Showing results by publisher "Phoenix Books" in Biographies & Memoirs

Widely admired author, biographer and journalist Peter Donnelly tells the remarkable story of Diana's unhappy childhood, of her fairy tale marriage and the recriminations and unhappiness attendant on her divorce, and of how she captured hearts all over the world to become the people's princess.

What is it about humans that causes us to defy genetic programming and so often live in hope, despite all that's terrible about existence? In this audio program, Diane Ackerman shares what she has learned about human survival from working at a crisis hotline. Full of insight, drama, and self-revelation, her wisdom draws from all human knowledge - from the natural and social sciences to the insights of great artists - to show how humans, like animals, cope with stress, and to illumine the tenuous but gorgeous thread by which we all cling.

Jerry Lewis (1926-2017) achieved superstardom in the 1950s and 1960s with such films as The Caddy, The Bellboy, and The Nutty Professor. Later, Lewis was almost as well known for his dedication to the cause of muscular dystrophy and his annual Labor Day telethon, which he hosted for more than four decades. In King of Comedy, Shawn Levy offers a provocative portrait of the influential comedian, analyzing the complex, sometimes disturbing world of Lewis—from his rise to fame and philanthropic work to the dark side of his career and personal life.

Four women, each diagnosed with breast cancer, were dismayed to learn that the conventional vocabulary for healing is a language characterized by a terminology of warfare and survivorship, and one which is fraught with winners and losers. Speak the Language of Healing is the product of their collective endeavor to develop a new framework for the emotional stages of illness and a new means for its discusson. Their experiences reflect their four different spiritual backgrounds Christian, Jewish, Sufi, and Twelve Step, with each rewriting the combative language of illness.

After years of cowboying, Charles A. Siringo settled down in Caldwell, Kansas to run a store—until an acquaintance told him that he was "cut out" for detective work. Thereupon, Siringo joined the Pinkerton National Detective Agency, where he worked for more than twenty years. A Cowboy Detective chronicles Siringo's adventures as an undercover operative in the wilder parts of the West, where he rode with the lawless and escaped violent death more than a few times.

Here, in their own words, seven children who have confronted life-threatening illnesses and attended Paul Newman's Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, tell their unique stories-of how to seize life, to magnify and glorify it, and be grateful for its gifts. Ranging in age from seven to 17, these children from different backgrounds and with different personalities, share uncommon courage, a vibrant spirit, and piercing candor and eloquence.

After the New York Post's Cindy Adams lost her beloved husband, the famed comedian Joey Adams, the last thing on her mind was finding a companion. But that's exactly what she got when a visitor arrived with a surprise: a Yorkshire terrier named Jazzy. This is the true story of a tell-it-like-it-is gossip columnist who takes on society's most powerful and glamorous every day, but is ultimately redeemed by a tiny dog who teaches her more about joy and survival than any human ever could.

In August of 1989, Lyle and Erik Menendez shot their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, to death—a cold-blooded act that shocked the nation. Seven years later, the brothers were convicted of murder, and both were sentenced to life in prison without parole. The brothers' first trial started a media frenzy and was filled with lurid details, but these never clearly explained why they killed their parents. Now, catch a rare glimpse inside the mind of one of the most notorious murderers in American history.

Joe Eszterhas knows a lot about darkness. A writer of sinister, sexually graphic, violent films like Basic Instinct and Jagged Edge, he awoke one hellishly hot day in 2001 and found God. Or, rather, God found him. Crossbearer is the powerful, poignant story of how a streetwise, cynical man who must overcome his addictions to stay alive found faith in some of the most mundane sources: a game of baseball, a child's photo of a cloud, a dying mother's dying roses.

Recollections of childhood celebrations are brought together here, from the Yiddish translation of "A Visit from St Nicholas" to a mother reminiscing about her childhood Hannukah celebrations—or as her Gentile friends call it, "Jewish Christmas".

Lana Turner was the last of the great screen goddesses. A legendary blonde bombshell, Turner led a fairy-tale life that turned into a nightmare following the bizarre murder of her gangster lover, Johnny Stompanato, in 1958. This detailed, honest, heartwarming account reveals the real woman behind the Hollywood facade, as well as a tender friendship that endured both heaven and hell for 25 years.

As host of Larry King Live, which was one of the most popular daily forums for political news and commentary, Larry King asked probing questions of major world leaders, politicians, pundits, spin doctors, and reporters. Drawing upon insights gained during those interviews, King takes an in-depth look at how the United States arrived at a pivotal point in its history. Bi-partisan politics, bimbo eruptions, grandstanding in Congress, backstabbing tactics, and more are covered in this fascinating and revealing memoir.

There is no higher praise we can give people than to say they have good character. But what really, does this mean? What makes this quality so essential to achieving personal success and fulfillment? More important, how can we build our own character and live more satisfying lives? Reflecting society's diversity, the contributing authors in this unique collection of essays speak from various cultural and professional backgrounds to share their observations on living with integrity, honesty, and compassion.

Discover the many sides of Pablo Picasso - a brilliant painter and sculptor, a sexual sadist, a loyal Communist, a seducer, a father, and, ultimately, a tragic figure. Audio portraits of him and other creative geniuses are collected in Lives of the Artists.

After decades of atheism and hard living, author Dan Wakefield experienced a profound religious awakening that led him back to the church. He describes his religious journey, fraught with peaks and pitfalls, and his hard-won realization that faith is not static. In a continuing quest to maintain his faith over the long-haul, Wakefield speaks plainly about the challenges of maintaining one's convictions in today's complex, secular world. Wakefield's acknowledgement that each day holds the promise of renewal will resonate with listeners who seek to keep their faith.

Larry King was a true-blue baseball fanatic. A lifelong love affair began the night he attended a Dodgers game at Ebbets Field as a kid in 1940s Brooklyn. That was a simpler era in America's history, a time when tickets to a game cost fifty cents and parish priests prayed for Gil Hodges to break out of a slump. In this heartfelt valentine to America's favorite pastime, King recalls the many pleasures the game brought him for more than sixty years. This ode to baseball is a must for all fans and will be treasured by lovers of the game everywhere.

One of the world's most iconic performers, Elvis Presley died at the age of 42 from a heart attack complicated by years of drug use. By the time she turned 18, Frances Gumm had shot to stardom as Judy Garland, playing Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz. Sadly, at the age of 47, she died of a drug overdose. But imagine if the lives of these icons had not been cut short by drugs? These vividly imaginative "biographies" are thoughtful, honest, heartfelt—and entirely within the realm of possibility, as the authors engage in an intriguing exercise of “What if...?”

Though he was a great statesman, one of America's founding fathers, and the third president of the United States, Thomas Jefferson suffered from depression. In Jefferson's Demons, Michael Knox Beran examines episodes of melancholia in Jefferson's life. In particular, he focuses on the journey Jefferson made to Europe in 1787 to escape the depression that set in due to his tumultuous experience as governor of Virginia following the Revolution and his wife Martha's death.

The first woman in nearly half a century to host a prime-time game show and the highest-paid female journalist in British history, Anne Robinson warranted fan mail, death threats, unqualified admiration, and unabashed hatred. From pioneering journalist to overnight phenomenon, Robinson shares the events of her formative upbringing by a sensitive father and a driven, hardworking mother who was "part magic, part monster."

Submitted by readers of Catholic Digest, here are dozens of original accounts of true incidents that illustrate an uplifting portrait of the compassion and kindness for which we all are capable.