Biography

Still Here

Still Here, The Madcap, Nervy, Singular Life of Elaine Stritch by Alexandra Jacobs The talented Broadway singer, actress, and comedian Elaine Stritch was the definition of her own worst enemy. […]

Spain in Our Hearts

Spain in Our Hearts, Americans in the Spanish Civil War, 1936-39 by Adam Hochschild Sum total of my knowledge of the Spanish Civil War: 1-Guernica (the painting not the city) […]

Shy

Shy, the Alarmingly Outspoken Memoir of Mary Rodgers by Mary Rodgers and Jesse Green Mary Rodgers (1931-2014) was the composer of the musical Once Upon a Mattress, which launched the […]

My Life on the Road

My Life on the Road by Gloria Steinem Gloria Steinem just goes. Whenever asked and wherever to. She is the last of a breed that believes to make a difference […]

Kingmaker

Kingmaker: Pamela Harriman’s Astonishing Life of Power, Seduction, and Intrigue  by Sonia Purnell In her old age, she was the American ambassador to France and a confidant of Bill Clinton, […]

Grant

Grant by Ron Chernow I raced through this book rather like um, Sherman through Georgia! At a daunting 900 plus pages, the biggest challenge is picking it up! Prior to […]

Hero of the Empire

Hero of the Empire: The Boer War, a Daring Escape, and the Making of Winston Churchill by Candice Millard Do we really need another biography of Winston Churchill? Well, yes, […]

The Heir Apparent

The Heir Apparent, A Life of Edward VII, The Playboy Prince by Jane Ridley Royals make the worst parents. Take poor Edward VII or Bertie as he was known to […]

George V

George V, Never a Dull Moment by Jane Ridley George V (1865-1936), grandfather of the current Queen, was not one of England’s liveliest monarchs; he collected stamps.  (Apologies to philatelists […]

Flappers

Flappers: Six Women of a Dangerous Generation by Judith Mackrell Sex, Drugs, and Jazz. They drank, smoked, took drugs, had multiple sexual partners, earned their own money, wore short skirts, […]

First: Sandra Day O’Connor

First: Sandra Day O’Connor  by Evan Thomas When Justice O’Connor, the first female Supreme Court justice, arrived at the Supreme Court in 1981, one of the first things she did […]

Finding Oz

Finding Oz by Evan Schwartz For those of you who are only familiar with the works of L. Frank Baum through the MGM movie, The Wizard of Oz, I must […]

Empresses Of Seventh Avenue

Empresses of Seventh Avenue by Nancy MacDonell American fashion designers are so ubiquitous that it is hard to imagine a time when there was no such creature. But prior to […]

Madame Fourcade’s Secret War

Madame Fourcade’s Secret War by Lynne Olson I have read almost all of Lynne Olson’s World War II era nonfiction books. Although I have my favorites, Citizens of London and […]

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