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Find the world’s bestselling biographies, autobiographies and memoirs at Barnes & Noble®. Historical biographies allow you to walk side-by-side with larger-than-life figures like Frederick Douglass, Sacagawea or Queen Elizabeth I.
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- A Beautiful Mind by Sylvia Nasar. Buy on Amazon. This biography of esteemed mathematician John Nash was both a finalist for the 1998 Pulitzer Prize and the basis for the award-winning film of the same name.
- Alan Turing: The Enigma: The Book That Inspired the Film The Imitation Game - Updated Edition by Andrew Hodges. Buy on Amazon. Hodges’ 1983 biography of Alan Turing sheds light on the inner workings of this brilliant mathematician, cryptologist, and computer pioneer.
- Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow. Buy on Amazon. Ron Chernow’s Alexander Hamilton is not only the inspiration for a hit Broadway musical, but also a work of creative genius itself.
- Barracoon: The Story of the Last "Black Cargo" by Zora Neale Hurston. Buy on Amazon. A prolific essayist, short story writer, and novelist, Hurston turned her hand to biographical writing in 1927 with this incredible work, kept under lock and key until it was published 2018.
- Begin Again: James Baldwin’s America and Its Urgent Lessons for Our Own by Eddie S. Glaude (2020) In these tumultuous times, average citizens and leaders alike have been turning to the words of James Baldwin, one of the greatest writers on race in America.
- The Mayor of Castro Street: The Life and Times of Harvey Milk by Randy Shilts (1982) You may have seen the 2008 film Milk starring Sean Penn, but this biography goes deeper into Harvey Milk’s personal life and career, and wider in applying Milk’s story as a parallel for so much of what was happening to the gay community across the United States at the time.
- The Crusades of Cesar Chavez: A Biography by Miriam Pawel (2014) A finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award and winner of the California Book Award, this can easily be considered one of the best biographies of all time.
- Alice Walker: A Life by Evelyn C. White (2004) Alice Walker has given us some of the most celebrated and beloved books, including The Color Purple, which made her the first Black woman to win a Pulitzer Prize.
- New Releases Tagged "Biography" More new releases tagged "biography"...
- Giveaways. My Day with the Cup: NHL Players Tell Their Stories about Hometown Celebrations with Hockey's Greatest Trophy by Jim Lang. Release date: May 07, 2024.
- Most Read This Week. More most read this week...
- Lists. Funny Women Memoirs. 424 books — 1,566 voters. Best Biographies. 1,485 books — 2,911 voters. SCARS ARE SEXY- Books with imperfect/disfigured/disabled heroes.
- Steve Jobs Walter Isaacson (Goodreads Author)
- Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption Laura Hillenbrand.
- Einstein: His Life and Universe Walter Isaacson (Goodreads Author)
- Into the Wild Jon Krakauer (Goodreads Author)
Aug 3, 2021 · From a 2021 Pulitzer-winning book on Malcolm X to biographies of Steve Jobs and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, here are the best biographies of all time.
Jun 25, 2024 · Biography is booming, says the longtime book critic and biographer Elizabeth Taylor. Here she highlights the five fantastic books shortlisted for the National Book Critics Circle 2019 biography award, and how historical lives provide insight into contemporary culture.
