The most recommended new biographies

Who picked these books? Meet our 161 experts.

161 authors created a book list connected to new biographies, and here are their favorite new biographies books.
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Book cover of Task Force Hogan: The World War II Tank Battalion That Spearheaded the Liberation of Europe

Jacqueline Jeynes Author Of Before Hiroshima: A history of the fall of Hong Kong and Singapore and the aftermath during World War II

From my list on futility of War since Helen of Troy.

Why am I passionate about this?

The greatest influence on my interest in the theme of war is, of course, my father. Only later, when I became involved with the FEPOW groups, I heard the real stories of what happened to them as individuals, as well as the poor treatment of families back home in Britain. My book is based on their stories. However, this interest also spread to other areas as I read about the history of war while studying literature and, later, the work of various official War Artists. In all of it, the despair and hopelessness comes through, definitely not any sense of the ‘glory’.

Jacqueline's book list on futility of War since Helen of Troy

Jacqueline Jeynes Why did Jacqueline love this book?

I recently reviewed this book for the nonfiction Author’s Association award. Presenting a different perspective on WWII in Europe, this is a factual story about the author’s father, Sam Hogan, as commander of a tank Task Force during the final stages of the war in Europe.

It is an interesting mix of details about the tactics and strategy of US tanks moving across France and Belgium to drive back the German front. It includes sobering reflections on the stifling conditions within the tanks, their vulnerability against a stronger, better-protected tank force, and the loss/ injuries of comrades as they continued to push forward against the odds.

By William R. Hogan,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Task Force Hogan as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A fourth-generation soldier tells the story of his father's tank battalion, the "Spearhead," that selflessly led the charge on the front lines from Normandy into Germany-against impossible odds, technologically superior weaponry, and a fanatical enemy on its home turf-and the heroes whose sacrifice won World War II.

At twenty-eight, Sam Hogan is one of the youngest lieutenant colonels in the US Army. The West Point graduate from Texas stands in the commander's hatch of his Sherman tank, behind him a steel wedge of seventeen other Shermans of his tank battalion. Two weeks after the now-infamous D-Day landings, Sam is preparing…


Book cover of In the Blood: How Two Outsiders Solved a Centuries-Old Medical Mystery and Took on the US Army

Elizabeth Reed Aden Author Of The Goldilocks Genome: A Medical Thriller

From my list on compelling medical nonfiction books.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m a biomedical anthropologist/epidemiologist with a post-doctoral studies in Human Genetics. I learned about pharmacology and medicinal chemistry at a large Swiss pharmaceutical company. There, we developed some of the first precision medicines in oncology—treating tumors with a specific protein signature. We took the next step to personalize prescription medicine, which is in its infancy. The goal is to prescribe the right drug, the first time—prescribing drugs that work with patient genes. As VP, Global Research Strategy and SVP, Global Pharmaceutical Strategy, this has been my vision for decades, and why I wrote The Goldilocks Genome to introduce personalized medicine to the lay public in a compelling read.

Elizabeth's book list on compelling medical nonfiction books

Elizabeth Reed Aden Why did Elizabeth love this book?

Who doesn’t love a true story of David and Goliath? Who really believes that the inventor of the “better mousetrap” always wins? This is a real-life medical thriller when the properties of a mineral were found to be a cheaper, better solution to stopping battlefield bleeding.

The “Davids” took on “Goliath,” who supported their vested interests in an inferior product that cost the lives of infantrymen. It took a courageous whistle-blower to come forward and change the trajectory. Ultimately the mineral was adopted and used effectively in the Iraq War. The better trauma medicine won, but it took years. The story is, sadly, all too real—but good does triumph!

By Charles Barber,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked In the Blood as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The "high-stakes" true story of how an absent-minded inventor and a down-on-his-luck salesman joined forces to create a once‑in‑a‑generation lifesaving product: "Suspenseful storytelling helps us see and feel the struggle and frustration, the sweat and tears . . . Inspiring” (Robert Kolker, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Hidden Valley Road).
 
At the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu, dramatized by the popular film Black Hawk Down, the majority of soldiers who died were killed instantly or bled to death before they could reach an operating table. This tragedy reinforced the need for a revolutionary treatment that could transform trauma medicine.…


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Book cover of American Flygirl

American Flygirl by Susan Tate Ankeny,

The first and only full-length biography of Hazel Ying Lee, an unrecognized pioneer and unsung World War II hero who fought for a country that actively discriminated against her gender, race, and ambition.

This unique hidden figure defied countless stereotypes to become the first Asian American woman in United States…

Book cover of Stakeknife's Dirty War

Jonathan Trigg Author Of The Air War Through German Eyes: How the Luftwaffe Lost the Skies over the Reich

From Jonathan's 3 favorite reads in 2024.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author

Jonathan's 3 favorite reads in 2024

Jonathan Trigg Why did Jonathan love this book?

Rickie O'Rawe is a former member of the Provisional IRA's Belfast Brigade, and so a book by someone like him about British infiltration of his own organisation should have been fascinating stuff - and it was! So many books like this end up falling on one side of the fence or the other; i.e. they're either shameless romanticised paeans to dead republicans extolling their seemingly endless 'virtues', with meaningless evocations of tinkling streams and soft Irish mist with a sound track of a lonesome pipe or flute - heaven save us! Or they're from the other side where every republican is a vile terrorist with cloven hooves and a forked tail.
I don't like either, and Rickie does everyone a service by steering a pretty objective path on this - of course he's a republican and that comes through in the writing, but not to the detriment of the story.

By Richard O'Rawe,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Stakeknife's Dirty War as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In this sensational exposé of British Intelligence’s top informer in the upper ranks of the IRA, Richard O’Rawe delivers the most definitive account yet of the Troubles’ most enigmatic, notorious and sinister figure, Freddie Scappaticci. Codenamed Stakeknife, from the late 1970s through to his eventual exposure in 2003 he was the ‘jewel in the crown’ of a British infiltration system designed to cause mayhem and chaos in the IRA’s military operations. O’Rawe gained unprecedented access to Scappaticci’s former comrades, who reveal extraordinary details of the inner workings of the IRA’s Internal Security Unit. Headed by Scappaticci, this secretive group was…


Book cover of The War Diaries: World War II Written by the People Who Lived Through it

Karen Horn Author Of In Enemy Hands: South Africa's POWs in WWII

From Karen's 3 favorite reads in 2023.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author History aficionado Scribe Dog lover Wildlife telepathist Apprentice gardener

Karen's 3 favorite reads in 2023

Karen Horn Why did Karen love this book?

I loved this book because of the way it was put together. Contemporary first-hand accounts are intertwined with supporting narratives. I cannot say I love this book for its content; it is about the Holocaust and human suffering, yet I love it because it convinced me that humanity endures even when the worst comes to pass.

If the people whose stories are told in this book could come through the war, albeit hurt and damaged, then those who suffer in war today can strive to do the same. This book showed me that wars don’t stop, but the good perseveres. 

By Nina Siegal,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The War Diaries as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Based on select writings from an exceptional Amsterdam archive containing more than two thousand Dutch diaries from World War II, The War Diaries illuminates a part of history we haven't seen in quite this way before.

Nina Siegal, an accomplished journalist and novelist, weaves together excerpts from the daily journals of collaborators, resistors, and the persecuted-a Dutch Nazi police detective, a Jewish journalist imprisoned at Westerbork transit camp, a grocery store owner who saved dozens of lives-into a braided nonfictional narrative of the Nazi occupation and the Dutch Holocaust, as individuals experienced it day by day.

Siegal provides the context,…


Book cover of The Long Walk

Berrick Ford Author Of Dead Water

From Berrick's 3 favorite reads in 2024.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author

Berrick's 3 favorite reads in 2024

Berrick Ford Why did Berrick love this book?

This is a non-fiction anthology of stories from men and women who have worked in bomb disposal across the decades, published by Felix Fund, the UK Bomb Disposal Charity.

I must express an interest here, as it has been a charity that I’ve supported for many years.

I was completely rapt reading accounts of their work from Northern Ireland in the 1970s, the Falklands in the 1980s, to Iraq and Afghanistan in later years, and also working on devices found from both world wars.

Their deprecating humour, sometimes very dark, and their extraordinary daily heroism makes for riveting reading.

By Jane Harvey-Berrick (editor),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Long Walk as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

“They call it the long walk. It’s like I’m in a bubble. Like the world went away and it’s just me… focussed… concentrating. You get used to it – it becomes normal.”. Men and women who have worked in bomb disposal tell their stories, as they saw them, as they lived them.


Book cover of The War We Won Apart

Julian Sher Author Of The North Star: Canada and the Civil War Plots Against Lincoln

From Julian's 3 favorite reads in 2024.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author

Julian's 3 favorite reads in 2024

Julian Sher Why did Julian love this book?

Nahlah Ayed captures the tension and struggles of ordinary people caught up in World War II in a universal way that make us think: what would I do faced with a choice when the world is in turmoil?

By Nahlah Ayed,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The War We Won Apart as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

INSTANT #1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER

Love, betrayal, and a secret war: the untold story of two elite agents, one Canadian, one British, who became one of the most decorated couples of WWII.

On opposite sides of the pond, Sonia Butt, an adventurous young British woman, and Guy d’Artois, a French-Canadian soldier and thunderstorm of a man, are preparing for war.

From different worlds, their lives first intersect during clandestine training to become agents with Winston Churchill’s secret army, the Special Operations Executive. As the world’s deadliest conflict to date unfolds, Sonia and Guy learn how to parachute into enemy territory, how…


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Book cover of The Real Boys of the Civil War

The Real Boys of the Civil War by J. Arthur Moore,

The Real Boys of the Civil War is a research about the real boys who served during the war, opening with a historiography research paper about their history along with its 7-page source document. It then evolves into a series of collections of their stories by topic, concluding with a…

Book cover of The Heathen Horde

Matthew Harffy Author Of A Day of Reckoning

From Matthew's 3 favorite reads in 2023.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Rock star Writer Cowboy Viking Podcaster

Matthew's 3 favorite reads in 2023

Matthew Harffy Why did Matthew love this book?

Steven has a wonderful way of getting inside the head of his characters, bringing them to life in the pages of his books.

Here he tackles Alfred the Great, one of the most famous of English monarchs. So much has been written about Alfred before, but Steven manages to make him fresh and accessible. Alfred is a conflicted character, battling between his very real piety and the more earthly passions of a young warrior and king-in-waiting.

Filled with action and adventure, The Heathen Horde is the first of what I am sure will prove to be a best-selling trilogy.

By Steven A. McKay,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Heathen Horde as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Heavy is the head that wears the crown.

'Immersive and visceral, I loved every word' Christian Cameron

'Another excellent historical adventure from Steven McKay. A captivating thrill ride' Tim Hodkinson

Northumbria, AD 864. Viking warlord Ragnar Lothbrok is captured and killed in brutal fashion, an event that will shape the future of the nation for decades to come.

Mercia, AD 868. Alfred, son of Wessex and heir to the throne, draws his first blood on the battlefield. It will not be his last.

A devastating scourge from the north is coming to Britain, one that will bring armies and entire…


Book cover of Doro: Refugee, hero, champion, survivor

Jasmin O'Hara Author Of Asylum Speakers: Stories of Migration From the Humans Behind the Headlines

From my list on migration and displacement from first-hand perspectives.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve been working to amplify voices of refugees and asylum seekers since 2015, when a 12-year-old boy named Mez joined my family as the first of four foster brothers I now have from Eritrea, Sudan, Libya and Afghanistan. Their stories led me to the Calais Jungle in an attempt to challenge the negative media portrayal of those experiencing displacement. I’ve since worked in refugee camps across the world from France to Bangladesh, sharing food, stories, laughter, and tears, asking questions and learning from those I meet. My book is a compilation of the stories that have impacted me most (Mez being the first), and a testament to those who shared them with me. 

Jasmin's book list on migration and displacement from first-hand perspectives

Jasmin O'Hara Why did Jasmin love this book?

My friend and hero search-and-rescue worker Brendan met Doro during a rescue mission in the Mediterranean Sea. He promised to help Doro share his story with the world, and together they wrote this book.

Brendan’s writing really touches me as someone who has had a similar experience and journey into working in refugee response, and this, along with Doro’s incredible story, makes for a very profound book.

By Brendan Woodhouse, Doro Goumaneh,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Doro as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

'This is Doro and he is beautiful.'

So begins the extraordinary story of Doro Goumaneh, who faced an unimaginable series of adversities on his journey from persecution in The Gambia to refuge in France.

Doro was once a relatively prosperous fisherman, but in 2014, when the country's fishing rights were stolen and secret police began arresting Gambian fishermen, Doro left home, fleeing for his life. From Senegal to Libya to Algeria and back to Libya, Doro fell victim to the horrific cycle of abuse targeted at refugees. He endured shipwrecks, torture and being left for dead in a mass grave.…


Book cover of War

Katherine Freese Author Of The Cosmic Cocktail: Three Parts Dark Matter

From Katherine's 3 favorite reads in 2024.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author

Katherine's 3 favorite reads in 2024

Katherine Freese Why did Katherine love this book?

This is a documentary about Biden, Trump, and the wars in the Ukraine and the Middle East.
It reads like a racy novel: what I learned was often shocking, and I couldn't put it down.

By Bob Woodward,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked War as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Chosen by WATERSTONES as one of their BEST POLITICS BOOKS of 2024

Two-time Pulitzer prize winner Bob Woodward tells the revelatory, behind-the-scenes story of three wars - Ukraine, the Middle East and the struggle for the American presidency.

War is an intimate and sweeping account of one of the most tumultuous periods in presidential politics and American history.

We see President Joe Biden and his top advisers in tense conversations with Russian president Vladimir Putin, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky. We also see Donald Trump, conducting a shadow presidency and seeking to regain political power.…


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Book cover of Caesar’s Soldier

Caesar’s Soldier by Alex Gough,

Who was the man who would become Caesar's lieutenant, Brutus' rival, Cleopatra's lover, and Octavian's enemy? 

When his stepfather is executed for his involvement in the Catilinarian conspiracy, Mark Antony and his family are disgraced. His adolescence is marked by scandal and mischief, his love affairs are fleeting, and yet,…

Book cover of Necessary Trouble: Growing Up at Midcentury

Geoffrey Parker Author Of Global Crisis: War, Climate Change and Catastrophe in the Seventeenth Century

From Geoffrey's 3 favorite reads in 2023.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Historian Father Environmentalist Biographer Disabled writer

Geoffrey's 3 favorite reads in 2023

Geoffrey Parker Why did Geoffrey love this book?

Born in 1947, the author is four years younger than me. Although she grew up as a girl in the US, not as a boy in the UK like me, I was spellbound by the chapters about her participation as a young student trying to desegregate the South, starting in the “Freedom Summer” of 1964.

I bought the book on the strength of a single sentence quoted in a review. She described how, as an undergraduate at Bryn Mawr, she watched on TV as the police brutally dispersed the first march in Selma: “From that moment, I knew I had to do something. If I did not stand up, if I did not act after witnessing this, I would be ashamed forever.”

From that moment, I knew I had to buy her book. I have no regrets.

By Drew Gilpin Faust,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Necessary Trouble as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

A memoir of coming of age in a conservative Southern family in postwar America.

To grow up in the 1950s was to enter a world of polarized national alliances, nuclear threat, and destabilized social hierarchies. Two world wars and the depression that connected them had unleashed a torrent of expectations and dissatisfactions―not only in global affairs but in American society and Americans’ lives.

A privileged white girl in conservative, segregated Virginia was expected to adopt a willful blindness to the inequities of race and the constraints of gender. For Drew Gilpin, the acceptance of…


Book cover of Task Force Hogan: The World War II Tank Battalion That Spearheaded the Liberation of Europe
Book cover of In the Blood: How Two Outsiders Solved a Centuries-Old Medical Mystery and Took on the US Army
Book cover of Stakeknife's Dirty War

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