Biography

Renowned novelist, poet, playwright, and literary critic Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o was a student at a prestigious, British-run boarding school near Nairobi when the tumultuous Mau Mau Uprising for independence and Kenyan sovereignty gripped his country...

A New York Times Bestseller Part cookbook, part memoir, The Best Cook in the World is Pulitzer Prize-winner Rick Bragg's loving tribute to the South, his family and, especially, to his extraordinary mother. Here are irresistible stories and recipes from...

For half a century, Michael Jackson's music has been an indelible part of our cultural consciousness. Landmark albums such as Off the Wall and Thriller shattered records, broke racial barriers, amassed awards, and set a new standard for popular music...

New York Times BestsellerThe record-holding two-time NBA champion and recently inducted hall-of-famer reflects on his work ethic, his on-the-court friendships and rivalries, the great teams he's played for, and what it takes to have a long and successful...

David and Tamela Mann have been married for 30 years, but the singers, actors, and entrepreneurs are just as, if not more than, happily in love as they were in the early days of their relationship. In their new book, the couple will relate the story of...

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - The extraordinary true story of four men who take the law into their own hands. This is the story of four young boys. Four lifelong friends. Intelligent, fun-loving, wise beyond their years, they are inseparable. Their...

In this long-awaited memoir, illustrated with over 100 never-before-seen photos from his personal collection, the groundbreaking record producer chronicles his struggles, his success, and the celebrated artists that made him a legend.Over the last...

An "immersive, humanizing, and demystifying" (Charles Blow, New York Times) look at the final hours of Dr. King's life as he seeks to revive the non-violent civil rights movement and push to end poverty in America. At 10:33 a.m. on April 3, 1968, Dr...

Es'kia Mphahlele's seminal memoir of life in apartheid South Africa--available for the first time in Penguin Classics Nominated for the Nobel Prize in 1969, Es'kia Mphahlele is considered the Dean of African Letters and the father of black South African...

Born into "the blessings of liberty in a free State," Solomon Northup was kidnapped and sold into slavery in the Bayou Boeuf region of Louisiana's Red River Valley. Twelve Years a Slave is the chronicle of his captivity at the mercy of sadistic...

From the Upstate to the Lowcountry, African Americans have had a gigantic impact on the Palmetto State. Unfortunately, their stories are often overshadowed.Collected here for the first time, this selection of essays by historian Damon L. Fordham brings...

"[Robinson's] lifelong triumph over adversity belongs to the greatest of American success stories." --Peter Hannaford, Washington Times In this gripping, never-before-told tale, biographer Thomas E. Simmons brings to life the true story of John C...