Historical Biographies You Should Read
This past Monday was MLK Day and we thought it would be a perfect time to go over some great historical biographies. Now there are so many to choose from, and these titles are just some that stood out to us at the bookstore.
The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank - One of the most moving and eloquent accounts of the Holocaust, read by tens of millions of people around the world since its publication in 1947. The Diary of a Young Girl is the record of two years in the life of a remarkable Jewish girl whose triumphant humanity in the face of unfathomable deprivation and fear has made the book one of the most enduring documents of our time.
Alexander at the End of the World: The Forgotten Final Years of Alexander the Great by Rachel Kousser - A fascinating re-examination of the last few years of Alexander the Great’s life and a period traditional historians have often termed “his decline.” This book reclaims the negative smear campaign that has damaged his reputation and redeems him from some “scandals” of history.
The Six Wives of Henry VIII by Alison Weir - The extraordinary reign of Henry VIII of England is one of the most fascinating in all history, not least for his marriage to six extraordinary women. In this accessible work of brilliant scholarship, Alison Weir draws on early biographies, letters, memoirs, account books, and diplomatic reports to bring these women to life. Catherine of Aragon emerges as a staunch though misguided woman of principle; Anne Boleyn, an ambitious adventuress with a penchant for vengeance; Jane Seymour, a strong-minded matriarch in the making; Anne of Cleves, a good-natured and innocent woman naively unaware of the court intrigues that determined her fate; Catherine Howard, an empty-headed wanton; and Catherine Parr, a warm-blooded bluestocking who survived King Henry to marry a fourth time.
Which one will you be reading? Which one did we forget? Check out our biographies we have here!