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- 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.
- Reedsy
- 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.
- The biography of a beloved Supreme Court Justice. "Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg" by Irin Carmon and Shana Knizhnik, available on Amazon and Bookshop from $16.25.
- The startlingly true biography of a previously unknown woman. "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot, available on Amazon and Bookshop from $8.06.
- The poignant biography of an atomic bomb survivor. "A Song for Nagasaki: The Story of Takashi Nagai: Scientist, Convert, and Survivor of the Atomic Bomb" by Paul Glynn, available on Amazon and Bookshop from $16.51.
- The highly researched biography of Malcolm X. "The Dead Are Arising: The Life of Malcolm X" by Les Payne and Tamara Payne, available on Amazon and Bookshop from $18.99.
- I Would Meet You Anywhere: A Memoir. by Susan Kiyo Ito.
- Secret Harvests: A Hidden Story of Separation and the Resilience of a Family Farm. by David Mas Masumoto.
- Rotten Evidence: Reading and Writing in an Egyptian Prison. by Ahmed Naji, translated by Katharine Halls.
- How to Say Babylon: A Memoir. by Safiya Sinclair.
Popular Biographies to Read Today: Read compelling biography books, autobiographies and memoirs about your favorite (or least favorite) icons, including politicians, actors, and historical figures.
Jun 30, 2023 · The best recent biographies, as shortlisted for the the 2023 National Book Critics Circle prize for the best biography.
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Sep 8, 2022 · New autobiographies from Jemele Hill, Matthew Perry and Hua Hsu are in the mix, along with books about Martha Graham, Agatha Christie and more.
