Robert Kennedy and His Times

Schlesinger’s account vividly recalls the forces that shaped Robert Kennedy, from his position as the third son of a powerful Irish Catholic political clan to his concern for issues of social justice in the turbulent 1960s.

Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr., chronicles the short life of the Kennedy family’s second presidential hopeful in “a story that leaves the reader aching for what cannot be recaptured” (Miami Herald). Schlesinger’s account vividly recalls the forces that shaped Robert Kennedy, from his position as the third son of a powerful Irish Catholic political clan to his concern for issues of social justice in the turbulent 1960s. Robert Kennedy and his Times is “a picture of a deeply compassionate man hiding his vulnerability, drawn to the underdogs and the unfortunates in society by his life experiences and sufferings” (Los Angeles Times). (Mariner Books)

American Caesar: Douglas MacArthur, 1880-1964

American Caesar examines the exemplary army career, the stunning successes (and lapses) on the battlefield, and the turbulent private life of the soldier-hero whose mystery and appeal created a uniquely American legend.

Inspiring, outrageous… A thundering paradox of a man. Douglas MacArthur, one of only five men in history to have achieved the rank of General of the United States Army. He served in World Wars I, II, and the Korean War, and is famous for stating that “in war, there is no substitute for victory.” American Caesar examines the exemplary army career, the stunning successes (and lapses) on the battlefield, and the turbulent private life of the soldier-hero whose mystery and appeal created a uniquely American legend. (Back Bay Books)

Samuel Johnson: A Biography

Samuel Johnson is a writer of such significance that his era– the second half of the eighteenth century– has come to be known as the age of Johnson. W. Jackson Bate’s formidable biography, with its uncanny depth and empathy, delves deep into the character that formed Johnson’s intellect and fueled his prodigious contribution to literature, religion, politics, and our understanding of the essence of humankind.

Samuel Johnson is a writer of such significance that his era– the second half of the eighteenth century– has come to be known as the age of Johnson. W. Jackson Bate’s formidable biography, with its uncanny depth and empathy, delves deep into the character that formed Johnson’s intellect and fueled his prodigious contribution to literature, religion, politics, and our understanding of the essence of humankind. (Counterpoint Press)

Max Perkins: Editor of Genius

The talents he nurtured as an editor were known worldwide: F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, Thomas Wolfe, and numerous others. But Maxwell Perkins remained a mystery, a backstage presence who served these authors not only as book editor extraordinaire but also as critic, career manager, money-lender, psychoanalyst, father-confessor, and friend.

The talents he nurtured as an editor were known worldwide: F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, Thomas Wolfe, and numerous others. But Maxwell Perkins remained a mystery, a backstage presence who served these authors not only as book editor extraordinaire but also as critic, career manager, money-lender, psychoanalyst, father-confessor, and friend.

This outstanding biography is the first to explore the fascinating life of this editor extraordinaire—in both the professional and personal domains. It tells not only of Perkin’s stormy marriage, endearing eccentricities, and secret twenty-five-year romance with Elizabeth Lemmon, but also of his intensely intimate relationships with leading literary lights of the twentieth century. It is, in the words of Newsweek, “an admirable biography of a wholly admirable man.” (Penguin)