Biographies and Memoirs

Biographies and Memoirs

Do the accounts of extraordinary peoples' lives inspire your own life?  Can the fortitude of individuals drive how you live your own life?  Our authors in the Biographies and Memoirs genre bring you the stories of people who have survived and grown through the most difficult of situations.  Their stories will move you to tears, to action, and to new levels in your own life. They will always do this for you on eBookHounds for free or for a discount.

 

Definition of the "Biographies and Memoirs Genre": Ebooks in both the Biographies and Memoirs genres focus on the life experiences of a single person.  Biographies are generally broader in the subject matters of a person's life experiences, while memoirs are more honed into the memories of that person.  However, there is very little difference between the two categories, which is why they are combined in a single genre. Ebooks in the Biographies and Memoirs genre also typically have a significant element of inspiration, as the stories which drove the writing of these ebooks are tremendously moving.

 

Examples of bestselling ebooks in the Biographies and Memoirs genre are Cheryl Strayed (Wild), Chris Kyle (American Sniper), Laura Hillenbrand (Unbroken), and Donna Mabry (Maude).

From Ice and Snow (Life Is Calling Book 2)

by Dianne Kozdrey Bunnell

From Ice and Snow is a fictional memoir, sequel to The Protest. Jane Bernard lost her 12-year-old twin daughters to a religious hijacking perpetrated by their father, Reverend Logan Churlick. Jane is heartbroken and embittered by the loss, causing her to jeopardize her once-happy marriage with her great love, Bolivar Bernard. When her daughters are 18, Bekah reaches out to her mother. But Bekah’s freedom from her father’s influence has a price: her twin sister Darcy wants nothing to do with Bekah and spurns Jane. Churlick thwarts Jane’s attempt to reunite with Darcy, and fueled by Bekah’s allegiance with her mother, his obsession to possess Jane grows more twisted. Will Churlick be successful in keeping Jane and her daughter from reconnecting? Will Jane regain her daughters only to lose Bolivar? Will the strategy Jane sees as her only chance to save the marriage she has all but destroyed work?

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Nikola Tesla: Imagination and the Man That Invented the 20th Century

by Sean Patrick

If you want to learn about one of history’s most fascinating minds and uncover some of his secrets of imagination—secrets that enabled him to invent machines light years ahead of his time and literally bring light to the world—then you want to read this book.

Imagination amplifies and colors every other element of genius, and unlocks our potential for understanding and ability.

It’s no coincidence that geniuses not only dare to dream of the impossible for their work, but do the same for their lives. They’re audacious enough to think that they’re not just ordinary players.

Few stories better illustrate this better than the life of the father of the modern world, a man of legendary imaginative power and wonder: Nikola Tesla.

In this book, you’ll be taken on a whirlwind journey through Tesla’s life and work, and not only learn about the successes and mistakes of one of history’s greatest inventors, but also how to look at the world in a different, more imaginative way.

Read this book now and learn lessons from Nikola Tesla on why imagination is so vital to awakening your inner genius, and insights into the real “secret” to creativity, as explained by people like Jobs, Picasso, Dali, and Twain.

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The Bride's Trunk

by Ingrid Dixon

"An extraordinary narrative"

"Carefully pieced together from personal and official documents, oral testimony and material objects"

“A gripping and moving story, with excellent illustrations."

A true story of love and reconciliation in the aftermath of the Second World War

Minny leaves Germany on a bitterly cold morning in December 1946 and travels to England to marry Jim, a British Intelligence Corps soldier in the Allied armies that defeated the Nazi regime in 1945 and occupied the devastated nation. She has survived British and American bombs and witnessed the destruction of Aachen, her ancient and beautiful city. How will a German woman cope in austere post-war Britain, where she is still regarded as the enemy? Illustrated with almost 100 images and original documents, The Bride's Trunk describes the adventures of an unremarkable piece of luggage and three generations of its owners, whose journeys across Europe are determined by the turbulent events of twentieth century history.

Some comments on 'The Bride's Trunk'

“An extraordinary narrative, pieced together from original documents, about a couple who were determined not to let war defeat them. 70 years ago the British government passed a law allowing British men to marry German women, but little thought was given to the life that those German women would find, in the aftermath of the second world war. This heart-warming tale brings alive childhood and adolescence in pre-war Germany, followed by a new life in the old enemy country."

Jackie Ashley, President of Lucy Cavendish College, University of Cambridge, and journalist

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Reflections of a Successful Wallflower

by Andrea Michaels

Who Is Andrea Michaels? What Does She Know that We Don't?

Andrea Michaels is literally one of the backbones of the special events industry. Launching her business when there was no formalized or defined marketplace, she was and still is a trailblazer, pioneering the way for others to follow. Always on the cutting edge of the business, she has stacked up a pile of firsts (and 50 prestigious awards) in her legendary career - from initiating corporate branding and messaging into events and interactive themes that create experiences for the guests to entering the international market ahead of her colleagues and incorporating never-before-used technology into her events, just to name a few. That alone should make her extraordinary, but she runs much deeper. Noted as one of the most caring and giving educators of our time, she has traveled the world to teach others not just her art and craft but to help them learn from her own mistakes. How did this genius evolve? Why is she so revered by all her peers? What does she know that we don't? Reflections of a Successful Wallflower can only be compared to reading Andrea's diaries. This first inductee into the industry Hall of Fame shares, openly and candidly, not only the public wunderkind but the inner woman. Discover the workings of one of the foremost event producers in the world. You'll laugh; you'll cry; you'll be in disbelief and fascinated at the same time. She is a storyteller, and her stories and her life are great lessons for everyone.What Her Peers Are Saying ..."She is a leader, mentor and educator to virtually the entire industry. Andrea Michaels has set the extraordinary standard against which all special event professionals strive to be measured!" -Steve Kemble, America's Sassiest Lifestyle Guru"This book is a life lesson, a success road map and a laugh-out-loud look into one of the great business and creative minds working today." - John Klymshyn, Author of How To Sell Without Being A JERK! and The Ultimate Sales Managers' Guide"Meet Andrea Michaels and enjoy, learn and sometimes marvel at the stories she tells from her more than 30 years in the event production business. Her stories are entertaining at their surface, but read deeply and find the lessons to be learned planning events vicariously through Andrea's accounts. By the end of this fun read, it will be apparent how it is that Andrea Michaels seems to have never met a sow's ear she couldn't make into a silk purse. It's that special talent -- no, it's her Gift that has made her such a sought-after producer and guest speaker at event conferences worldwide. "You'll laugh at some of her stories, a few might raise some ire at the incredible unreasonableness of some of her clients, but all will inspire you to look beyond the task toward the 'what marvelous thing can this become if...'" -Robert Abbott, Director - Corporate Marketing Communication, Mueller Co."Andrea has such fascinating stories to tell ... I think this will be essential reading for anyone who is in the business and can relate to all her experiences and how she lived and laughed through them." -James D. Murphy, Vice President, Asia Pacific Operations,George P. Johnson"Andrea's work is truly outstanding and whilst she is imitated by many, she is equaled by few." -Sally Webb, Managing Director, The Special Event Company, London, England and North Carolina.

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Whisper My Secret: A Memoir

by JB Rowley

#1 BEST SELLER IN ADOPTION! OVER 200 000 COPIES SOLD*

“Can you keep a secret? Can you keep a secret? I don’t suppose you can. You mustn’t laugh; you mustn’t smile, but... do the best you can.”

How does a mother cope when she is forced to walk away from her three children and never see them again? That is what happened to JB’s mother, Myrtle. Eventually, rescued from her despair by tall, dark and handsome George Rowley who fell in love her, Myrtle started a new life and had seven more children. She buried the grief of losing her first children deep within and kept her pain secret. JB and her siblings were unaware of the existence of Myrtle’s first three children until after she died. Desperate to know how such a thing could happen to a devoted and caring mother, JB went on a journey to find out. What she discovered was a heartbreaking story of loss. It was a long time before JB was able to work out that her mother kept her early life and her first family secret out of misplaced guilt and shame. To redress that, JB decided to tell the whole world her mother’s secret. 'Whisper My Secret' is a proud declaration that Myrtle did nothing deserving of guilt or shame.


Book length is approximately 57 000 words.

'Mother of Ten', the sequel to 'Whisper My Secret', is now available.

*This figure includes copies downloaded during free promotions.

 

 

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The World and I, Vol. 1: A Woman, Several Suitcases, 65 Countries.

by Cassia Meare

A 23-year old woman is given the job of a lifetime by a media agency; over the next three decades, she will travel to 65 countries. This is her story...

Told with humor and insight into countries where she lived for months, The World and I is comprised of the real adventures of Cassia Meare as she jumps from country to country for work and learns to rely on herself.
In the first volume she is sent to Algiers right after being hired and gets a scorpion as a marriage proposal in the Sahara; she travels from glorious St Petersburg all the way to Sakhalin in Russia just as it is emerging from communism -- without forgetting to stop at the casinos of Siberia; she falls in love with Istanbul and meets crazy Sergei and his gun in Kiev; she works with a very handsome man in Vladivostok -- only to travel on with him to stunning Rajasthan.
Get an insider's view on Madrid, Rome, Palermo and find out more about Warsaw, Prague and what is in Azerbaijan.
There will be information on culture, sights, history -- but most of all there will be the people Meare finds along the way, often the most memorable things about her trips.
You'll laugh, discover things about places you might never go to, or which have changed beyond recognition since then. You'll also find out about some of the world's most beautiful spots.
Just don't expect this book to teach you how to travel for less...

 

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Unsinkable: A Memoir

by Reynolds et al

Unsinkable is the definitive memoir by film legend and Hollywood icon Debbie Reynolds.

In Unsinkable, the late great actress, comedienne, singer, and dancer Debbie Reynolds shares the highs and lows of her life as an actress during Hollywood’s Golden Age, anecdotes about her lifelong friendship with Elizabeth Taylor, her experiences as the foremost collector of Hollywood memorabilia, and intimate details of her marriages and family life with her children, Carrie and Todd Fisher.

A story of heartbreak, hope, and survival, “America’s Sweetheart” Debbie Reynolds picks up where she left off in her first memoir, Debbie: My Life, and is illustrated with previously unpublished photos from Reynolds’s personal collection.

Debbie Reynolds died on December 28, 2016, at the age of 84, just one day after the death of her daughter, actress and author Carrie Fisher.

 

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A Great and Terrible King: Edward I and the Forging of Britain

by Marc Morris

The first major biography of a truly formidable king, whose reign was one of the most dramatic and important of the entire Middle Ages, leading to war and conquest on an unprecedented scale.


Edward I is familiar to millions as "Longshanks," conqueror of Scotland and nemesis of Sir William Wallace (in "Braveheart"). Yet this story forms only the final chapter of the king's action-packed life. Earlier, Edward had defeated and killed the famous Simon de Montfort in battle; travelled to the Holy Land; conquered Wales, extinguishing forever its native rulers and constructing a magnificent chain of castles. He raised the greatest armies of the Middle Ages and summoned the largest parliaments; notoriously, he expelled all the Jews from his kingdom.The longest-lived of England's medieval kings, he fathered fifteen children with his first wife, Eleanor of Castile, and, after her death, he erected the Eleanor Crosses—the grandest funeral monuments ever fashioned for an English monarch.


In this book, Marc Morris examines afresh the forces that drove Edward throughout his relentless career: his character, his Christian faith, and his sense of England's destiny—a sense shaped in particular by the tales of the legendary King Arthur. He also explores the competing reasons that led Edward's opponents (including Robert Bruce) to resist him.


The result is a sweeping story, immaculately researched yet compellingly told, and a vivid picture of medieval Britain at the moment when its future was decided.

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Wounds of the Father: A True Story of Child Abuse, Betrayal, and Redemption

by Elizabeth Garrison

In the bestselling tradition of Smashed and Glass Castle, this raw, eye-opening memoir tells the powerful story of Elizabeth Garrison’s fractured childhood, descent into teenage drug addiction, and struggle to overcome nearly insurmountable odds. Elizabeth invites the reader behind the closed doors of a picture-perfect Christian family to reveal a dark, hidden world of child abuse, domestic violence, and chilling family secrets all performed in the name of God under the tyrannical rule of her father. Like countless teenage girls, Elizabeth turns to drugs and alcohol to escape. With smack-you-in-the-face honesty, Elizabeth chronicles the dark realities and real-life horrors of teenage drug abuse, living on the streets, foster homes, and treatment centers. She paints an unsparing portrait of scratching and clawing her way out of the grips of child abuse, addiction, and betrayal to find the strength within herself to save her own life.

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Drifting in the Push

by Daniel Garrison

This book contains adult language.

Drifting in the Push is a fast-paced, comical romp that takes the reader on a journey through the unintentional adventures of one man’s reality. From the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocean, from Mexico to Alaska, missteps, stubborn obstacles, and fate are his constant companions, along with an offbeat assortment of entertaining characters. From time to time, his escapades include his two childhood friends—Bryan, who follows him to the unforgiving Arctic, and Shane, who steers him down an unpleasant alley or two. Amid this craziness, he picks up another friend—Hank, his devoted dog. This chronological series of interdependent short stories will take you from fear to love, amusement to surprise, and it just might occasionally leave a tear in your eye.

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Yes, Chef: A Memoir

by Samuelsson et al

JAMES BEARD AWARD NOMINEE • NAMED ONE OF THE TEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY VOGUE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

“One of the great culinary stories of our time.”—Dwight Garner, The New York Times

 
It begins with a simple ritual: Every Saturday afternoon, a boy who loves to cook walks to his grandmother’s house and helps her prepare a roast chicken for dinner. The grandmother is Swedish, a retired domestic. The boy is Ethiopian and adopted, and he will grow up to become the world-renowned chef Marcus Samuelsson. This book is his love letter to food and family in all its manifestations. Yes, Chef chronicles Samuelsson’s journey, from his grandmother’s kitchen to his arrival in New York City, where his outsize talent and ambition finally come together at Aquavit, earning him a New York Times three-star rating at the age of twenty-four. But Samuelsson’s career of chasing flavors had only just begun—in the intervening years, there have been White House state dinners, career crises, reality show triumphs, and, most important, the opening of Red Rooster in Harlem. At Red Rooster, Samuelsson has fulfilled his dream of creating a truly diverse, multiracial dining room—a place where presidents rub elbows with jazz musicians, aspiring artists, and bus drivers. It is a place where an orphan from Ethiopia, raised in Sweden, living in America, can feel at home.

Praise for Yes, Chef
 
“Such an interesting life, told with touching modesty and remarkable candor.”—Ruth Reichl
 
“Marcus Samuelsson has an incomparable story, a quiet bravery, and a lyrical and discreetly glittering style—in the kitchen and on the page. I liked this book so very, very much.”—Gabrielle Hamilton
 
“Plenty of celebrity chefs have a compelling story to tell, but none of them can top [this] one.”—The Wall Street Journal
 
“Elegantly written . . . Samuelsson has the flavors of many countries in his blood.”—The Boston Globe
 
“Red Rooster’s arrival in Harlem brought with it a chef who has reinvigorated and reimagined what it means to be American. In his famed dishes, and now in this memoir, Marcus Samuelsson tells a story that reaches past racial and national divides to the foundations of family, hope, and downright good food.”—President Bill Clinton

 

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This Time Together: Laughter and Reflection

by Carol Burnett

A touching and hilarious memoir by the author of the forthcoming book, In Such Good Company, is 100 percent Carol Burnett--funny, irreverent, and irresistible.
 
Carol Burnett is one of the most beloved and revered actresses and performers in America. The Carol Burnett Show was seen each week by millions of adoring fans and won twenty-five Emmys in its remarkable eleven-year run. Now, in This Time Together, Carol really lets her hair down and tells one funny or touching or memorable story after another--reading it feels like sitting down with an old friend who has wonderful tales to tell.
 
In engaging anecdotes, Carol discusses her remarkable friendships with stars such at Jimmy Stewart, Lucille Ball, Cary Grant, and Julie Andrews; the background behind famous scenes, like the moment she swept down the stairs in her curtain-rod dress in the legendary “Went With the Wind” skit; and things that would happen only to Carol--the prank with Julie Andrews that went wrong in front of the First Lady; the famous Tarzan Yell that saved her during a mugging; and the time she faked a wooden leg to get served in a famous ice cream emporium. This poignant look back allows us to cry with the actress during her sorrows, rejoice in her successes, and finally, always, to laugh.


From the Hardcover edition.

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C.S. Lewis: A Life Inspired

by Gordon et al

A man of reason and vigorous discourse, and a renowned professor of literature and philosophy, C.S. Lewis, always “Jack” to family and friends, never shied from intellectual debate, and through his written works encouraged others to wrestle with the difficult questions of faith.

A master of visual illustration and allegory, Lewis wrote with the intuitive understanding that his readers wrestled with the same questions about the Christian story, about pain, suffering, and notions of Heaven and Hell, as he himself had wrestled. He also understood that others found reason and imagination to be incompatible aspects of an understanding of God and the universe.

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You Said Goodbye Too Soon: A Husband's Journey Through Grief and Loss

by Daniel Carruthers

One fine autumn day, Daniel Carruthers sat down and started writing a letter to his recently-deceased wife. You Said Goodbye Too Soon: A Journey Through Grief and Loss is that letter. 

Daniel describes how he and Abbie met, their years together, growing-up and raising a family. He recounts, with raw honesty, the difficulties and tribulations they faced as a couple. Then, with great poignancy, Daniel describes Abbie’s sudden death and the effect it had on him and their children.

At times, brutally candid and in places unbearably sad, this short and beautifully written open letter constitutes a moving tribute to a dearly missed friend, partner and wife. This is a story that anyone who has ever loved will relate to as Daniel embarks on the lonely path of loss, grief and bereavement. 

For anyone who has ever lost their wife, their husband or best friend, this letter, written from the heart, will strike a deeply felt emotional chord.

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Conversations with McCartney

by Paul Du Noyer

The intimate portrayal of one of the most famous men in music, more than half of which is in McCartney's own words.

In June 1989, Paul Du Noyer was contacted by Paul McCartney's office in London. They asked him to interview the star; McCartney and Du Noyer had met once before and enjoyed a good rapport.

 

In the years that followed, Paul Du Noyer continued to meet, interview and work for Paul McCartney on a regular basis, producing magazine articles, tour programs, album liner notes, press materials, and editorial content for McCartney's website. Du Noyer has spent more hours in formal, recorded conversation with McCartney than any other writer.

 

Conversations with McCartney is the culmination of Du Noyer's long association with McCartney and his music. Drawing from their interview sessions across 35 years and coupling McCartney's own, candid thoughts with Du Noyer's observations and analysis, Conversations with McCartney is beautifully written--a sensitive, shrewd portrait of one of the most accomplished artists of our time.

 

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Alaska Days with John Muir (Illustrated)

by S. Young

John Muir was naturalist who has the famous one. He was the first Euro-American explorers Glacier Bay. This book talks about his adventures in Alaska, which reveals the difficulties of travel to Alaska at that time. It also talks about his life after returning from Alaska.And not to be missed is a brief biography of him.

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Breakfast for Alligators: Quests, Showdowns, and Revelations in the Americas

by Darrin DuFord

A sharp-shooting SWAT team, a Venezuelan producer of alcoholic love potions, and an audacious subway rat are among the cast of characters award-winning author Darrin DuFord encounters in Breakfast for Alligators: Quests, Showdowns, and Revelations in the Americas. Through such mediums as public transit, cuisine, urban wildlife, and music, DuFord (author of Is There a Hole in the Boat? Tales of Travel in Panama Without a Car, 2007 Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Awards silver medalist) has created a collection of insightful pieces that expose the desires and realities shaping landscapes from Chile to Canada. From surviving a journey in a homemade submarine off the coast of Honduras to receiving a lesson in aging from the street art of Valparaiso, DuFord's lively, engaging narratives show how travel has the ability to illuminate cultures while unleashing their bottomless complexities.

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Nikola Tesla: Imagination and the Man That Invented the 20th Century

by Sean Patrick

If you want to learn about one of history’s most fascinating minds and uncover some of his secrets of imagination—secrets that enabled him to invent machines light years ahead of his time and literally bring light to the world—then you want to read this book.

Imagination amplifies and colors every other element of genius, and unlocks our potential for understanding and ability.

It’s no coincidence that geniuses not only dare to dream of the impossible for their work, but do the same for their lives. They’re audacious enough to think that they’re not just ordinary players.

Few stories better illustrate this better than the life of the father of the modern world, a man of legendary imaginative power and wonder: Nikola Tesla.

In this book, you’ll be taken on a whirlwind journey through Tesla’s life and work, and not only learn about the successes and mistakes of one of history’s greatest inventors, but also how to look at the world in a different, more imaginative way.

Read this book now and learn lessons from Nikola Tesla on why imagination is so vital to awakening your inner genius, and insights into the real “secret” to creativity, as explained by people like Jobs, Picasso, Dali, and Twain.

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Moment of Surrender: My Journey through Prescription Drug Addiction to Hope and Renewal

by Pj Laube

When Pj suffers a back injury at work, it marks the start of a nightmare eleven-year journey through prescription drug addiction, withdrawal and recovery.

Dysfunctional and at a loss on all levels, she battles to break free from her dependence and fights to retrieve her true self.

"Moment of Surrender" is a brutally honest and traumatic account of her struggle back to health and a shining light to guide others who walk a similar path, and is sure to be an eye-opener to all who read it.

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My Journey Through War and Peace: Explorations of a Young Filmmaker, Feminist and Spiritual Seeker

by Melissa Burch

"My Journey Through War and Peace: Explorations of a Young Filmmaker, Feminist and Spiritual Seeker" is based on Melissa Burch's experiences as a war journalist for BBC, CBS, and other networks. Her team was one of the first documentary crews allowed in the Soviet Union at the height of the Cold War, and she was featured in a New York Times story about her time in Afghanistan. She was just in her twenties when she traveled with the mujahideen, filmed an attack on a Soviet convoy, slept with an Afghan commander, and climbed 14,000-foot mountains in the Hindu Kush. "My Journey Through War and Peace" examines how, through outward action and inward exploration, life can unfold in mysterious ways, far beyond cultural and family expectations. In looking back at this momentous decade, Burch shares why she pursued such dangerous and difficult circumstances at such a young age and continued to live on the edge. She now understands that she was seeking self-discovery, a connection to something greater, and ultimately inner peace. This exciting memoir will resonate with fans of "Eat Pray Love," "Wild," and other popular memoirs that describe extraordinary inner and outer journeys.

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