cover image
LATEST ISSUE OF
Kirkus Reviews
Check out our interview with Rick Yancey, author of the wildly entertaining YA thriller The 5th Wave.
Kirkus Star
THE KIRKUS STAR
Awarded to Books of Exceptional Merit

BROWSE BOOK REVIEWS



2011 Best of Nonfiction: Biography

Showing
Cover art for HOWARD COSELL
NONFICTION
Released: Nov. 14, 2011
Kirkus Star HOWARD COSELL: THE MAN, THE MYTH, AND THE TRANSFORMATION OF AMERICAN SPORTS
by Mark Ribowsky
"The definitive word on a loved, loathed, maddeningly complex broadcasting legend."
You could make a case that Howard Cosell (1918–1995) was the single most important sports broadcaster ever. You would be right. Read full book review >
Cover art for TOLSTOY
NONFICTION
Released: Nov. 9, 2011
Kirkus Star TOLSTOY: A RUSSIAN LIFE
by Rosamund Bartlett
"A rich, complex life told in rich, complex prose."
Cultural historian and translator Bartlett (Chekhov: Scenes from a Life, 2004, etc.) unravels the ornate and complicated tapestry of the life of the great Russian writer. Read full book review >
Cover art for CHARLES DICKENS
NONFICTION
Released: Oct. 31, 2011
Kirkus Star CHARLES DICKENS: A LIFE
by Claire Tomalin
"Superbly organized, comprehensive and engrossing from start to finish—a strong contender for biography of the year."
Like Shakespeare, Charles Dickens (1812–1870) was an overachiever of genius, and his life was as eventful, dramatic and character-filled as any of his novels. Read full book review >
Cover art for LENNON
NONFICTION
Released: Sept. 20, 2011
Kirkus Star LENNON: THE MAN, THE MYTH, THE MUSIC--THE DEFINITIVE LIFE
by Tim Riley
"Essential for Lennon fans, and one of the most thorough yet accessible rock biographies to appear in recent years."
After hundreds of books on the former Beatle, is there anything left to say? Read full book review >
Cover art for LOVE AND CAPITAL
NONFICTION
Released: Sept. 14, 2011
Kirkus Star LOVE AND CAPITAL: KARL AND JENNY MARX AND THE BIRTH OF A REVOLUTION
by Mary Gabriel
"A saga as richly realized as a fine Victorian novel."
Former Reuters journalist Gabriel (The Art of Acquiring: A Portrait of Etta and Claribel Cone, 2002, etc.) offers a rich, humanizing portrait of the Marx family. Read full book review >
Cover art for JANE FONDA
NONFICTION
Released: Aug. 30, 2011
Kirkus Star JANE FONDA: THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A PUBLIC FIGURE
by Patricia Bosworth
"Reading to savor."
Distinguished celebrity biographer and Vanity Fair contributing editor Bosworth (Marlon Brando, 2001, etc.) recounts the life story of an American icon in all its heady--and at times, unabashedly scandalous--glory. Read full book review >
Cover art for WENDY AND THE LOST BOYS
NONFICTION
Released: Aug. 22, 2011
Kirkus Star WENDY AND THE LOST BOYS: THE UNCOMMON LIFE OF WENDY WASSERSTEIN
by Julie Salamon
"Perceptive and empathetic, but also gently unsparing--a superbly nuanced portrait."
From veteran nonfiction author Salamon (Hospital: Man, Woman, Birth, Death, Infinity, Plus Red Tape, Bad Behavior, Money, God and Diversity on Steroids, 2008, etc.), the authorized biography of the playwright who brought the dreams and disappointments of her generation of women to the American stage. Read full book review >
Cover art for COURAGE BEYOND THE GAME
NONFICTION
Released: Aug. 16, 2011
Kirkus Star COURAGE BEYOND THE GAME: THE FREDDIE STEINMARK STORY
by Jim Dent
"A superb work that paints the resilient athlete as a fierce competitor and an unforgettable sportsman."
Heartfelt biography of a Texas football star whose life was cut short by cancer. Read full book review >
Cover art for MIGHTIER THAN THE SWORD
NONFICTION
Released: June 14, 2011
Kirkus Star MIGHTIER THAN THE SWORD: <I>UNCLE TOM'S CABIN</I> AND THE BATTLE FOR AMERICA
by David S. Reynolds
"A sharp work of cross-disciplinary criticism that gives new power to a diminished novel."
A provocative overview of the life and afterlife of one of American literature's most important texts. Read full book review >