| I Was Told to Come Alone: My Journey Behind the Lines of Jihad by Souad MekhennetWashington Post national security correspondent Souad Mekhennet is a Muslim who grew up in Germany. Viewed by Muslims as an interviewer they can trust, she often has access to significant newsmakers who won't meet with other Western journalists. In I Was Told to Come Alone, Mekhennet traces her life and career, offering insight into the experiences of Arabs and Muslims living in Europe. |
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Collecting the world : Hans Sloane and the origins of the British Museum
by James Delbourgo
In 1759 the British Museum opened its doors to the general public--the first free national museum in the world. James Delbourgo's biography of Hans Sloane recounts the story behind its creation, told through the life of a figure with an insatiable ambition to pit universal knowledge against superstition and the means to realize his dream. Born in northern Ireland in 1660, Sloane amassed a fortune as a London society physician, becoming a member of the Whig establishment and president of the Royal Societyand Royal College of Physicians. His wealth and contacts enabled him to assemble an encyclopedic collection of specimens and objects--the most famous cabinet of curiosities of its time.
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There's a mystery there : the primal vision of Maurice Sendak
by Jonathan Cott
This path-breaking examination of the creative inspirations and legacy of children's book genius Maurice Sendak draws on the author's masterful 1976 Rolling Stone interview to reveal the torments and formative life experiences that shaped Sendak's complicated body of work.
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| Memory's Last Breath: Field Notes on My Dementia by Gerda SaundersIn Memory's Last Breath, retired gender studies professor Gerda Saunders recounts her life, reports on her exploration of neurological science in relation to her memory loss, and provides notes -- presented in sidebars -- on her experience of advancing dementia. Her lyrical descriptions of growing up in South Africa, immigrating to the U.S., and receiving acclaim for her academic achievements contrast starkly with her candid depiction of losing memory and other intellectual functions. |
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Love in vain :
by J. M. Dupont
Recounts the life and career of the traveling blues musician, exploring the stories and legends that surround his life and death, his childhood, and his womanizing
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Unto the Skies : a Biography of Amy Johnson
by K. A. Lalani
This is an extensive, fully-researched biography of Amy Johnson, Britain's most famous aviatrix. Unto the Skies takes readers from the early days of her childhood and adolescence in Hull, through to her estrangement from her family in London, to the point where her love of flying led to the fame she later, albeit reluctantly, gained after her epic 1930 Australia flight. The story of Amy's death is still surrounded by mystery, after she crashed into the Thames estuary and was drowned; her body was never recovered. Her story still serves as an inspiration to many, being Britain's first qualified woman ground engineer despite being told she would never be a flier and completing her world-famous solo flight at the age of 26, before other setting other records. The story of her life will be widely enjoyed.
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Meet me in the in-between
by Bella Pollen
A woman describes her experience growing up between her transatlantic parents and discusses how it made her adventurous spirit bloom, ultimately resulting in her early marriage to a charismatic mafioso and her falling in with a crowd of Mexican smugglers who loved Pink Floyd.
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The road to happiness is always under construction
by Linda Gray
An award-winning actress on the show Dallas, an accomplished director and a former United Nations Ambassador compiles a lifetime's worth of tips and wisdom into a humorous and insightful guide for women through all the stages of life, and ultimately shares how to lead a fulfilled life by living simply.
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The cake and the rain
by Jimmy Webb
The Grammy Award-winning songwriter, author of Tunesmith and youngest inductee into the National Songwriters' Hall of Fame traces his religious upbringing in Oklahoma, struggles with addiction and meteoric successes with artists ranging from The Supremes and The Fifth Dimension to Johnny Cash and Art Garfunkel.
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Morgan Freeman : A Biography
by Kathleen Tracy
Traces the life and four-decade career of the esteemed African-American film star, discussing such topics as his southern childhood, his near-decision to leave acting, and his rise to Hollywood's A-list.
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| So Much Things to Say: The Oral History of Bob Marley by Roger SteffensAuthor Roger Steffens toured with the Wailers reggae band in the 1970s and has made the study of reggae his life's work. Focusing on the central figure of reggae music and culture, Jamaican Bob Marley, Steffens collected interviews with Marley's relatives and associates to build a rich and lively oral history of the musician and his life. Weaving his sources expertly together and providing additional clarity or interpretation when accounts differ, Steffens brings Marley's childhood, musical formation, and career to life. |
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In the midnight hour : the life & soul of Wilson Pickett
by Tony Fletcher
Looks at the life and music career of prominent soul singer Wilson Pickett, chronicling the performer's rise to stardom and his self-destructive fall into alcohol and drug addiction before ending his career on a high note with a Grammy-nominated album
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Dinner with DiMaggio : memories of an American hero
by Rock G Positano
A portrait of the iconic Yankee star by his doctor and friend describes how they supported one another throughout DiMaggio's final years, in an account that discusses such topics as DiMaggio's career-ending injuries and his relationships with first wife Dorothy Arnold and Marilyn Monroe.
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Kahlil Gibran : beyond borders
by Jean Gibran
A comprehensive biography of the life of artist-poet Kahlil Gibran and his development as an artist transcending geographical boundaries of East and West--includes many rare photographs and images of his work
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The Private Life of Edward IV
by John Ashdown-hill
Unravelling the complex web of stories around Edward's private life, discussing the truth behind Edward's reputation. Did Edward have numerous mistresses? Did he produce many bastards? Who was his legal wife? And what caused the early death of Eleanor Talbot?
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| Mademoiselle: Coco Chanel and the Pulse of History by Rhonda K. GarelickIn this thoroughly researched biography, interdisciplinary arts professor Rhonda Garelick draws on archival records to produce a multilayered and insightful portrait of the French couturiere Coco Chanel. Depicting Chanel's determination to achieve success and examining her incomparable rise in the fashion business, Garelick vividly depicts the businesswoman who capitalized on her friendships with wealthy and powerful right-wingers -- including Nazi officials during World War II. |
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Frocking Life : Searching for Elsa Schiaparelli
by Jean Druesedow
At age fourteen, designer and artist BillyBoy* had a transformative experience, brought on by the discovery of an Elsa Schiaparelli hat in a Parisian flea market. So began a love affair with Schiaparelli clothes that has lasted more than forty years. For BillyBoy*, Schiap's designs are talismans: they not only show how the chic designer revolutionized fashion, but also speak to him powerfully about how she lived her life. An artist working in Switzerland with a glamorous and fascinating past, BillyBoy* adopted Schiap as a guardian angel of sorts and has spent a lifetime searching for her through her clothes. Inspired by Shocking Life, Schiap's own memoir, this book will resonate with anyone who loves historic haute couture.
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American dreamer : my life in fashion & business
by Tommy Hilfiger
The business and pop culture icon traces the story of his life and career, covering such topics as his working-class childhood with eight siblings, the dyslexia that challenged his education, his novel approaches to commerce and his enduring influence on American style.
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Agnès B. : Styliste
by Florence Ben Sadoun
Since opening her first shop in Paris in 1975, agnes b. has been dedicated to creating timeless designs. Snap cardigans, striped T-shirts, strapless dresses, mini skirts, leather pants her unforgettable pieces mix classical influences with street style. In line with her motto that "the street makes fashion," she has developed her own stylistic language that is subtle, chic, and casual. This richly illustrated book explores her signature approach to design, the history of the brand, and her continuing influence, which extends beyond fashion to the worlds of art, film, publishing and music.
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The World of Anna Sui
by Tim Blanks
Anna Sui is one of New York's most beloved and accomplished fashion designers, known for creating contemporary original clothing inspired by spectacular amounts of research into vintage styles and cultural arcana. She is especially famous for her textile prints. Sui joined New York's intensely creative cultural underground in the 1970s, forging important relationships in the worlds of fashion, photography, art, music, and design.
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| Gods and Kings: The Rise and Fall of Alexander McQueen and John Galliano by Dana ThomasIn the dramatic and rarefied atmosphere of avant-garde fashion design, Alexander McQueen and John Galliano may have had the most astounding careers, from brilliant spectacle to burnout. Both came from humble London origins, both studied at a famous art school, and both achieved notoriety in Paris houses of fashion. In this dual biography of artistic geniuses, author Dana Thomas, who knew the men through her work at the New York Times Style Magazine, tracks their glittering paths -- and their comedowns -- against the background of the contemporary fashion industry. |
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| The Woman I Wanted to Be by Diane von FurstenbergOpening with a moving description of her mother, a concentration camp survivor who had been arrested by the Nazis for her activities in the Belgian Resistance, Diane von Furstenburg's memoir details the kind of woman she wanted to be (independent and self-sufficient) and relates how she achieved her objectives. Emphasizing the importance of her children and also providing details of her love life, von Furstenberg recounts her successes -- and some failures -- on the frontlines of couture. Readers interested in fashion or in the lives of powerful and creative women shouldn't miss this life story. |
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Carolina Herrera 35 Years of Fashion
by Carolina Herrera
The first name in American elegance, Carolina Herrera has distinguished herself in the global fashion world with a style that exudes luxury, femininity, and impeccable taste. Encouraged by friend and admirer Diana Vreeland to open her fashion house in 1981, Herrera's collections are favoured for their refinement, timelessness, and glamour.
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In the name of Gucci : a memoir by Patrizia GucciAldo Gucci's daughter chronicles the gripping family drama--and never-before-told love story--surrounding the rise and fall of her late father, the man responsible for making the legendary fashion label the powerhouse it is today.
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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