#Biography Recommendations

[deadpresidents]

Thanks for your answer. Are there any good books on Marshall you'd recommend?

Yes, definitely. If you're looking for a complete, definitive history of George C. Marshall's life, I'd suggest Forrest C. Pogue's four-volume biography:

•George C. Marshall, Volume 1: Education of a General, 1880-1939 (BOOK | KINDLE) •George C. Marshall, Volume 2: Ordeal and Hope, 1939-1942 (BOOK | KINDLE) •George C. Marshall, Volume 3: Organizer of Victory, 1943-1945 (BOOK | KINDLE) •George C. Marshall, Volume 4: Statesman, 1945-1959 (BOOK | KINDLE)

Pogue also released an accompanying volume edited by Larry I. Bland that is also worth picking up if, like me, you're a completist: George C. Marshall: Interviews and Reminiscences.

If you don't have the next two-to-three months to devote to consuming the Pogue biographies, there are also some excellent single-volume biographies of General Marshall:

•George Marshall: Defender of the Republic (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO) by David L. Roll [2019]

•General of the Army: George C. Marshall, Soldier and Statesman (BOOK | KINDLE) by Ed Cray [1990]

•George Marshall: A Biography (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO) by Debi and Irwin Unger with Stanley Hirshson [2014]

•The China Mission: George Marshall's Unfinished War, 1945-1947 (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO) by Daniel Kurtz-Phelan [2018]

•The Marshall Plan: Dawn of the Cold War (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO) by Benn Steil [2018]

•The Making of a Leader: The Formative Years of George C. Marshall (BOOK | KINDLE) by Josiah Bunting III [2024]

[theseoblogspace]

Best Top Rated Biographies to Read Now

Summer is the perfect time to relax, unwind, and soak up the sun. And what better way to complement those lazy days than with a compelling book that takes you on a journey through someone else’s extraordinary life? Whether you’re lounging by the pool, enjoying a picnic in the park, or escaping into the shade of a cozy hammock, a top rated biography can transport you to different times and places,…

[glowcowboy]

when shirley jackson said, “the very nicest thing about being a writer is that you can afford to indulge yourself endlessly with oddness, and nobody can do anything about it, so long as you keep writing. all you have to do — and watch this carefully, please — is keep writing.”

[psykopaths]

A Beautiful Mind, (2001)

[ky07isk]

"Augustus - First Emperor Of Rome", Adrian Goldsworthy

Intriguing, captivating, objective.

A complete, beautifully written biography of one of the most influential figures of the ancient world.

It's the second work I read from Goldsworthy and it just proves his genius and mastery once again.

Truly amazing.

~ kyky

[archduchessofnowhere]

I bring you not very good news: Nancy Goldstone wrote a double biography on Elisabeth and Empress Eugenie, to be published on February 6 of next year.

After reading @vivelareine's review of Goldstone's book on Marie Antoinette I simply do not trust this author is a good researcher, and while I won't judge this book until it's out, I can't help but being very wary already. The synopsis alone doesn't give me much hope:

From the acclaimed author of In the Shadow of the Empress comes the thrilling chronicle of two of the most influential and glamorous women in nineteenth-century Europe—Elisabeth, empress of Austria, and Eugénie, empress of France—and their efforts to rule amid the scandal, intrigue, tragedy, and violence of their era.

When they married Emperors Franz Joseph and Napoleon III, respectively, Elisabeth of Austria and Eugénie of France became two of the most famous women on the planet. Not only were they both young and beautiful—becoming cultural and fashion icons of their time—but they played a pivotal role in ruling their realms during a tempestuous era characterized by unprecedented political and technological change.

Fearless, adventurous, and independent, Elisabeth and Eugénie represented a new kind of empress—one who rebelled against tradition and anticipated and embraced modern values. Yet both women endured hardship in their private and public lives. Elisabeth was plagued by a mother-in-law who snatched her infant children away and undermined her authority at court. Eugénie’s husband was an infamous philanderer who could not match the military prowess of his namesake. Between them, Elisabeth and Eugénie were personally involved in every major international confrontation in their turbulent century, which witnessed thrilling technological advances, as well as revolutions, assassinations, and wars.

With her characteristic in-depth research and jump-off-the-page writing, Nancy Goldstone brings to life these two remarkable women, as Europe goes through the convulsions that led up to the international landscape we recognize today.

You see, I don't think it's crazy to pair up Elisabeth and Eugenie in a biography if your focus is going to be their queenship. Because they were very different as empresses, and I'd love a comparative study on why and how was that possible. Yet the synopsis is implying they were similar? How was Elisabeth personally involved in every major international confrontation? She was only personally involved in the Compromise, every other event she only reacted to (if even). Meanwhile Eugenie actively tried to participate in the politics of France and influence her husband (successfully in many cases, I believe).

The "domineering mother-in-law" part also worries me. Unsere liebe Sisi's been out since 2008, there's no excuse to not give Sophie a more nuanced portrayal.

But well, authors usually don't write the synopsis of their books, so I won't read more into it than what I've done already. I truly hope this biography isn't terrible because we don't need to add one more book to the already giant pile of books about Elisabeth that are filled with myths and misinformation.

[sforzesco]

Hi! I follow you mainly for your stuff in roman history (which is so so good thank you for your service) but everything about the sforzas seems really interesting. I, however, know very little about the sforzas (or the Italian Renaissance as a whole....). Do you have any book recommendations for where to start? Thanks in advance!

oh man, let's see..... for Milan, maybe (in no particular order):

A Companion to Late Medieval and Early Modern Milan, ed. Andrea Gamberini

Milan Undone: Contested Sovereignties in the Italian Wars, J. Gagné

A History of Milan Under the Sforza C.M. Ady

A Renaissance Court: Milan under Galeazzo Maria Sforza, G. Lubkin

Milan and Lombardy in the Renaissance: Essays in Cultural History

Art and Authority in Renaissance Milan, E. Welch

Ippolita Maria Sforza: The Renaissance Princess Who Linked Milan and Naples, J. M. Wood

[cockroachesunite]

Mr ‘will jump overboard without a thought to rescue people’ meets the arctic

[borgialucrezia]

okay i know you've mentioned/answered this a million times but i would love to get your top recommendations for borgias published books and content.

i haven't really ventured into those selections but i really want to take the leap into that realm and buy/borrow some books and read them..!

(also i'm curious if you read many fanfictions for the borgias, and if so do you have any good recs?)

💞

hi <33! no worries at all! i love being asked questions about everything related to the borgias, as i get very enthusiastic about them. now, let's start with my favorite borgias biographies:

maria bellonci's 'lucrezia borgia' because i'm very obsessed with accuracy and avoiding cliché biased narratives. it's such a solid read really! it also portrays lucrezia in a way that i've always believed she was—a completely misunderstood woman who is a pawn in the power and ambition games of her father and brother. but deep down, she's just a silly, pretty poetry lover who's guilty by association. this book also debunks cesare's supposed "jealousy" towards juan as the shows how much he loves him (based on the letters to each other) and that rodrigo has always loved his children equally, which is a cherry on top lol.

emma lucas's 'lucrezia borgia.' while it's not entirely accurate because it satisfies my beloved (but not accurate) 'lucrezia is a femme fatale and not saintly' narrative (which i love, by the way), i'm fascinated by how it unexpectedly delves deep into her family, especially rodrigo, cesare, and juan. it also provides great anecdotes about the characters so there's that. despite having negative reviews, the biography is actually very well-written and highly entertaining! fuck the gossip!

christopher hibbert's 'the borgias and their enemies.' for some reason, i keep forgetting to recommend this book to my friends. i tend to get easily investedwith any borgia book that focuses on the pope and his children, providing narratives without forcing you to choose what to believe. the author obviously conducted extensive research before publishing it because when reading a biography (not historical fiction), i prefer to avoid biased perspectives that can be heavily misleading. i also appreciate the fact that machiavelli (and other important figures) plays an important role in this biography because i'm always excited about him.

ferdinand gregorovius' 'lucretia borgia according to original documents and correspondence of her day'. it's also a very unbiased excellent piece of history that is full of validated source. and i just adore how the author is pro-lucrezia as well.

samantha morris' 'cesare and lucrezia: brother and sister of history's most vilified family' is also well documented and well researched! while cesare was given more depth than lucrezia, still, lucrezia's character in this biography is more colorful. obviously the most popular narrative for the borgia family is them being incestuous, corrupt and violent, a family to be feared, but the author suggests otherwise as she sets out to prove this is not the full story and she does make a good argument! as she detailed how they've been portrayed by mainstream media as well as detailing what happened to their descendants.

sarah bradford's 'lucrezia borgia.' okay, so this one isn't a favorite of mine, but i'd recommend it to you or anyone who's a huge fan of ceslu. it's written like a love story biography exclusively about them. while i like how she wrote about ceslu, i heavily dislike how she wrote about juan and rodrigo and how she portrayed them based on narratives from the family's enemies. the author also manipulated a letter about the envoy boccaccio, which is supposed to praise both brothers. but instead, the author just one-upped him with cesare by dunking on him, which i personally find lame and intensely inaccurate since juan borgia was pretty much loved by his wife, his family, and his friends based on the retrieved documents and letters. that being said, i do enjoy the ceslu parts, of course, and i believe any fan of showtime's 'the borgias' who ships ceslu would enjoy this book and its fluent writing and can easily ignore the negatively inaccurate narratives about the other members of the family.

that's all for the biography books! now let's start with historical fiction:

sarah dunant's 'blood and beauty'. one thing about me is that i'm never gonna stop praising this book because it is absolutely my favorite historical fiction book about this extraordinary family! again, i get so invested in any book when the author does extensive research. also, if you're looking for a book about this family that reads like an episode of showtime's 'the borgias,' then this book is your go-to! full of interesting dynamics, and yes, cesare is as cruel and megalomaniacal as history and machiavelli portrayed him, lucrezia as a victim of her father and brother's political ambitions game, and juan as the flawed kid who was eventually sunk deep when he got dragged into his father's ambitions game. while the book doesn't provide a deeper exploration of the characters' psyche, it's more focused on the story by making it very engaging and sheds light on their complex relationships and their rise to power. and every character is highly sympathetic as the author brilliantly humanizes them. in short, it is emotionally intriguing and a must-read for the borgias enjoyers.

mario puzo's 'the family'. you know, i wasn't even surprised a bit that this book's writing and story being groundbreaking because after all, it is written by the author of 'the godfather'. the family is such a compelling book, such tender writing when it comes to lucrezia and cesare. the story becomes intriguing the more you read. i also loved puzo's portrayal of rodrigo as this family man who deeply loves his children yet he uses them as pawns (which is also similar to jeremy irons' portrayal). while i gotta criticize that the characters have no depth and his version of lucrezia as this damsel angel for her father and brother is, uhhh… quite boring. i like her when she's multilayered lol. i also think the way he tried to present cesare and give him the "from zero to hero" trope in order to make him relatable is also lame because cesare's success as a historical figure is because he was calculating and wicked, and definitely not a bitter loser. i mean, i could absolutely ignore the bitterness part, but at least françois arnaud's cesare added so many layers and swag in the characters, therefore you could ignore it. but i can overlook all that when there's an engaging story and great writing, no matter what the characterizations are like. so overall, it's impressive and entertaining, and you will definitely enjoy it.

regarding fanfiction; i'm sorry but i never read any because i feel quite satisfied by all 'the borgias' show canon that we have and all these historical books. i wish i could help with recommending fics :/

thank you very much for the question, and i hope this post answers it. have a great day 💕🫶

[johntorrington]

according to roland huntford studying apsley cherry-garrard is feminine behavior. apparently.

[deadpresidents]

Could you recommend the best books to learn more about Jimmy Carter

Yes, of course. Here are some of the books that immediately come to mind:

His Very Best: Jimmy Carter, A Life [2020] Jonathan Alter (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO) A great, full-fledged biography of Jimmy Carter's full life.

The Unfinished Presidency: Jimmy Carter's Journey Beyond the White House [1998] Douglas Brinkley (BOOK) A look at the most consequential post-Presidency of anyone in American history.

President Carter: The White House Years [2018] Stuart A. Eizenstat (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO) An incredibly detailed (1,024 pages!) focus just on Carter's four years in the White House.

Marathon: The Pursuit of the Presidency, 1972-1976 [1977] Jules Witcover (BOOK) American Journal: Events of 1976 [1977] Elizabeth Drew (BOOK) These aren't exclusively about Carter, but histories of the 1976 election cycle and the unique political moment that resulted in a dark horse, one-term former Governor of Georgia somehow winning the Presidency.

Thirteen Days in September: Carter, Begin, and Sadat at Camp David [2014] Lawrence Wright (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO) Lawrence Wright's gripping account of one of President Carter's biggest foreign policy accomplishments, the Camp David Accords between Israel and Egypt.

The Outlier: The Unfinished Presidency of Jimmy Carter [2021] Kai Bird (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO) An excellent reappraisal of Carter's Presidency and political career.

Redeemer: The Life of Jimmy Carter (Second Edition, Revised & Expanded) [2024] Randall Balmer (BOOK | KINDLE) This is a religious biography of Carter, who was well-known for being one of the most devoutly (and overtly) religious people ever elected to the Presidency -- a man who continued teaching Sunday school throughout his political career and well into his 90s.

Keeping Faith: Memoirs of a President [1982] (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO) White House Diary [2010] (BOOK | AUDIO) A Full Life: Reflections at Ninety [2015] (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO) Jimmy Carter wrote over 30 books during his lifetime, all of which ended up as bestsellers, but these are three of the best when it comes to writing about his life and Presidency.

[thechanelmuse]

My Mini Book Review

“Afeni asked me to write her son’s life story. For me, her request was met with a mix of emotions. Of course, I was honored. But as I pondered this huge undertaking I was also fearful.”

I’m glad she asked. 

The structure, flow, research, and attention to detail that went into creating this biography is an engrossing ode to the life, spirit, and legacy of Tupac. I'm well-versed on the life of Pac, but man oh man. This is a complete book. Definitive. 691 pages.

It almost feels like a companion to the layered docuseries, Dear Mama: The Saga of Afeni and Tupac Shakur, that displays the parallels of Tupac and his mom.

Well done, Staci. 💕

[girlcaelius]

turns out i do Not have the clubber's temperament </3

[burningvelvet]

Sense you are my resident Byron expert, I was wondering if you've read Byron: The Flawed Angel by Phyllis Grosskurth. I haven't read it yet but a friend of mine recommended it.

I personally am reading Wildly Romantic by Catherine M Andronik. Haven't finished but I've liked what I've read so far

I don't think I've read the whole thing but I would firmly categorize it in the section of pop history Byron books (and therefore probably not entirely trustworthy to accurately assess a historical figure). From what I remember of it, I think the below quotation summarizes my thoughts.

From John Clubbe's 2002 article Byron in Our Time, published in The Byron Journal:

"What does Byron have to offer us in the new century? On the evidence of biographies that have appeared in recent years, SexPower--that is, predation, prowess, performance, deviations, titillations--would seem the compelling draw. Full-length lives--Phyllis Grosskurth's Byron: The Flawed Angel (1997), Benita Eisler's Byron: Child of Passion, Fool of Fame (1999) and now Fiona MacCarthy's Byron: Life and Legend (2002)--rival each other in degrees of luridness and in the copious detail, some of it undocumented or mere surmise, in which they itemize and analyze Byron's amours with old and young, male and female, kith and kin. The authors' obsession with Byron's sex life seems more financially than intellectually driven; oddly, it is conjoined with censorious dislike of their subject. Even including sex, these books tell us little we did not know before. Why, except for sex, we should be interested in Byron today is beyond these authors' ability to grasp. Neglected when not forgotten completely in the three biographies are Byron's impressive feats as a writer, feats that for nearly two centuries have fired the hearts and souls of countless readers and shaped imaginative and political life in Britain, Europe, America, Japan, and elsewhere."

As an alternative to her book I recommend the books and resources that I list here in these posts:

https://www.tumblr.com/burningvelvet/698853736137768960/here-are-a-lot-of-the-biographical-sources-ive

https://www.tumblr.com/burningvelvet/716180738717925376/i-love-the-romantics-esp-2nd-gen-and-was

[admiralgiggles]

Books are really easy to get through when there are lots of pictures and the typeface is really big, like I could have read it without my glasses.

It also helps when the story is really interesting. Stephanie Johnson takes readers through the life and times of Tanqueray, her burlesque alter ego. She paints such a vivid picture, it felt like I was right there with her. If you’re looking for a really good and really quick read, check this one out!

[une-sanz-pluis]

Are there any biographies for Henry V that you would recommend? :)

Anne Curry's Henry V: From Playboy Prince to Warrior King is my go-to rec if you're looking for a good, solid overview of and introduction to Henry V's life and reign. My main issue with it is the length - since this is part of the Penguin Monarchs series, it's only 176 pages long, including index, notes and further reading. I would love Curry to write a full-length biography of Henry one day. If you want a more Agincourt-focused introduction to Henry, it's worth picking up Juliet Barker's Agincourt: The King, The Campaign, The Battle - it's pop history but a fairly solid one.

The standard biography of Henry is by Christopher Allmand. It's structured as half-biography, half-thematic analysis of Henry's kingship so it's definitely on the more academic side of things and the coverage of Henry's life is pretty brisk. It's very much worth reading but I don't think it's a good introduction to Henry.

My absolute favourite book on Henry, hands down, is Malcolm Vale's Henry V: The Conscience of a King, which is all about exploring Henry's kingship outside of the warrior king stuff. I would love Vale to write a more complete biography on Henry too.

I hope these recs are helpful. I've answered this question a couple of times so if you want more detail, you can check out the following posts. On this post, I've got a rundown of my favourite books on Henry V and my least favourites, while in this post, I give another rundown with more detail alongside recs for Henry's father and grandfather (Henry IV and John of Gaunt respectively).