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Recommendations based on Love and Louis XIV: The Women in the Life of the Sun Kingby Antonia Fraser
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Marie Antoinette: The Journey
by Antonia Fraser
A biography of Marie Antoinette, from her childhood in Austria to her reign as Queen of France and eventual execution during the French Revolution.
Marie Antoinette's dramatic life-story continues to arouse mixed emotions. To many people, she is still 'la reine méchante', whose extravagance and frivolity helped to bring down the French monarchy; ... (Goodreads)
The Sisters: The Saga of the Mitford Family
by Mary S. Lovell
A sweeping tale of a powerful family, spanning generations and continents.
This is the story of a British upper class family splintered by the violent ideologies of Europe between the two World Wars. Jessica was a Communist; Debo became the Duchess of Devonshire; Nancy was ... (Goodreads)
Mary Queen of Scots
by Antonia Fraser
Biography of Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots, and her tumultuous life as a monarch in 16th century Scotland and England.
She was the quintessential queen: statuesque, regal, dazzlingly beautiful. Her royal birth gave her claim to the thrones of two nations; her marriage to the young French dauphin promised to place a ... (Goodreads)
FDR
by Jean Edward Smith
Biography of Franklin Delano Roosevelt and his legendary leadership during the Great Depression and WWII.
One of today’s premier biographers has written a modern, comprehensive, indeed ultimate book on the epic life of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. In this superlative volume, Jean Edward Smith combines ... (Goodreads)
The Romanov Sisters: The Lost Lives of the Daughters of Nicholas and Alexandra
by Helen Rappaport
Chronicles the lives of Tsar Nicholas II's daughters, and their struggle to survive the Russian Revolution.
A 12-WEEK NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER "Helen Rappaport paints a compelling portrait of the doomed grand duchesses." —,People, magazine "The public spoke of the sisters in a gentile, superficial manner, ... (Barnes & Noble)
Elizabeth: The Struggle for the Throne
by David Starkey
An in-depth look at the rise of Queen Elizabeth I, detailing her turbulent and triumphant reign.
The legend of Elizabeth I, the untouchable, charismatic Virgin Queen, is a powerful and enduring one. Most biographies focus on the years of her reign, during which she proved herself as adept a ... (Goodreads)
Operation Mincemeat: How a Dead Man and a Bizarre Plan Fooled the Nazis and Assured an Allied Victory
by Ben Macintyre
True story of a WWII deception operation involving a dead body, fake documents, and a daring plan to mislead the Nazis.
“Pure catnip to fans of World War II thrillers and a lot of fun for everyone else.”—Joseph Kanon,, Washington Post Book World, “Thrilling . . . What makes, Operation Mincemeat, so winning, in ... (Barnes & Noble)
The Art of War
by Sun Tzu
Ancient Chinese military treatise outlining strategies for success in battle.
Twenty-Five Hundred years ago, Sun Tzu wrote this classic book of military strategy based on Chinese warfare and military thought. Since that time, all levels of military have used the teaching on ... (Goodreads)
Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman
by Robert K. Massie
A biography of Catherine the Great, the powerful and controversial Empress of Russia, who transformed her country and left a lasting legacy.
“[A] tale of power, perseverance and passion . . . a great story in the hands of a master storyteller.”—,The Wall Street Journal, The Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Peter the Great, Nicholas and ... (Barnes & Noble)
Half Broke Horses
by Jeannette Walls
A novel based on the life of the author's grandmother, Lily Casey Smith, a resilient and adventurous woman who overcomes numerous obstacles in the American West.
Jeannette Walls's memoir The Glass Castle was "nothing short of spectacular" (Entertainment Weekly). Now, in Half Broke Horses, she brings us the story of her grandmother, told in a first-person ... (Goodreads)
Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books
by Azar Nafisi
Memoir of a professor's struggle in Iran, using literature to find freedom.
The book consists of a memoir of the author's experiences about returning to Iran during the revolution (1978–1981) and living under the Islamic Republic of Iran government until her departure in ... (Wikipedia)
Let's Pretend This Never Happened: A Mostly True Memoir
by Jenny Lawson
A humorous and candid memoir of a woman's life, incorporating stories from her childhood to adulthood.
The #1, New York Times, bestselling (mostly true) memoir from the hilarious author of, Furiously Happy,.,“Gaspingly funny and wonderfully inappropriate.”—,O, The Oprah Magazine, When Jenny Lawson was ... (Barnes & Noble)
The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary
by Simon Winchester
True story of a murderer's contribution to the creation of the Oxford English Dictionary.
The book tells the story of the making of the, Oxford English Dictionary, (OED) and one of its most prolific early contributors, William Chester Minor , a retired United States Army surgeon . Minor ... (Wikipedia)
French Lessons: Adventures with Knife, Fork, and Corkscrew
by Peter Mayle
A humorous and informative memoir of a man's culinary adventures in France, exploring the country's food, wine, and culture.
A delightful, delicious, and best-selling account of the gustatory pleasures to be found throughout France, from the beloved author of A Year in Provence . The French celebrate food and drink more ... (Goodreads)
Henry VIII: The King and His Court
by Alison Weir
A detailed account of the life and reign of Henry VIII, focusing on his court and the people who surrounded him.
Henry VIII, renowned for his command of power and celebrated for his intellect, presided over one of the most magnificent–and dangerous–courts in Renaissance Europe. Never before has a detailed, ... (Goodreads)
Jane Austen: A Life
by Claire Tomalin
A biography of Jane Austen, exploring her life, family, and the social context in which she wrote her beloved novels.
At her death in 1817, Jane Austen left the world six of the most beloved novels written in English—but her shortsighted family destroyed the bulk of her letters; and if she kept any diaries, they did ... (Goodreads)
Traitor to His Class: The Privileged Life and Radical Presidency of Franklin Delano Roosevelt
by H.W. Brands
A biography of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, exploring his privileged upbringing and his radical presidency that transformed America.
A sweeping, magisterial biography of the man generally considered the greatest president of the twentieth century, admired by Democrats and Republicans alike. Traitor to His Class sheds new light on ... (Goodreads)
Encore Provence: New Adventures in the South of France
by Peter Mayle
A delightful collection of stories and anecdotes about the author's life in the South of France.
A whole new feast of adventures, discoveries, hilarities, and culinary treats, liberally seasoned with a joyous mix of Gallic characters. After trying–what folly!--to live in other places, Peter ... (Goodreads)
The Man Who Loved Books Too Much: The True Story of a Thief, a Detective, and a World of Literary Obsession
by Allison Hoover Bartlett
A non-fiction account of a notorious book thief and the bibliophile detective who pursued him. A fascinating exploration of the world of rare book collecting.
Set within the world of rare-book collecting: the true story of an infamous book thief, his victims, and the man determined to catch him. Rare-book theft is even more widespread than fine-art theft. ... (Goodreads)
The Judgment of Paris: The Revolutionary Decade That Gave the World Impressionism
by Ross King
The story of the rise of Impressionism in Paris during the 1860s and 1870s, focusing on the Salon des Refusés and the works of Manet, Monet, and Renoir.
With a novelist's skill and the insight of an historian, bestselling author Ross King recalls a seminal period when Paris was the artistic center of the world, and the rivalry between Meissonier and ... (Goodreads)
Elizabeth the Queen: The Life of a Modern Monarch
by Sally Bedell Smith
A comprehensive biography of Queen Elizabeth II, from her childhood to her reign as the longest-reigning monarch in British history.
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Perfect for fans of The Crown , this magisterial biography of Queen Elizabeth II is a close-up view of the woman we’ve known only from a distance—and a captivating window ... (Goodreads)
Andrew Jackson: His Life and Times
by H.W. Brands
A comprehensive biography of the controversial seventh president of the United States, Andrew Jackson.
National Bestseller In this, the first major single-volume biography of Andrew Jackson in decades, H.W. Brands reshapes our understanding of this fascinating man, and of the Age of Democracy that he ... (Goodreads)
This Is How: Proven Aid in Overcoming Shyness, Molestation, Fatness, Spinsterhood, Grief, Disease, Lushery, Decrepitude & More. For Young and Old Alike.
by Augusten Burroughs
A humorous yet thoughtful collection of personal stories and advice on dealing with life challenges.
If you're fat and fail every diet, if you're thin but can't get thin enough, if you lose your job, if your child dies, if you are diagnosed with cancer, if you always end up with exactly the wrong ... (Goodreads)
Art Through the Ages
by Helen Gardner
Comprehensive survey of art history, from prehistoric times to modern day. Includes analysis of major works and movements.
The market-leading text for the art history survey course, GARDNER'S ART THROUGH THE AGES has served as a comprehensive and thoughtfully crafted guide to the defining phases of the world's artistic ... (Goodreads)
The Invisible Gorilla: And Other Ways Our Intuitions Deceive Us
by Christopher Chabris
Our intuition can deceive us, leading to errors in perception, memory, and decision-making. This book explores the science behind these illusions.
Reading this book will make you less sure of yourself—and that’s a good thing. In The Invisible Gorilla, Christopher Chabris and Daniel Simons, creators of one of psychology’s most famous ... (Barnes & Noble)
It's What I Do: A Photographer's Life of Love and War
by Lynsey Addario
A photojournalist's gripping account of her time spent in war-torn countries, capturing stories of courage and resilience.
War photographer Lynsey Addario’s memoir It’s What I Do is the story of how the relentless pursuit of truth, in virtually every major theater of war in the twenty-first century, has shaped her life. ... (Goodreads)
The Last Girl: My Story of Captivity, and My Fight Against the Islamic State
by Nadia Murad
Nadia Murad's harrowing account of being kidnapped and enslaved by ISIS, and her subsequent fight for justice and awareness.
WINNER OF THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE, In this intimate memoir of survival, a former captive of the Islamic State tells her harrowing and ultimately inspiring story. Nadia Murad was born and raised in ... (Goodreads)
The Underground Girls of Kabul: In Search of a Hidden Resistance in Afghanistan
by Jenny Nordberg
An exploration of the secret lives of Afghan girls who live as boys for safety, security, and independence.
An investigative journalist uncovers a hidden custom that will transform your understanding of what it means to grow up as a girl. In Afghanistan, a culture ruled almost entirely by men, the birth of ... (Goodreads)
The Anarchy: The East India Company, Corporate Violence, and the Pillage of an Empire
by William Dalrymple
A historical account of the East India Company's rise to power and its devastating impact on India.
The story of how the East India Company took over large swaths of Asia, and the devastating results of the corporation running a country. In August 1765, the East India Company defeated the young ... (Goodreads)
Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI
by David Grann
Exposé of a series of murders of the Osage Nation in 1920s Oklahoma and the FBI's investigation.
In the 1920s, the richest people per capita in the world were members of the Osage Indian Nation in Oklahoma. After oil was discovered beneath their land, the Osage rode in chauffeured automobiles, ... (Goodreads)
