Biographies

About Biographies

Book TV regularly covers author talks on biographies of prominent and historical figures. These can be searched by author name or subject and viewed here.  IN this category, you will also find autobiographies.

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Coming Up on Book TV

Brother West: Living and Loving Outloud, A Memoir
Cornel West

Next air time: Sunday, November 8th at 1:15am (ET)

Archived Programs

Programs shown in this archive cover the past year. To search for programs in earlier years, please use the search functionality above.

Anne Frank: The Book, The Life, The Afterlife
Francine Prose

Last aired: November 1, 2009

Anne Frank: The Book, The Life, The Afterlife
Clara's War: One Girl's Story of Survival
Clara Kramer

Last aired: October 18, 2009

Clara's War: One Girl's Story of Survival
The Emperor's New Clothes: Exposing the Truth from Watergate to 9/11
Richard Ben-Veniste

Last aired: October 5, 2009

The Emperor's New Clothes: Exposing the Truth from Watergate to 9/11
True Compass: A Memoir
Edward Kennedy

Last aired: September 21, 2009

True Compass: A Memoir
American Radical: The Life and Times of I.F. Stone
D.D. Guttenplan

Last aired: September 13, 2009

American Radical: The Life and Times of I.F. Stone
Illustrator & Political Cartoonist David Levine
David Levine

Last aired: August 23, 2009

Illustrator & Political Cartoonist David Levine
Charles Darwin, Geologist
Sandra Herbert

Last aired: August 23, 2009

Charles Darwin, Geologist
The Peasant Prince: Thaddeus Kosciuszko and The Age of Revolution
Alex Storozynski

Last aired: August 23, 2009

The Peasant Prince: Thaddeus Kosciuszko and The Age of Revolution
American Conversation with E.L. Doctorow and Allen Weinstein
E.L. Doctorow

Last aired: August 22, 2009

American Conversation with E.L. Doctorow and Allen Weinstein
Master of War: The Life of General George H. Thomas
Benson Bobrick

Last aired: August 15, 2009

Master of War: The Life of General George H. Thomas
Voluntary Madness: My Year Lost and Found in the Loony Bin
Norah Vincent

Last aired: August 9, 2009

Voluntary Madness: My Year Lost and Found in the Loony Bin
Gabriel Garcia Marquez: A Life
Gerald Martin

Last aired: August 8, 2009

Gabriel Garcia Marquez: A Life
The Nixons: A Family Portrait
Ed Nixon

Last aired: July 19, 2009

The Nixons: A Family Portrait
First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrong
James Hansen

Last aired: July 18, 2009

First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrong
Hubert Harrison: The Voice of Harlem Radicalism, 1883-1918
Jeffrey Perry

Last aired: July 4, 2009

Hubert Harrison: The Voice of Harlem Radicalism, 1883-1918
Loon: A Marine Story
Jack McLean

Last aired: July 4, 2009

Loon: A Marine Story
Whatever It Takes: Geoffrey Canada's Quest to Change Harlem and America
Geoffrey Canada; Paul Tough

Last aired: July 3, 2009

Whatever It Takes: Geoffrey Canada's Quest to Change Harlem and America
Last Rites
John Lukacs

Last aired: June 13, 2009

Last Rites
Gringo: A Coming of Age in Latin America
Chesa Boudin

Last aired: June 1, 2009

Gringo: A Coming of Age in Latin America
Practicing Catholic
James Carroll

Last aired: May 31, 2009

Practicing Catholic
A Lucky Child: A Memoir of Surviving Auschwitz as a Young Boy
Thomas Buergenthal

Last aired: May 24, 2009

A Lucky Child: A Memoir of Surviving Auschwitz as a Young Boy
Life of William Grimes, The Runaway Slave
William Andrews; Regina Mason

Last aired: May 2, 2009

Life of William Grimes, The Runaway Slave
Book TV Civics Bus - Michael Largo, Genius and Heroin
Michael Largo

Last aired: April 26, 2009

Walter Isaacson, "Einstein: His Life and Universe"
Walter Isaacson

Last aired: April 25, 2009

Walter Isaacson, "Einstein: His Life and Universe"
Fifty Miles from Tomorrow: A Memoir of Alaska and the Real People
William Iggiagruk Hensley

Last aired: April 5, 2009

Fifty Miles from Tomorrow: A Memoir of Alaska and the Real People
2008 Miami Book Fair: Art of Biography Panel
Nancy Milford; Stacy Schiff; Les Standiford; Edmund White

Last aired: April 4, 2009

2006 National Book Festival: John Hope Franklin "Mirror to America"
John Hope Franklin

Last aired: March 28, 2009

2006 National Book Festival: John Hope Franklin "Mirror to America"
Jay Allison, "This I Believe"
Jay Allison

Last aired: March 22, 2009

Nuclear Heuristics: Selected Writings of Albert and Roberta Wohlstetter
Albert Wohlstetter; Roberta Wohlstetter

Last aired: March 22, 2009

Nuclear Heuristics: Selected Writings of Albert and Roberta Wohlstetter
The Life and Times of the Shah
Gholam Reza Afkhami

Last aired: March 16, 2009

The Life and Times of the Shah
A Bold Fresh Piece of Humanity
Bill O'Reilly

Last aired: March 15, 2009

A Bold Fresh Piece of Humanity
"The Reagan I Knew"
William F. Buckley

Last aired: March 8, 2009

"The Reagan I Knew"
Jesse James: Last Rebel of the Civil War
T.J. Stiles

Last aired: March 7, 2009

Jesse James: Last Rebel of the Civil War
John Maynard Keynes: 1883-1946: Economist, Philosopher, Statesman
Robert Skidelsky

Last aired: March 1, 2009

John Maynard Keynes: 1883-1946: Economist, Philosopher, Statesman
Up from History: The Life of Booker T. Washington
Robert Norrell

Last aired: February 28, 2009

Up from History: The Life of Booker T. Washington
Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance
Barack Obama

Last aired: February 17, 2009

Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance
Memorial for Studs Terkel
Multiple Speakers

Last aired: February 15, 2009

Memorial for Studs Terkel
2006 BookExpo America with John Updike, Barack Obama, Amy Sedaris, and Marie Arana
Marie Arana; Barack Obama; Amy Sedaris; John Updike

Last aired: February 1, 2009

2006 BookExpo America with John Updike, Barack Obama, Amy Sedaris, and Marie Arana
Dream in Color: How the Sanchez Sisters Are Making History in Congress
Linda Sanchez; Loretta Sanchez

Last aired: January 26, 2009

Dream in Color: How the Sanchez Sisters Are Making History in Congress
Ida: A Sword Among Lions
Paula Giddings

Last aired: January 25, 2009

Ida: A Sword Among Lions
Ana's Story: A Journey of Hope
Jenna Bush

Last aired: January 19, 2009

Ana's Story: A Journey of Hope
Michelle
Liza Mundy

Last aired: January 19, 2009

Michelle
Willis Carto and the American Far Right
George Michael

Last aired: January 12, 2009

Willis Carto and the American Far Right
Renegade for Peace & Justice: Congresswoman Barbara Lee Speaks for Me
Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA)

Last aired: January 11, 2009

Renegade for Peace & Justice: Congresswoman Barbara Lee Speaks for Me
Thanks for Listening: High Adventures in Journalism and Diplomacy
Patricia Gates Lynch

Last aired: January 3, 2009

Thanks for Listening: High Adventures in Journalism and Diplomacy
The Radical Jack London: Writings on War and Revolution
Jonah Raskin

Last aired: January 3, 2009

The Radical Jack London: Writings on War and Revolution
A Thousand Hills: Rwanda's Rebirth and the Man Who Dreamed It
Stephen Kinzer

Last aired: December 28, 2008

A Thousand Hills: Rwanda's Rebirth and the Man Who Dreamed It
Letter To My Daughter
Maya Angelou

Last aired: December 28, 2008

Letter To My Daughter
Harry S. Truman
Robert Dallek

Last aired: December 28, 2008

Harry S. Truman
The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life
Alice Schroeder

Last aired: December 26, 2008

The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life
Things Fall Apart
Chinua Achebe

Last aired: December 25, 2008

Things Fall Apart
John Jay: Founding Father
Walter Stahr

Last aired: December 21, 2008

John Jay: Founding Father
Samuel Adams: A Life
Ira Stoll

Last aired: December 8, 2008

Samuel Adams: A Life
Nathan Hale: The Life and Death of America's First Spy
William Phelps

Last aired: December 7, 2008

Nathan Hale: The Life and Death of America's First Spy
The Beautiful Soul of John Woolman, Apostle of Abolition
Thomas Slaughter

Last aired: December 7, 2008

The Beautiful Soul of John Woolman, Apostle of Abolition
Honor Moore "The Bishop's Daughter"
Honor Moore

Last aired: November 30, 2008

Enemy of the State: The Trial and Execution of Saddam Hussein
Michael Newton

Last aired: November 24, 2008

Enemy of the State: The Trial and Execution of Saddam Hussein
Speaking for Myself: My Life from Liverpool to Downing Street
Cherie Blair

Last aired: November 24, 2008

Speaking for Myself: My Life from Liverpool to Downing Street

This Weekend's TV Schedule

Beginning Saturdays at 8am (ET)

Highlights

One Nation Under Contract: The Outsourcing of American Power and the Future of Foreign Policy
Allison Stanger

Next air time: Sunday, November 8th, at 11am (ET)
Approx. 55 min.
Kennedy and the Berlin Wall
W.R. Smyser

Next air time: Saturday, November 7th, at 1pm (ET)
Approx. 1 hr. 31 min.
Tear Down This Wall: A City, a President, and the Speech That Ended the Cold War
Romesh Ratnesar

Next air time: Saturday, November 7th, at 2:30pm (ET)
Approx. 58 min.
Heart of a Patriot: How I Found the Courage to Survive Vietnam, Walter Reed and Karl Rove
Max Cleland

Next air time: Saturday, November 7th, at 8pm (ET)
Approx. 56 min.
Anne Heller, "Ayn Rand and the World She Made" and Jennifer Burns, "Goddess of the Market: Ayn Rand and the American Right"
Jennifer Burns; Anne Heller

Next air time: Sunday, November 8th, at 12am (ET)
Approx. 1 hr. 14 min.
America for Sale: Fighting the New World Order, Surviving a Global Depression, and Preserving USA Sovereignty
Jerome Corsi

Next air time: Sunday, November 8th, at 2pm (ET)
Approx. 51 min.
Too Big to Fail: The Inside Story of How Wall Street and Washington Fought to Save the Financial System--and Themselves
Andrew Sorkin

Next air time: Sunday, November 8th, at 3pm (ET)
Approx. 54 min.
Sarah from Alaska: The Sudden Rise and Brutal Education of a New Conservative Superstar
Scott Conroy; Shushannah Walshe

Next air time: Saturday, November 7th, at 8am (ET)
Approx. 45 min.

Also Airing...

Saturday, November 7th

8am (ET)
Approx. 45 min.
Sarah from Alaska: The Sudden Rise and Brutal Education of a New Conservative Superstar
Scott Conroy; Shushannah Walshe
9am (ET)
Approx. 2 hr. 57 min.
In Depth: Temple Grandin
12pm (ET)
Approx. 57 min.
The Harding Affair: Love and Espionage During the Great War
James David Robenalt
1pm (ET)
Approx. 1 hr. 31 min.
Kennedy and the Berlin Wall
W.R. Smyser
4pm (ET)
Approx. 29 min.
Listen Up, Mr. President
Craig Crawford; Helen Thomas
4:30pm (ET)
Approx. 1 hr. 27 min.
A Moveable Feast
Adam Gopnik; Ernest Hemingway; Sean Hemingway; Diane Johnson
6pm (ET)
Approx. 58 min.
Encore Booknotes: Susan Eisenhower, "Breaking Free"
Susan Eisenhower
9pm (ET)
Approx. 45 min.
Sarah from Alaska: The Sudden Rise and Brutal Education of a New Conservative Superstar
Scott Conroy; Shushannah Walshe
11:15pm (ET)
Approx. 39 min.
Connected: The Surprising Power of Our Social Networks and How They Shape Our Lives
Nicholas Christakis; James Fowler

Sunday, November 8th

1:15am (ET)
Approx. 45 min.
Brother West: Living and Loving Outloud, A Memoir
Cornel West
2am (ET)
Approx. 1 hr. 31 min.
Kennedy and the Berlin Wall
W.R. Smyser
10:30am (ET)
Approx. 29 min.
Listen Up, Mr. President
Craig Crawford; Helen Thomas
1pm (ET)
Approx. 39 min.
Connected: The Surprising Power of Our Social Networks and How They Shape Our Lives
Nicholas Christakis; James Fowler
4pm (ET)
Approx. 45 min.
Sarah from Alaska: The Sudden Rise and Brutal Education of a New Conservative Superstar
Scott Conroy; Shushannah Walshe
8pm (ET)
Approx. 45 min.
Brother West: Living and Loving Outloud, A Memoir
Cornel West

Monday, November 9th

5am (ET)
Approx. 1 hr. 31 min.
Kennedy and the Berlin Wall
W.R. Smyser

Upcoming Programs

MIAMI BOOK FAIR INTERNATIONAL

Book TV will be live at the 26th annual Miami Book Fair International, November 14th and 15th.  The week-long event includes evenings with award-winning authors of all genres and a three-day street festival. 
Book TV will feature former Vice President Al Gore, presidential confidante and historian Taylor Branch,  and Pulitzer Prize winner Tracy Kidder on Saturday.  Former presidential candidate Ralph Nader and editor-at-large of Commentary magazine Norman Podhoretz (Pod-HOR-etz) will headline Sunday's coverage, with call-in programs scheduled for both.  A politics and culture panel Sunday will include Editor of the New York Times Book Review Sam Tanenhaus, Chris Hedges and George Packer. 
Join us live at 9:30 a.m. eastern on Saturday and 10 a.m. Sunday on C-SPAN2.  For more information, www.booktv.org

NATIONAL BOOK AWARDS

Book TV will be taping the National Book Awards on Wednesday, November 18, and airing the program the following weekend.  Sponsored by the National Book Foundation, awards are given in many categories, including best nonfiction and fiction books of the year.  Two of the nonfiction finalists have been covered by Book TV, and you can watch those programs online under our "Featured Video" section.  www.nationalbook.org

IN DEPTH

In Depth is Book TV's long form LIVE interview call-in program with one author discussing his or her body of work.  It airs on the first Sunday of every month, beginning at Noon ET.  Here's a look at some upcoming guests...

December--Joy Hakim
Joy Hakim, former teacher and former editor and editorial writer at the Virginian-Pilot newspaper (Norfolk, Virginia), is the author of several books including the "A History of US" series (10 volumes). The series received the James A. Michener Prize awarded by the National Council for the Social Studies. Her book, “Freedom: A History of US” was the inspiration for the PBS series which premiered in 2003. For more on Ms. Hakim and her work, visit joyhakim.com.