Books by Stefan Kanfer

Stefan Kanfer's books include The Eighth Sin, A Summer World, The Last Empire, Serious Business, Ball of Fire, and Groucho. He was a writer and editor at Time for more than twenty years. A Literary Lion of the New York Public Library and recipient of nume

TOUGH WITHOUT A GUN by Stefan Kanfer
by Stefan Kanfer
BIOGRAPHY & MEMOIR
Released: Feb. 3, 2011
"It's time for another top-drawer Bogart book. Maybe next time."
Former Time contributor Kanfer (Somebody: The Reckless Life and Remarkable Career of Marlon Brando, 2008, etc.) tackles the screen legend, last deeply examined in competing 1997 biographies by Jeffrey Meyers, and A.M. Sperber and Eric Lax. Read full book review >
SOMEBODY by Stefan Kanfer
by Stefan Kanfer
BIOGRAPHY & MEMOIR
Released: Nov. 9, 2008
"An inspiring, depressing, riveting story."
History of the legendary actor's life. Read full book review >
STARDUST LOST by Stefan Kanfer
by Stefan Kanfer
NON-FICTION
Released: Oct. 26, 2006
"Yiddish theater for beginners."
Biographer and cultural historian Kanfer (Ball of Fire, 2003, etc.) provides a workmanlike chronicle of the populist drama that flourished in the US as long as the Jewish masses kept one foot in the Old World, one in the New. Read full book review >
BALL OF FIRE by Stefan Kanfer
by Stefan Kanfer
BIOGRAPHY & MEMOIR
Released: Aug. 15, 2003
"Entertaining and thoughtful observations bring The Redhead into sharp focus. (16-page photo insert, 15 additional photos in text)"
Canny critic and cultural historian Kanfer (Serious Business, 1998, etc.) brings a bemused attitude and a keen knowledge of show business to a tale that's becoming as familiar as an I Love Lucy rerun. Read full book review >
GROUCHO by Stefan Kanfer
by Stefan Kanfer
BIOGRAPHY & MEMOIR
Released: May 25, 2000
"A highly competent but finally rather troubling work."
As a historian of the Borscht Belt and of animated film (Serious Business, 1997), Kanfer would seem to be a good match for the verbally adroit Marx. Read full book review >
SERIOUS BUSINESS by Stefan Kanfer
by Stefan Kanfer
NON-FICTION
Released: April 7, 1997
"Taken as the less ambitious but valuable work it truly is, Serious Business offers a lively, thought-provoking introduction to the fascinating complexity of seemingly simple animated cartoons. (b&w illustrations, 8 pages color illustrations, not seen) (Author tour)"
This nicely written and generally informative account provides a cursory though useful history of American animated cartoons. Read full book review >
THE LAST EMPIRE by Stefan Kanfer
by Stefan Kanfer
Released: Aug. 1, 1993
"Timely corporate history—as exciting and poignant as any good tale of derring-do against great odds by all-too-flawed giants. (Forty photographs)"
From veteran Time editor Kanfer (A Summer World, 1989, etc.): an enjoyable history of De Beers, the great business empire that founded a country, helped start a war, and funded the legendary Rhodes scholarships. Read full book review >