Company, which brought him success at last. Eventually he sold his caramel operation and went on to perfect the production process of chocolate to create a stable, consistent bar with a long shelf life...and an American icon was born. Hershey was more than a successful businessman—he was a progressive thinker who believed in capitalism as a means to higher goals. He built the world’s largest chocolate factory and a utopian village for his workers on a large tract of land in rural Pennsylvania, and used his own fortune to keep his workers employed during the Great Depression. In addition, he secretly willed his fortune to a boys’ school and orphanage, both of which now control a vast endowment.

from RM13.86 MYR

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John O'Brien, Patricia Brennan Demuth

Who Was Galileo?

from RM15.12 MYR

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Like Michelangelo, Galileo is another Renaissance great known just by his first name--a name that is synonymous with scientific achievement. Born in Pisa, Italy, in the sixteenth century, Galileo contributed to the era's great rebirth of knowledge. He invented a telescope to observe the heavens. From there, not even the sky was the limit! He turned long-held notions about the universe topsy turvy with his support of a sun-centric solar system. Patricia Brennan Demuth offers a sympathetic portrait of a brilliant man who lived in a time when speaking scientific truth to those in power was still a dangerous proposition.

from RM15.12 MYR

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Carol Ann Lee

Anne Frank's Story

from RM23.16 MYR

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The life story of Anne Frank, from her early happy childhood in Frankfurt, growing up in Amsterdam, her two years in hiding and the last few months of her life in the concentration camps. Narrated in six clearly written chapters, this biography for children answers the many detailed questions about Anne that readers of the Diary often have, and includes interesting anecdotes from friends who survived her. There is an Historical Note at the beginning of the book and a map of Europe, so that children will be able to understand the situation at the time, and an Introduction by Anne Frank's cousin, Buddy Elias.

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Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

from RM23.86 MYR

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The best non-fiction novel since "In Cold Blood" is a true story of intrigue, murder, forgery and eccentricity set in the steamy, surreal atmosphere of Savannah, Georgia. The unpredictable twists and turns of a murder case are skilfully interwoven with a hugely entertaining first-person account of life in this isolated remnant of the Old South.


Author: John Berendt
Format: Paperback
Edition: New edition
Number of Pages: 400
Publisher: Vintage Publishing
Publication Date: 01 Jun 1995

from RM23.86 MYR

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Carol Ann Lee

Anne Frank's Story

from RM14.19 MYR

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This book is a good read for history buffs and young adults who want to gain insight into the life of one of the most well-known victims of the Holocaust. It presents a detailed and moving account of Anne's life, including anecdotes from her friends, and is narrated in a clear and concise manner that is easy for younger readers to follow. The Historical Note and map of Europe at the beginning of the book provide additional context and help readers understand the historical significance and impact of Anne's life.

from RM14.19 MYR

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David Cain, Nancy Harrison, Kate Boehm Jerome

Who Was: Amelia Earhart?

from RM3.66 MYR

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Amelia Earhart was a woman of many "firsts." In 1932, she became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. In 1935, she also became the first woman to fly across the Pacific. From her early years to her mysterious 1937 disappearance while attempting a flight around the world, readers will find Amelia Earhart's life a fascinating story.

from RM3.66 MYR

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Lisa See

On Gold Mountain : A Family Memoir of Love, Struggle and Survival

from RM21.07 MYR

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In 1867, Lisa See's great-great-grandfather arrived in America, where he prescribed herbal remedies to immigrant laborers who were treated little better than slaves. His son Fong See later built a mercantile empire and married a Caucasian woman, in spite of laws prohibiting interracial marriage. Lisa herself grew up playing in her family's antiques store in Los Angeles's Chinatown, listening to stories of missionaries and prostitutes, movie stars and Chinese baseball teams.With these stories and her own years of research, Lisa See chronicles the one-hundred-year-odyssey of her Chinese-American family, a history that encompasses racism, romance, secret marriages, entrepreneurial genius, and much more, as two distinctly different cultures meet in a new world.

from RM21.07 MYR

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Nuha Al-Radi

Baghdad Diaries : A Woman's Chronicle of War and Exile

from RM26.52 MYR

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Baghdad Diaries could be a good read for those who are interested in personal accounts of war and exile. Nuha al-Radi's diary gives a unique perspective on the day-to-day life of ordinary people living in a city under siege, and the struggles of being an Iraqi in exile. The book captures the spirit of endurance and the celebration of life's smallest joys amidst the stress and effects of war.

from RM26.52 MYR

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Robert Coles, George Ford

The Story of Ruby Bridges : Special Anniversary Edition

from RM18.71 MYR

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The Story of Ruby Bridges is an inspiring and heartwarming book that tells the story of 6-year-old Ruby Bridges who dared to enroll in an all-white school as ordered by a judge. It is an excellent read for children and young adults, as it teaches valuable lessons about courage, hope, and perseverance in the face of adversity. The book is beautifully narrated by Dr. Robert Coles, with powerful illustrations by George Ford. It is perfect for those interested in history, civil rights, and the power of the human spirit. Highly recommended for classrooms and libraries.

from RM18.71 MYR

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Orlando Figes

The Whisperers : Private Life in Stalin's Russia

from RM63.43 MYR

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From the award-winning author of A People's Tragedy and Natasha's Dance, a landmark account of what private life was like for Russians in the worst years of Soviet repression There have been many accounts of the public aspects of Stalin's dictatorship: the arrests and trials, the enslavement and killing in the gulags. No previous book, however, has explored the regime's effect on people's personal lives, what one historian called "the Stalinism that entered into all of us." Now, drawing on a huge collection of newly discovered documents, The Whisperers reveals for the first time the inner world of ordinary Soviet citizens as they struggled to survive amidst the mistrust, fear, compromises, and betrayals that pervaded their existence.Moving from the Revolution of 1917 to the death of Stalin and beyond, Orlando Figes re-creates the moral maze in which Russians found themselves, where one wrong turn could destroy a family, or perversely, end up saving it. He brings us inside cramped communal apartments, where minor squabbles could lead to fatal denunciations; he examines the Communist faithful, who often rationalized even their own arrest as a case of mistaken identity; and he casts a humanizing light on informers, demonstrating how, in a repressive system, anyone could easily become a collaborator.A vast panoramic portrait of a society in which everyone spoke in whispers--whether to protect their families and friends, or to inform upon them--The Whisperers is a gripping account of lives lived in impossible times.

from RM63.43 MYR

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Dive Into Real-Life Stories

Biographies and memoirs offer unparalleled insights into the lives and minds of individuals who've shaped our world. Be it political icons, celebrities, or unsung heroes, Thryft brings you a rich assortment of stories that reveal extraordinary experiences and life lessons. Embark on a journey through time as you explore the personal tales that have influenced history and culture.