Biography & Memoir

An intimate portrait of one of the greatest female pop icons delves into the woman behind the extraordinary voice who battled desperate insecurity, the fear of failure, low self-esteem, sexual confusion, drug and alchohol addiction, and eventually cancer. Reprint. 10,000 first printing.

A young journalist from the Midwest describes her sojourn in Iraq as the Baghdad Bureau Chief for the Washington Post, detailing what it is like to be an American reporter covering a war under the constant threat of kidnapping, injury, and death, especially as a woman in a country in which women are not free. 50,000 first printing.

In a collection of brief autobiographical essays, the renowned novelist offers his views on art, politics, and everyday life in America.

A final installment of the Pulitzer Prize-winning author's history of the civil rights movement chronicles Martin Luther King's final years, covering such topics as the 1965 Selma march for the right to vote, King's turbulent alliance with Lyndon Johnson, and his protests against the Vietnam war. Reprint. 75,000 first printing.

A unique spiritual travelogue in the tradition of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenence recalls the author's journey across two continents in 1986 in a Mercedes in search of a gravestone for his friend Mahmoud Rauf.

A revealing portrait of the influential gospel singer and songwriter covers his early experiences as a choir boy, the impact of the civil rights movement on his career, and the mystery surrounding his death, in an account that also describes his relationships with several contemporaries. 125,000 first printing.

An African American novelist recounts her family history, which includes both white and black ancestors who were pioneers, slaves, and Confederate soldiers and lived in such places as Missouri, Mississippi, Alabama, and Virginia.

The Pulitzer Prize and National Book Critics Circle Award-winning author of Angela's Ashes describes his coming of age as a teacher, storyteller, and writer, a personal journey during which he spent fifteen years finding his voice in the classroom and came to terms with the undervalued importance of teaching. 1,250,000 first printing.

The author of Holy War, Inc. draws on the author's personal meetings with Osama bin Laden as well as interviews with some of his most intimate acquaintances, describing the terrorist's self-presentation as a soft-spoken cleric and offering insight into how he garners the fanatical loyalty of hundreds of thousands of followers. 100,000 first printing.

The author recounts her stint as a celebrity nanny in Hollywood, describing her diverse roles as pseudo-mommy, nurse, playmate, referee, and chauffeur for the children of Hollywood super agent Michael Ovitz, Debra Winger, and Danny DeVito.

The author traces the boyhood enthusiasm for rockets that eventually led to a career at NASA, describing how he built model rockets in the family garage in West Virginia, inspired by the launch of the Soviet satellite Sputnik. Reprint.

The sequel to the acclaimed Rocket Boys continues the story of Coalwood, West Virginia, as the author and his fellow Rocket Boys face their senior year at Big Creek High, while the forces of change bring Coalwood to a difficult crossroads and strain and depression threaten to tear apart the Hickam home. Reprint.

The author of the best-selling October Sky continues the story of his life with an account of the summer of 1961, which marks the end of his first year of college and the beginning of his dreams to leave his hometown of Coalwood behind forever, until a scandal at the mine that threatens to ruin his father draws him back home. Reprint.

The comic actor shares personal events that led to his understanding of love and the art of acting, discussing his relationships with such contemporaries as Mel Brooks, Richard Pryor, and Gilda Radner.