Biography is NOT my genre: a review of three biographies

Metaxas, Eric. Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2010.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer had integrity. Metaxes has written his biography to reflect that integrity.  As most critics have said, this is a definitive biography.  Here comes my personal prejudice.  I just don’t like biographies that detail the historical context and then afterward talk about the person.  I don’t want a 50-year history of Germany.  I just want to know about the major events in a person’s life.  Therefore, I skimmed through the first half of the book because I was interested in Bonhoeffer’s war activity. However, as I skimmed through the pages, I began to see a connection between Bonhoeffer as a theologian and his personal choices.  It was interesting to learn just how well-educated, well-connected and well-respected he was as an intellectual.  I was not aware of the extent of his personal struggles to encounter grace, to conquer depression, to live boldly and act boldly in an evil world.  I didn’t realize how much his spirituality had meant to him.  His decisions to first, support the Jewish people, and later to become involved in the German counter-intelligence movement ran deeply, and he acted with great conviction that what he was doing would further the kingdom of God here on this planet we’ve been given.  When I had this epiphany, the book and the events to which Metaxes lent narrative came together. My first thought was that this book is a must-read for anyone interested in theology and/or authentic Christian living. My second recommendation would be for historians who study Germany between the wars.  The lives of the upper-middle class and German aristocracy led by families such as the Bonhoeffers are not told often enough. The feelings of the German people as a whole are often overshadowed by Hitler’s evil deeds.  It is somehow comforting to know that many thousands of Germans were not satisfied and did not welcome him as the leader of their country. It’s comforting that many of them were pro-active from the inside in trying to stage a coup. The extent Bonhoeffer’s personal involvement in Valkyrie will never be known, but since he was implicated and killed for it, I’m sure there are many brave deeds and sacrifices the reader will never know.  I would not have come to this opinion had I not read this book. Knowing Bonhoeffer was ready to die for his convictions still doesn’t make up for the earthly contributions he could have made to Christianity had he lived. I don’t think he would like to be idolized or made a martyr by those he left behind.  I think his legacy would be for each of us to work out the gift of salvation on earth with genuine acts of devotion and compassion.

Awards and Reviews

ECPA Christian Book Award (2011)

John C. Pollock Award for Christian Biography (2011)

''In Hitler's Germany, a Lutheran pastor chooses resistance and pays with his life. . . Eric Metaxas tells Bonhoeffer's story with passion and theological sophistication, often challenging revisionist accounts that make Bonhoeffer out to be a 'humanist' or ethicist for whom religious doctrine was easily disposable. . . Metaxas reminds us that there are forms of religion -- respectable, domesticated, timid -- that may end up doing the devil's work for him.” --Wall Street Journal

''In this weighty, riveting analysis of the life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Metaxas offers a comprehensive review of one of history's darkest eras, along with a fascinating exploration of the familial, cultural, and religious influences that formed one of the world's greatest contemporary theologians. . . . Abundant source documentation brings to life the personalities and experiences that shaped Bonhoeffer . . . Insightful and illuminating, this tome makes a powerful contribution to biography, history, and theology.'' --Publishers Weekly

''A welcome new biography of one of the twentieth century's leading lights. Metaxas magnificently captures the life of theologian and anti-Nazi activist Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945), who 'thought it the plain duty of the Christian-and the privilege and honor-to suffer with those who suffered.'  Metaxas rightly focuses on his subject's life, not his theology, though readers will learn plenty about his theology as well. The author makes liberal use of primary sources, which bring Bonhoeffer and other characters to vivid life.” --Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Wall Street Journal

Books & Culture

Sheinkin, Steve. Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War. New York: Roaring Book Press, 2015.

Of the historical biographies I've been reading lately, this one is the best.  The writing is direct and clear, and the focus is on the events of Ellsberg's life that specifically led up to his involvement in the leaking of the Pentagon papers. Of course, everyone has heard of Watergate, but I did not know exactly what had prompted that investigation.  I had no idea it was related to the Pentagon Papers.  It was a fascinating story, and it does read a bit like a spy novel because there was actually real spying going on (duh!) The story is told in a way that reminds the reader of the government's accountability to the people as well as the protection of First Amendment rights.  The book is biased toward the liberal side of the argument, but this is most probably because it is about Ellsberg who was, indeed, a liberal.  There was some thought put into representing the conservative viewpoint, as well, in the inclusion of direct quotes from Nixon, Kissinger, etc.; however, the government covert operations and the persons involved do not come across as "good guys" in this story. The addition of the story of a US POW, Alvarez, added to the intensity of the story.  By sharing a personal account, readers are able to feel the urgency of putting an end to the Vietnam War and its atrocities.  The idea of Civil Disobedience, the role of Journalism and First Amendment Rights, government checks and balances are all teachable concepts inherent in the book. It is thoroughly researched, containing 9 pages of Works Cited and 25 pages of source note.  The epilogue makes asks the question of Edward Snowden--is he a hero or a traitor?  Sheinkin notes that Snowden is not the original government whistle blower--Ellsberg was.

Awards and Reviews

Finalist for the 2015 Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Young Adult Literature
National Book Award Finalist 
Selected for the 2016 Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People List

Winner: YALSA Award for Nonfiction for Young Adults

“Lively, detailed prose rooted in a tremendous amount of research, fully documented. . . Easily the best study of the Vietnam War available for teen readers.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“Sheinkin has done again what he does so well: condense mountains of research into a concise, accessible, and riveting account of history. . . [This book] will keep readers racing forward.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

“Powerful and thought-provoking.” —Booklist, starred review

“Fast-paced and fascinating. . . backed up by meticulous research.” —VOYA, starred review

"Thoroughly researched, thoughtfully produced, and beautifully written . . . a timely and extraordinary addition to every library." —School & Library Journal, starred review

Teaching Resources

Teachers Guide for the Book

Documentary Home Page

PBS Documentary Page with links to Lesson Plans for Educators

Teaching the Vietnam War (Zinn Education Project)

Anderson, M.T. Symphony for the City of the Dead: Dmitri Shostakovich and the Siege of Leningrad. Somerville, MA: Candlewick, 2015.

I read until page 97, and then I had to stop.  I came back to the book this morning and spot-read a few more passages, to give it one last chance. This is a comprehensive book about Shostakovich, but there are long passages that deal with history, not mentioning Shostakovich at all.  Thank you for the detail and the hard work, but the biographies I find more appealing don't bother with the historical context.  Even though I am sure the point of including such information is to inform the reader of how closely-related historical events shaped the subject's life and work, too much is still too much.  I also find that when Shostakovich becomes the subject (after the historical background has been laid), the biography take the form of a daily, almost hourly account of his activities.  Again, I'm not interested in all of that.  As a reader, I just want major events in a person's life that contributed to his or her work.  I had the same experience when reading Jon Anderson's CHE GUEVARA: A REVOLUTIONARY LIFE. Exhaustive biographies are just...too...tedious for this reader.  If you happen to like biography as a genre or long books about history, this book is perfect.  There are only a small handful of students at my school to whom I would suggest this title.

Reviews and Awards

YALSA Nonfiction Award for Excellence, 2016

Horn Book Honor Book, 2016

“Gr 9 Up—The compelling, well-researched narrative relates what is known of Shostakovich's story, what is speculation, what is revisionist history, and what new sources have revealed. The chilling details of the Stalin regime and the plight of the Russian people even before the Germans arrived will be eye-opening to many teen readers. The book has all the intrigue of a spy thriller, recounts the horrors of living during the three year siege, and delineates the physical oppression and daunting foes within and outside of the city. This is also the story of survival against almost impossible odds. Through it all, Anderson weaves the thread of the composer's music and the role it played in this larger-than-life drama”—Luann Toth, School Library Journal

“The storytelling is captivating, describing how Shostakovich began composing the symphony under relentless bombardment in Leningrad and later finished it in Moscow, its triumphant performance in Leningrad during the siege, and how it rallied worldwide sympathy for Russia's plight. Music is at the heart of the story. As Anderson writes in the prologue, "it is a story about the power of music and its meanings," and he communicates them with seeming effortlessness in this brilliantly written, impeccably researched tour de force. A triumphant story of bravery and defiance that will shock and inspire.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“In a gripping narrative, helped along by ample photos and shockingly accurate historical details, Anderson offers readers a captivating account of a genius composer and the brutally stormy period in which he lived. Though easily accessible to teens, this fascinating, eye- opening, and arresting book will be just as appealing for adults.”—Booklist (starred review)

Teaching Resources

Teacher’s Guide from Candlewick Press

Sharing Is Caring--Someone Else's Review

I've never linked to another blogger's post before, but there's a first time for everything.  Abby, aka Abby (the) Librarian, just posted an excellent review of a new nonfiction picture book, Balloons Over Broadway: the True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy's Parade by Melissa Sweet.  The book and the review are too good to pass up.  Since it is the Season, enjoy.  I can't wait to get my hands on a copy.  And then I think I'll watch Miracle on 34th Street.  Let the Holidays begin!


Book Info
Sweet, Melissa. (2011). Balloons Over Broadway: the True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy's Parade.  New York: Houghton Mifflin.

The Last American Dreamer (?)--a review of MR. SAM: HOW SAM WALTON BUILT WAL-MART AND BECAME AMERICA'S RICHEST MAN by Karen Blumenthal

One summer on a visit to my grandparents’ house, my sister needed a belt.  My grandpa took her to a recently opened store in rural Monticello, Kentucky, to buy one.  The store was Wal-Mart, and my sister met Sam Walton that day.  He signed her new belt.  This was back in the mid-80s, and, according to Blumenthal’s book, Walton was on the threshold of becoming America’s Richest Man.    And, yet, in typical Sam Walton fashion, he was personally visiting his store wearing jeans and a cowboy hat.

Mr. Sam: How Sam Walton Built Wal-Mart and Became America's Richest Man by Karen Blumenthal

One’s political views of Wal-Mart aside, this biography is fascinating for its insights into the changing retail landscape of Cold War America. The competitive nature of Walton is portrayed through his competition with other retailers to become number one, beginning with a five and dime in small-town Arkansas and continuing until his domination of retailers K-Mart, JC Penney (where he once worked), and Sears. Blumenthal does an excellent job of giving a straightforward account of Walton’s life—which was Wal-Mart—while guiding us through American history as Walton reinvents himself over and over again as a “big man on campus,” a Ben Franklin owner, and finally the richest CEO in America. She explains his successful and unsuccessful forays into other areas of retail sales—superstores, craft stores, and grocery stores—some which failed because they were ideas before their time. In true journalistic fashion, she gives a fairly balanced account, including criticisms of racism and sexism within the company, of his “buy American” campaign (did you know the Clintons were involved?), and of how company strategies caused the downfall of small-town America. Humanizing elements include Blumenthal’s accounts of his early business failures, details of his wife (who is portrayed as saint-like in her longsuffering), and the story of his favorite hunting dog and moniker for Wal-Mart store brand dog food, ‘Ole Roy.


The book is an attractive package, beginning with the jacket illustration by Paul Szep, a caricature of a kindly Walton pushing a cart of Wal-Mart products, wearing a company vest and nametag. (He looks like a Greeter). Although they don’t give a hint at what is contained within the chapters, the chapter titles are enthusiastic—“Win! Win! Win!,” “Sell! Sell! Sell!”—much like the man himself is portrayed. The black and white photos are well-chosen and have interesting details that demand a second look. Interesting side-bars explain concepts such as retail markup, fiscal years, and other pertinent information. Chapter Notes and a Bibliography reveal the extent of her research.

I don’t normally gravitate toward books about business figures or CEOs, but there is a bit of Everyman in Blumenthal’s Walton that appeals to the all-American in me. Without telling the reader what to think, she has delivered a story of the American dream, one that is still worth having in this cynical world of foreclosure and financial failure. Turning dreams into reality requires hard work, sacrifice, and dedication, something young people always need to learn. Warts and all, there is something about Walton to be admired in Blumenthal’s work. I wish my sister had kept that belt.

Reviews

“Businessmen don’t seem like natural biographical subjects for young readers, but Blumenthal has done a splendid job of not only introducing Sam Walton but making his story relevant and timely.”—Jonathan Hunt, The Horn Book Magazine (July/August 2011)

“Blumenthal is a deft hand at explaining stock market splits, markups, and the niceties of planning for profit in the world of discount marketing…. Plenty of black-and-white photos document the morphing retail landscape, and sidebars and insets offer fascinating asides on topics from shopping carts to charges of racism in the early days of the company.”—Elizabeth Bush, Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books (July/August 2011)

“What is promoted as a biography offers much more in the form of a history of Wal-Mart and the evolution of sales and merchandising in American stores over the second half of the 20th century.”—Janet S. Thompson, School Library Journal (July 2011)

Connections
This book would be an awesome addition to any high school Business Department curriculum as a supplementary read, standing on its own, as it gives a fine account of retail and discount sales in America.

Students could learn to use databases such as Newsbank or EBSCOHost to locate primary sources, such as newspaper and magazine articles, about Walton. They could recreate the process of Blumenthal’s research by summarizing and comparing articles, working collaboratively to piece together a story of his life.

Macroeconomics classes could study globalization and the idea of “buy American” campaigns as they impact foreign and domestic economies, beginning with a study of Wal-Mart.

Introduction to Business students might benefit from Blumenthal’s excellent examples and explanations of basic economic principals such as stock splits, public ownership, and the theory of discount sales.

Vital Stats
Blumenthal, Karen (2011). Mr. Sam: How Sam Walton Built Wal-Mart and Became America’s Richest Man. New York: Viking. ISBN 978-06700011773

Nice Guys Get Biographies: a review of WALT WHITMAN, WORDS FOR AMERICA by Barbara Kerley

Walt Whitman was a nice guy. He liked things like words, democracy, nature, and friendship. It stands to reason, then, that any biography about his life should be nice, especially when the biography is a children’s picture book. And that’s just what Walt Whitman: Words for America, written by Barbara Kerley and illustrated by Brian Selznick, is—it’s nice in every way. Kerley does not set out to give young readers a watered down version of Whitman’s poetry. Rather, she focuses on the traditional defining events of Whitman’s life, his experience as a printer, his journey across America, his love of his brother and subsequent service to soldiers in Civil War hospitals, his sorrow over the assassination of Lincoln. While the delivery is choppy in the opening paragraphs, often lacking satisfying transitions, the story is still deftly told with great attention paid to the inclusion of well-documented primary sources such as Whitman’s poetry and letters. By the end of the book, the reader does gain a sense of the great humanity of Whitman and thus a sense of why Whitman deserves his title, “voice of the nation.”

Selznick’s illustrations are also nice. Set against a 12-point Scotch Roman type-face which an end note tells us was “Walt’s favorite,” they are a fine complement to the text. Readers may, at first, find the inclusion of several different illustrative styles and color palettes to be a bit discordant, until they realize that the illustrations are very much like Whitman’s life and poetry—vibrant, varied, enthusiastic, bold and soulful. Illustrator’s notes highlight Selznick’s careful study of Whitman’s life and attention to detail, down to the portrayal of African-American Civil War soldiers. A jaunty young Whitman greets you in an old-fashioned oval cutout in the front cover. Standout close-up portraiture of Lincoln and an aged Whitman have a remarkable, sculpted quality, and Selznick’s incorporation of Whitman’s poetry into three of the illustrations left me wanting to see much more of this treatment. Overall, the illustrations are stronger than the text, but are dependent on the text for their significance.

This book is a labor of love for Walt Whitman, a celebration of his life, offered by the author and illustrator. It would make a fine addition to any classroom or personal collection of biographies for children and adults.

Awards and Reviews

• Robert F. Sibert Honor Book, 2004
• New York Times Ten Best Illustrated Books, 2004
• ALA Notable Children’s Book
• Publisher’s Weekly Best Children’s Books

  

“Delightfully old-fashioned in design, its oversized pages are replete with graceful illustrations and snippets of poetry. The brilliantly inventive paintings add vibrant testimonial to the nuanced text.”—Marilyn Taniguchi, School Library Journal (November 15, 2004)

“Try this sophisticated offering on readers who won’t quail at the lengthy text and who will be less likely to skip the dense, illuminating end notes.”—Jennifer Mattson, Booklist (November 15, 2004)

Connections

According to the Teacher’s Guide on Barbara Kerley’s website, the Library of Congress has a collection of images of Walt Whitman’s original notebooks. Student’s could study the notebooks and make poetry notebooks of their own, as mentioned in the book.
Selznick mentions his inspiration for one of the most memorable inspirations in the book as being photographs of Civil War soldiers. Students could peruse the Library of Congress collection of Civil War Photographs as an entry point into the Civil War using visual, primary sources. The very extensive collection of Civil War Maps would also serve the same purpose as well as an opportunity to study selected Civil War battles in detail.
One final offering from the Library of Congress is a lesson plan on Whitman’s famous poem, “O, Captain! My Captain!” This plan comes complete with an image of Whitman’s handwritten corrections to the poem. This is a great cross-curricular connection between language arts and history.

Readwritethink has several lesson plans based on Walt Whitman, but one entitled “Varying Views of America” would be especially fitting for this book because Selznick’s illustrations enhance the idea of various points of view. In addition to Whitman’s “I Hear America Singing,” this lesson explores views of America from poets Langston Hughes and Maya Angelou as a multicultural connection. Selznick’s inclusion of African-American soldiers can be discussed as well.

Vital Stats

Kerley, Barbara (2004). Walt Whitman: Words for America. Illus. by Brian Selznick. New York: Scholastic. ISBN 978-0439357913