Tag Archives: Biography

War, independence and family ties

Posted on July 2, 2017 by Linda

Reviewed by Linda C. Brinson THE LOYAL SON: The War in Ben Franklin’s House. By Daniel Mark Epstein. Random House Audio. Read by Scott Brick. 16 ½ hours; 13 CDs. $60. Also available in hardback from Ballantine Books. Most of … Continue reading →

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What did the president know …

Posted on April 11, 2017 by Linda

Reviewed by Linda C. Brinson RICHARD NIXON: The Life. By John A. Farrell. Random House Audio. Read by Dan Woren. 29 hours; 23 CDs. $60. Also available in hardcover from Doubleday. There have been other biographies of Richard Nixon, the … Continue reading →

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A most misunderstood president

Posted on March 29, 2017 by Linda

Reviewed by Paul T. O’Connor HERBERT HOOVER: A LIFE. By Glen Jeansonne. Berkley. 464 pages. $28. Also available from Penguin Audio, read by Mark Deakins. 16 hours, 28 minutes. $29.95. Head west across Interstate 80 from Chicago, and you’ll come … Continue reading →

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Fighting Irish – a tale for our times

Posted on March 14, 2017 by Linda

Paul O’Connor reviews a new biography of a 19th-century immigrant who battled discrimination against himself even as he fought for freedom for those who were enslaved. Reviewed by Paul T. O’Connor THE IMMORTAL IRISHMAN. By Timothy Egan. Brilliance Audio. 14 hours, 9 … Continue reading →

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The remarkable story of the second First Lady Adams

Posted on May 5, 2016 by Linda

Here’s an outstanding biography of an often-overlooked woman. Reviewed by Linda C. Brinson LOUISA: The Extraordinary Life of Mrs. Adams. By Louisa Thomas. Books on Tape. Read by Kirsten Potter. 15 ½ hours; 13 CDs. Also available in hardcover from … Continue reading →

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A sense of duty, a desire to win

Posted on January 21, 2016 by Linda

Amid the sound and fury of the presidential campaign, Paul O’Connor finds that the new biography of George H.W. Bush presents a thought-provoking contrast. Reviewed by Paul T. O’Connor DESTINY AND POWER: THE AMERICAN ODYSSEY OF GEORGE HERBERT WALKER BUSH. … Continue reading →

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Money and power

Posted on October 12, 2015 by Linda

Thank goodness Tom Dillon has wide-ranging tastes in books. He reads and reviews some fascinating ones we might otherwise overlook. Reviewed by Tom Dillon THE RICHEST MAN WHO EVER LIVED. By Greg Steinmetz. Simon and Schuster. 283 pages. $27.95 hardback. … Continue reading →

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The real Reagan

Posted on June 9, 2015 by Linda

Paul O’Connor has tackled an exhaustive (and exhausting?)  but worthwhile new biography of Ronald Reagan. Reviewed by Paul T. O’Connor  REAGAN: THE LIFE. By H.W. Brands. Penguin Random House Audio. Read by Stephen Hoye. 32 hours. $60. Also available in … Continue reading →

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What do bison, prairie dogs, nuclear weapons and cable TV have in common?

Posted on November 29, 2014 by Linda

As I’ve said before, it’s a pleasure to receive a review from Tom Dillon, because he writes well, thinks clearly and reads interesting books. He’s also willing to try something different. Reviewed by Tom Dillon LAST STAND: Ted Turner’s Quest … Continue reading →

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Vermont Royster, one of the editorial greats

Posted on May 1, 2014 by Linda

Paul O’Connor is nothing if not brave. Here, he dares to review a book written by the senior associate dean with whom both of us work at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Journalism and Mass … Continue reading →

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