Biography genre books (521)
391.
The Diary of Ma Yan : The Daily Life of a Chinese Schoolgirl by Ma Yan EN
ChinaDescription:
Wednesday, November 7 My father gave me and my brother a little money. My stomach is all twisted up with hunger, but I don't want to spend the money on anything as frivolous as food. Because it's money my parents earn with their sweat and blood. I have to study well so that I won't ever again be tortured by hunger. . . . In a drought-stricken corner of rural China, an education can be the difference between a life of crushing poverty and the chance for a better future. But money is scarce, and the low wages paid for backbreaking work aren't always enough to pay school fees. Ma Yan's heart-wren... continue
392.
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly : A Memoir of Life in Death by Jean-Dominique Bauby EN
FranceDescription:
A triumphant memoir by the former editor-in-chief of French Elle that reveals an indomitable spirit and celebrates the liberating power of consciousness. In 1995, Jean-Dominique Bauby was the editor-in-chief of French Elle, the father of two young children, a 44-year-old man known and loved for his wit, his style, and his impassioned approach to life. By the end of the year he was also the victim of a rare kind of stroke to the brainstem. After 20 days in a coma, Bauby awoke into a body which had all but stopped working: only his left eye functioned, allowing him to see and, by blinking it, to... continue
393.
AlbaniaDescription:
Young Ismail's world centres around his mother. Naïve and fragile as a paper doll, she is an unlikely presence in her husband's imposing house, with its hidden rooms and infamous dungeon. Yet despite her youthful nature, she is not without her own enigmas. Most of all, she fears that her intellectual, radical son will exchange her for a superior mother when he becomes a famous writer. From the winner of the first ever Man Booker International Prize, this is a disarming story of home and creative ambition, of personal and political freedom. Rooted in the author's own childhood in Albania, it is... continue
394.
The Dragon Empress : Life and Times of Tz'u-hsi, Empress Dowager of China, 1835-1908 by Marina Warner EN
Country: Europe / 
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
Description:
Reveals the influence of the Chinese empress' personality and obsession for power on her reign and relationship with various countries
395.
The Endless Steppe by Esther Hautzig EN
LithuaniaDescription:
War. The true story of a young girl's incredible war-time years in exile in Siberia, told without bitterness and set down in a remarkably compelling and wholly unforgettable narrative.
396.
The Epic of Askia Mohammed by Nouhou Malio EN
NigerDescription:
Askia Mohammed is the most famous leader in the history of the Songhay Empire, which reached its apogee during his reign in 1493-1528. Songhay, approximately halfway between the present-day cities of Timbuktu in Mali and Niamey in Niger, became a political force beginning in 1463, under the leadership of Sonni Ali Ber. By the time of his death in 1492, the foundation had been laid for the development under Askia Mohammed of a complex system of administration, a well-equipped army and navy, and a network of large government-owned farms. The present rendition of the epic was narrated by the grio... continue
Palestine398.
TaiwanDescription:
From the the award-winning author of Five Star Billionaire and The Harmony Silk Factory comes a whirlwind personal history of modern Asia, as told through his Malaysian and Chinese heritage. In The Face: Strangers on a Pier, acclaimed author Tash Aw explores the panoramic cultural vitality of modern Asia through his own complicated family story of migration and adaptation, which is reflected in his own face. From a taxi ride in present-day Bangkok, to eating Kentucky Fried Chicken in 1980s Kuala Lumpur, to his grandfathers’ treacherous boat journeys to Malaysia from mainland China in the 1920s... continue
399.
The First and the Last by Adolf Galland EN
GermanyDescription:
"Adolf "Dolfo" Joseph Ferdinand Gallnd (1912-1996) was a German Luftwaffe General and one of the greatest flying aces of World War II. He flew 705 combat missions, and fought on the Western and the defence of the Reich fronts. He survived being shot down four times and was credited with an astonishing 104 aerial victories, all of them against the Western Allies. He is a legend of aerial combat, and this is his heroic story."--Back cover.
400.
The Fly Trap by Fredrik Sjöberg EN
SwedenDescription:
Chronicles the author's meditative, obsessive pursuit of hoverflies on a remote island in Sweden and how his findings have reflected the history of entomology.