Najnovšie - Biografie - Životopisy strana 67 z 497
Film, hudba 
História 
Osobnosti 
Šport 
Literatúra 
Umenie 
Politika 
Náboženstvo 
Veda, vynálezy 
Biznis 
Mafia, podsvetie 
Biografie - ostatné
zobraziť:
The Autobiography of H. Lan Thao Lam
Situated between memoir, social criticism, and conceptual art, The Autobiography of H. Lan Thao Lam is an incisive response to a modernist classic and an affecting exploration of the poetics and politics of our times.?We are supposed to know where we are with biography and autobiography, they are the literary equivalents of the portrait and the self-portrait,? writes Jeanette Winterson about Gertrude Stein?s 1932 classic, The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas. By narrating her own story from the perspective of her partner, Stein invented a literary form that was both intimate and uncanny, blurring lines of authority and identity as it winds through a story of two women living and loving together through a tumultuous moment in history. Almost a century later, experimental filmmaker and artist Lana Lin has resurrected Stein?s project to tell another story of queer love, life, and artistic collaboration in a differently discordant age. At heart a candid chronicle of her partner Lan Thao?s life journey from Vietnam during the war and her own troubled history as a gender-queer Taiwanese American, Lin?s Autobiography draws in subjects as varied as photography, tropical fruit, New York real estate, and queer theorist Eve Sedgewick?s eyeglasses, weaving a landscape of living that is also a critical investigation of race and gender in our time.
Truly
The long-awaited memoir of legendary Lionel Richie.
As a storyteller second to none, Lionel Richie is ready to tell it all. In this intimate, deeply candid memoir, Lionel revisits hilarious and harrowing events to inspire all who doubt themselves or feel their dreams don't matter. Lionel chronicles lessons learned during his unlikely story of remarkable success-his dramatic transformation from painfully shy, 'tragically' late bloomer to world-class entertainer and composer of love songs that have played as the soundtrack of our lives.
Funny, warm and riveting, Lionel recalls his childhood in Tuskegee, Alabama, where he grew up on its university campus during the heyday of the Civil Rights movement, raucous adventures as a member of The Commodores, coming-of-age in late 1960s Harlem, culture shock playing gigs on the French Riviera, the big break of being signed to Motown, his meteoric solo career that included an Olympics performance witnessed by two billion around the globe, all the way through to writing and recording 'We Are the World' and his current multi-generational fame as a judge on American Idol. Even with its turbulence, loss, and near-calamity, Lionel's journey takes us on a thrill ride and delivers a memoir for the ages-reminding us of the power of love to elevate our own lives and our world.
Lionel Richie's memoir includes three eight-page photo inserts.
Truly
The long-awaited memoir of legendary Lionel RichieAs a storyteller second to none, Lionel Richie is ready to tell it all. In this intimate, deeply candid memoir, Lionel revisits hilarious and harrowing events to inspire all who doubt themselves or feel their dreams don’t matter. Lionel chronicles lessons learned during his unlikely story of remarkable success—his dramatic transformation from painfully shy, ''tragically'' late bloomer to world-class entertainer and composer of love songs that have played as the soundtrack of our lives.Funny, warm and riveting, Lionel recalls his childhood in Tuskegee, Alabama, where he grew up on its university campus during the heyday of the Civil Rights movement, raucous adventures as a member of The Commodores, coming-of-age in late 1960s Harlem, culture shock playing gigs on the French Riviera, the big break of being signed to Motown, his meteoric solo career that included an Olympics performance witnessed by two billion around the globe, all the way through to writing and recording ''We Are the World'' and his current multi-generational fame as a judge on American Idol. Even with its turbulence, loss, and near-calamity, Lionel’s journey takes us on a thrill ride and delivers a memoir for the ages—reminding us of the power of love to elevate our own lives and our world.Lionel Richie’s memoir includes three eight-page photo inserts.
Frontier Comrades
Frontier Comrades examines six accounts of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender lives on the frontier of the American West. Each account interprets this history through experiences that take place in different parts of the West, moving chronologically from the fur trade era to the dawn of the automobile age. Jim Wilke provides the first comprehensive accounts of figures such as transgender stage driver Charley Parkhurst; transgender Seventh Cavalry laundress Mrs. Noonan (also known as Mrs. Nash); and the extraordinary Clara Dietrich and Ora Chatfield, known by the contemporary press as “lady lovers.” Frontier Comrades also offers glimpses of individual personalities: the cool and detached grandeur of William Stewart as he traversed the West during the fur trade era; the stubborn determination of Charley Parkhurst after California’s gold rush; the careful, giddy energy of Mrs. Noonan; the hidden passions of Tombstone sheriff William Breakenridge for a Vanderbilt and a local rustler; the desperate bravery of Dietrich and Chatfield as they sought to elope from Victorian Aspen; and the masculine, matter-of-fact comradeship of loggers and miners as they worked the distant Sierras. The maelstrom of opportunities and conflicts that made up the West affected lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender westerners in intrinsically personal ways. The accounts in Frontier Comrades provide an intimate yet expansive view of the American West.
The Life of Eva Peron
Tragedy and triumph often intertwine to create legends, and no figure embodies this more than María Eva Duarte de Perón, known to the world as Evita. From her humble beginnings in rural Argentina to her meteoric rise as First Lady, Eva Perón''s life is steeped in myths of ambition, power, and transformation. In just six years, she became a symbol of Argentina''s working class, a polarising figure who defied societal norms — and a fashion icon whose image remains influential today.This captivating exploration of Evita’s life uncovers the vital role of fashion in her rise to power. Eva’s style wasn’t just about appearances — it was a weapon in her political arsenal, a means of challenging Argentina’s elite while solidifying her image as a champion of the descamisados. Through her carefully curated wardrobe, Eva transcended the boundaries of class and gender, reshaping herself from a small-town girl into a symbol of Peronism and national pride.This book delves into the intersection of politics, society, and fashion, revealing how Eva’s choices in dress and image-making contributed to her lasting myth. Whether adored or reviled, her ability to craft and control her image set a high standard for future First Ladies and continues to spark debate long after her tragic death. To understand Evita’s myth, we must first understand the image she so masterfully created.
Anne Frank naplója
A 77 éve megjelent napló kiadása új elő- és utószóval, kronológiával, illusztrációs anyaggal, valamint a korábbinál bővebb, 16 oldalas képmelléklettel lát napvilágot.
Anne Frank naplója örök érvényű olvasmány, egyaránt szól az övéihez hasonló gondokkal küszködő fiatalokhoz, az idősebbekhez, akik szeretnék jobban megérteni őket, és szól mindazokhoz, akik tudni akarják, mi történt a Prinsengracht 263. hátsó traktusában bujkáló családokkal a hitleri megszállás alatt álló Amszterdamban.
Anne Frank 1942. június 12-e és 1944. augusztus 1-je között vezetett naplót: kezdetben csak magának írogatott, később, amikor megérett benne az elhatározás, hogy híres írónő lesz, elővette régi írásait, és módszeresen átírta, javítgatta őket. Úgy tervezte, hogy naplója alapján könyvet ír a háborúról, és hű képet fest benne a német megszállás éveiről Hollandiában. Korai halála – nem sokkal tizenhatodik születésnapja előtt hunyt el a bergen-belseni koncentrációs táborban – megakadályozta terve megvalósításában.
Naplóját a Frank családot bújtató Miep Gies találta meg és helyezte biztonságba azután, hogy a családot 1944. augusztus 8-án elhurcolták, majd a háború után olvasatlanul átadta Anne édesapjának, Otto Franknak. A könyv 1947-ben jelent meg először, Otto Frank gondozásában, s azóta világszerte milliók olvasták.
„Az egész világ ismeri Annét. Hogy miért? Mert írt. Mert naplójában a múltat jelenné változtatta, a holtakat élőkké. A szavak csodája által. Az irodalom csodája által. Anne Frank naplója nemcsak a szenvedés, a zsidó sors dokumentuma, hanem egyben egy olyan gyereknek a története is, aki ebben a sorsban, ennek a sorsnak a következtében talál önmagára. … Megtanult szeretni, ítéletet alkotni, megbocsátani, kinevetni, megérteni – megtanulta, mi a félelem és az elégedettség, a szerencse és a szerencsétlenség –, és mindent regisztrált, amit szavakban átélt. „Szenvedélye lett az írás, benső szükséglete, ennek köszönhető, hogy naplójából irodalom lett, nevéből pedig mindazoknak a jelképe, akiknek sorsában osztozott.” - Heller Ágnes
The Record of a Long Life
TheRecord of a Long Life, written in 1896, is the memoir of HenryPilleau, army surgeon, traveller and artist. Spanningmost of the 19th century, it offers revealing insights into the changes inthose years: from a description of his childhood home in Kennington looking outon an open expanse of countryside to his observations on the impact of tourismon the ancient marvels of Egypt. He served inIndia before and after the Mutiny and in Ireland during the Great Famine and aFenian rebellion. He records in fascinating detail the conditions in which hepractised and the medical improvements he made. The memoir isa rich kaleidoscope. On one page there is an amusing conversation withConstable about Turner's work; on another we read of hair-raising encounterswith tigers. He reminds the Governor-General of India that they had beenroom-mates at school; he tells of an audience with the King of Franceimmediately after an attempted assassination; he relates the sad story of acaptured Andaman islander and his months as medical companion to a sickly12-year-old Lord Herbert on an eventful trip to the Holy Land. The novelist CharlesDickens, the billiards champion Kentfield, the unconventional Arabist Lady DuffGordon and the actor Charles Kean all appear. But it is as an artist and atraveller that Henry Pilleau is at his most observant, never happier than whensketching in his favourite cities, Cairo and Venice. This volumeweaves his art into the pages of the memoir, the result being an engaging mixof social history and art.
My Family and Other People’s Children: The Care Paradox
A deeply personal and professional journey into the world of children’s social care. Written by a caregiver with nearly five decades of experience, the book blends heartfelt storytelling with a critical look at a system in crisis. Through the author’s own family life and the many children she has cared for, it explores the joys, challenges, and heartbreak of navigating a system designed to protect but often failing those it serves. With compassion and honesty, the author reveals the struggles against bureaucracy, inequality, and the tension between doing what’s right and what’s required. This book is not just a memoir—it’s a call to action. Through gripping anecdotes and insightful analysis, it delves into trauma, resilience, and the importance of genuine relationships. It highlights systemic flaws, corporate interests, and the impact of a compliance-driven culture, while also celebrating the triumphs: the children who thrive, the caregivers who persevere, and the transformative power of connection. For anyone who has worked in social care, fostered or adopted, or simply cares about children’s welfare, this book challenges readers to rethink what it means to provide true care. Poignant, thought-provoking, and ultimately hopeful, it reminds us that change is possible when we listen, learn, and care.
Doolittle Raid Doctor
A previously unpublished first-person account of the Doolittle Raid. The number 15 plane on the Doolittle Raid carried a flight surgeon, Dr. Thomas Robert White, MD (1909–92). White was a graduate of Harvard Medical School and recipient of both the Silver Star and Distinguished Flying Cross. During the war, White authored a 40,000-word account of the mission. He vividly described the bombing and subsequent escape and evasion through occupied China. This included a lifesaving leg amputation for Ted Lawson, author of Thirty Seconds over Tokyo. Part of White’s story was published in Atlantic magazine circa 1944. The balance remained private. The doctor''s granddaughter, Gabrielle Adelman, partnered with aerospace expert John Fredrickson to prepare the manuscript for this publication, with editing and significant annotation.
Lázadó királynő
,,Egy valódi Vezércsel - ez a lebilincselő életrajz a sakktörténelem egyik legismertebb női alakjának, Polgár Zsuzsának az életét meséli el."
Polgár Zsuzsa minden idők egyik legsikeresebb sakkozónője, az egyetlen magyar sakkvilágbajnok. Budapesten született, egy átlagos családban, szerény körülmények között nőtt fel. Pedagógus édesapja azt a meggyőződést vallotta, hogy a zsenik nem születnek, hanem kinevelhetőek, ezért elhatározta, hogy lányával ezt bebizonyítja és sikeressé fogja tenni a sakkban.
Csodagyerekként fedezték fel: négyévesen nyerte meg első versenyét - százszázalékos, 10:0-s eredménnyel -, amikor még csak térdelve érte el a tábla tőle messzebb eső pontjait. Tizenöt évesen már a világ legjobb női sakkozója volt, két évvel később ő lett az első nő, aki kvalifikálta magát a férfiak sakkvilágbajnoki ciklusára. 19 évesen már ő volt a magyar csapat elsőtáblása, amikor testvéreivel, a 12 éves Judittal, a 14 éves Zsófiával és a 19 éves Mádl Ildikóval, óriási meglepetésre, minden idők legfiatalabb olimpiai bajnok sakkcsapata lettek.
Csakhogy a világ meghódítása nem volt egyszerű feladat. Polgár
Zsuzsának nemcsak a női sportolók diszkriminálásával, és az elnyomó állami bürokráciával kellett megküzdenie, hanem sokszor a sikereire féltékeny, gáncsoskodó, nagy tekintélyű vetélytársak is próbálták megakadályozni céljai elérésében. Felülkerekedett mindezen, és közben örökre megváltoztatta a sakk világát. Hihetetlen felemelkedése előtt természetesnek tartották, hogy a nők nem képesek a férfiakhoz mérhető teljesítményre a sakkban. Zsuzsa eredményei megcáfolták ezt a hiedelmet.
Polgár Zsuzsa a világ egyik legismertebb és legeredményesebb sakkjátékosa. Négy egyéni világbajnoki címe mellett öt olimpiai aranyéremmel, négy ezüst- és három bronzéremmel rendelkezik. Ő az egyetlen olyan sakkozó, aki a hat legrangosabb cím mindegyikét elnyerte: világbajnoki címet szerzett a klasszikus sakkjáték mellett rapidsakkban és villámsakkban is, olimpiai aranyat egyéniben és csapatban, valamint a világranglista első helyén is állt.
Versenyzői pályafutásának lezárása után sakkedzéssel, tehetséggondozással és a sportág népszerűsítésével foglalkozik: ezeken a területeken is kiemelkedő eredményeket ért el. Megalapította a nevét viselő alapítványt, valamint a Susan Polgar Institute for Chess Excellence-t (SPICE), amelyek aktívan tevékenykednek a sakk népszerűsítéséért, és hogy rendkívüli lehetőségeket adjanak fiatal, tehetséges sakkozóknak.
2019-ben beiktatták az Amerikai Sakkhírességek Csarnokába, 2023-ban pedig a Sakkvilághírességek Csarnokába, és máig ő az egyetlen nő, aki mindkét elismerést megkapta.
Henry V
Henry V reigned over England for only nine years and four months, and died at the age of just 35, but he looms over the landscape of the late Middle Ages and beyond.
The victor of Agincourt was a model king for his successors. Shakespeare's version of Henry V saw his youthful folly redirected to sober statesmanship, and in the dark days of World War II, Henry's victories in France were recounted in British propaganda. Churchill called Henry 'a gleam of splendour in the dark, troubled story of medieval England', while for one modern medievalist, Henry was, quite simply, 'the greatest man who ever ruled England'.
For Dan Jones, Henry is one of the most intriguing characters in all medieval history, but one of the hardest to pin down. He was a hardened, sometimes brutal, warrior, yet he was also creative and artistic, with a bookish temperament. He was a leader who made many mistakes, who misjudged his friends and family members, yet always seemed to triumph when it mattered.
As king, he saved a shattered country from economic ruin, put down rebellions and secured England's borders; in foreign diplomacy, he made England a serious player once more. Yet through his conquests in northern France, he sowed the seeds for three generations of calamity at home, in the form of the Wars of the Roses.
Dan Jones's life of Henry V provides unprecedented insight into the critical first 26 years of his life before he became king. Both a standalone biography and a completion of Dan's sequence of English medieval histories that began with The Plantagenets and The Hollow Crown, Henry V is a thrilling and unmissable life of England's greatest king from our best-selling medieval historian.
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Last Rites
People say to me, if you could do it all again, knowing what you know now, would you change anything? I'm like, f*** no. If I'd been clean and sober, I wouldn't be Ozzy. If I'd done normal, sensible things, I wouldn't be Ozzy.
Look, if it ends tomorrow, I can't complain. I've been all around the world. Seen a lot of things. I've done good... and I've done bad. But right now, I'm not ready to go anywhere.
At the age of sixty-nine, Ozzy Osbourne was on a triumphant farewell tour, playing to sold-out arenas and rave reviews all around the world.
Then disaster.
In a matter of just a few weeks, he went from being hospitalised with a finger infection to having to abandon his tour - and all public life - as he faced near-total paralysis from the neck down.
Last Rites is the shocking, bitterly hilarious, never-before-told story of Osbourne's descent into hell. Along the way, he reflects on his extraordinary life and career - including his turbulent marriage to wife Sharon, his regrets over Black Sabbath's reunion, his friendships with Slash and Zakk Wylde, and the harrowing final moments he spent with Motorhead's Lemmy Kilmister.
Unflinching but surprisingly life-affirming, Last Rites demonstrates once again why Ozzy has transcended his status as 'The Godfather of Metal' and 'The Prince of Darkness' to become a modern-day folk hero and national treasure.
Lou Reed - The King of New York
The most complete and penetrating biography of the rock master, whose stature grows every year.
Since his death ten years ago, Lou Reed's living presence has only grown. The great rock-poet presided over the marriage of Brill Building pop and the European avant-garde, and left American culture transfigured. In Lou Reed: The King of New York, Will Hermes offers the definitive narrative of Reed's life and legacy, dramatizing his long, brilliant, and contentious dialogue with fans, critics, fellow artists, and assorted habitués of the demimonde. We witness Reed's complex partnerships with David Bowie, Andy Warhol, John Cale, and Laurie Anderson; track the deadpan wit, street-smart edge, and poetic flights that defined his craft as a singer and songwriter with the Velvet Underground and beyond; and explore the artistic ambition and gift for self-sabotage he took from his mentor Delmore Schwartz.
As Hermes follows Reed from Lower East Side cold-water flats to the landmark status he later achieved, he also tells the story of New York City as a cultural capital. The first biographer to draw on the New York Public Library's much-publicized Reed archive, Hermes employs the library collections, the release of previously unheard recordings, and a wealth of recent interviews to give us a new Lou Reed-a pioneer in living and writing about nonbinary sexuality and gender identity, a committed artist who pursued beauty and noise with equal fervor, and a turbulent and sometimes truculent man whose emotional imprint endures.
Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Making of an Icon
Shortly after his untimely death in 1988, Jean-Michel Basquiat's meteoric art-world ascent was in retreat. Nearly four decades later, the artist's paintings are amongst the world's most recognizable and valuable. Based on over 100 interviews, Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Making of an Icon finally fills in long-missing chapters from the life and work of an artist who helped reframe contemporary art.
When Jean-Michel Basquiat died in 1988 at the age of twenty-seven, major critics called his work a flash in the pan and the meteoric rise in the prices of his paintings started to fall back. Almost thirty years later Basquiat joined Picasso, Modigliani and Munch when one of his paintings sold for over $100 million. Nearly four decades after his untimely death, he remains one of the most recognizable artists in the world - his work not only headlines major museum exhibitions and private collections but also appears on T-shirts, sneakers, tattoos and accessories from Rio to Singapore. What happened?
For the first substantive biography in over twenty-five years, art world insider Doug Woodham conducted more than 100 interviews - with family members, friends, lovers, gallery owners, collectors, musicians, academics and other artists - to weave a thoughtful and revealing account of Basquiat's life, work and legacy. Woodham's account takes readers from the artist's rich and complex family background through to his commercial and critical resurrection - an ascent that has played a role in reshaping the art-world. In the process, he has also crafted a unique account of how the twenty-first century art world selects its icons and cements their place in history.
Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Making of an Icon examines key aspects of the artist's life such as his childhood trauma, sexuality, cultural identities and struggles with addiction - topics long downplayed in the museum and art world, arguably due to the controlling role played by his estate. Simultaneously Woodham uncovers the previously untold story of how a few against-the-grain speculators and gallerists - plus his deftly skilled and strategic father, the band U2 and a bestselling children's book - all contributed to bringing what Basquiat accomplished back to the centre of the conversation and in the process helped to birth a new era in contemporary art.
Life in Progress
World-renowned curator Hans Ulrich Obrist for the first time grants a private view of his life, and his journey towards art and artists
When Hans Ulrich was six years old, he was knocked down by a speeding car as he was crossing the street. Hospitalized for weeks, a sense of urgency was instilled in him. Enraptured by the healing powers of art from this young age, he began to travel across Europe on night trains, visiting artists' studios.
In a book that is part unputdownable coming-of-age story, part tour de force of the contemporary art world, part user's manual on how to live a life driven by curiosity, conversation, and not least hope, Obrist takes us through the formative experiences that made him. From his first exhibition in his Zurich kitchen to penning 250 postcards while trapped by an avalanche in Val Bregaglia, Life in Progress is an enchanting ode to the healing properties that engaging with art and the people around us boundlessly affords.
Sonny Boy
From one of the most iconic actors in the history of film, an astonishingly revelatory account of a creative life in full
To the wider world, Al Pacino exploded onto the scene like a supernova. He landed his first leading role, in The Panic in Needle Park, in 1971, and by 1975, he had starred in four movies-The Godfather and The Godfather Part II, Serpico, and Dog Day Afternoon-that were not just successes but landmarks in the history of film. Those performances became legendary and changed his life forever. Not since Marlon Brando and James Dean in the late 1950s had an actor landed in the culture with such force.
But Pacino was in his mid thirties by then, and had already lived several lives. A fixture of avant-garde theater in New York, he had led a bohemian existence, working odd jobs to support his craft. He was raised by a fiercely loving but mentally unwell mother and her parents after his father left them when he was young, but in a real sense he was raised by the streets of the South Bronx, and by the troop of buccaneering young friends he ran with, whose spirits never left him. After a teacher recognized his acting promise and pushed him toward New York's fabled High School of Performing Arts, the die was cast. In good times and bad, in poverty and in wealth and in poverty again, through pain and joy, acting was his lifeline, its community his tribe.
Sonny Boy is the memoir of a man who has nothing left to fear and nothing left to hide. All the great roles, the essential collaborations, and the important relationships are given their full due, as is the vexed marriage between creativity and commerce at the highest levels. The book's golden thread, however, is the spirit of love and purpose. Love can fail you, and you can be defeated in your ambitions-the same lights that shine bright can also dim. But Al Pacino was lucky enough to fall deeply in love with a craft before he had the foggiest idea of any of its earthly rewards, and he never fell out of love. That has made all the difference.
Igor Kmeťo - Stalo sa, prisahám
Vtipné aj vážne historky zo života speváka, ktorý prekročil svoj vlastný tieň. Životný príbeh hudobníka Igora Kmeťa je dôkazom toho, že nič nie je nemožné. Presvedčíte sa, že spať sa dá i v bubne, najkrajšia zábava je naháňačka v ruinách po bombardovaní a zistíte, aké jednoduché je ukradnúť vlčiaka policajtom rovno spod nosa. V knihe sa dočítate, ako ľahko sa dá ocitnúť v polepšovni, aj o tom, že ak vyrušujete na hodine matematiky, dovolia vám prednášať spolužiakom o sexe, no i to, že svadbu si naozaj možno popliesť.
Igor Kmeťo bez škrupúľ prezrádza, že v jeho žilách koluje sčasti rómska krv, čo mu dávali často pocítiť. Otvorene však hovorí aj o situáciách, ktoré hrozili kriminálom a z ktorých elegantne vykľučkoval.
Súčasťou jeho životného príbehu je udalosť, ktorá by mohla byť námetom na nakrútenie filmu – v roku 1960 zmizol bez stopy jeho päťročný brat.
Hudobník o tom hovorí: „Bol som súčasťou nespútanej svorky bratov Kmeťovcov, ktorú jeden z nás za zvláštnych okolností opustil. Od toho dňa už nič nebolo také ako predtým. Vitajte v mojom svete – toto je môj príbeh.“
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David Krejčí - Play off Krech
Nahlédněte do zákulisí života Davida Krejčího, jedné z největších ikon českého hokeje. Nečekejte jen čísla a statistiky, ale příběh plný dřiny a triumfů. Prožijte jeho cestu od úplných začátků na šternberském zimním stadionu přes působení v NHL a Boston Bruins až po návrat do České republiky a ukončení kariéry. Čekají vás silné momenty, inspirativní příběhy a fotografie přímo z rodinného archivu Davida Krejčího – autentické okamžiky, které nikde jinde neuvidíte.
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Reminiscences of Tolstoy, Chekhov and Andreyev
In 1920, Virginia and Leonard Woolf’s Hogarth Press published Maxim Gorky’s Reminiscences of Tolstoy and it was recognized almost immediately as one of the few masterpieces of modern biography. ‘It is one of the most remarkable biographical pieces ever written,’ writes Leonard Woolf in his autobiography. ‘It makes one hear, see, feel Tolstoy and his character as if one were sitting in the same room – his greatness and his littleness, his entrancing and infuriating complexity, his titanic and poetic personality, his superb humour.’ In 1934, the book was expanded to include Gorky’s memoirs of two other great Russian literary figures, Anton Chekhov and Leonid Andreyev. Almost a hundred years later, Reminiscences of Tolstoy, Chekhov and Andreyev is reissued in a superb new translation by Bryan Karetnyk.
Čítanie o slávnych osobnostiach je mnohokrát inšpirujúce. Motivujú nás biografie slávnych umelcov, známych hercov alebo významných politikov.
Absolútne prvou biografiou všetkých čias je zrejme Excellentium Imperatorum Vitae, ktorú napísal grék Cornelius Nepos a opisoval v nej životy viacerých gréckych vojenských generálov. Neskôr mal už skoro každý významný vodca svoju biografiu, vrátane Cicera, Júliusa Cézara alebo Alexandra veľkého.
Pri čítaní životopisných kníh máme jedinečnú možnosť sledovať dlhú cestu, ktorú museli títo slávni ľudia prejsť. Uvidíme množstvo pádov a chýb, kvôli ktorým sa ale tieto osoby nevzdali a zobrali ich ako príležitosť zlepšiť sa vo všetkyćh oblastiach. Mnoho v sebe skrývajú aj úprimné rozhovory, ktoré sú často otvorenými vyznaniami a v tejto kategórii nájdete isto aj knihu o človeku, ktorého považujete za svoj vzor a je pre vás inšpiráciou.
Môžete si vybrať, či budete čítať o danej osobe z pohľadu iného človeka, alebo či siahnete po autobiografii. Obidve možnosti majú svoje čaro.
Je všeobecnou pravdou, že dobrá kniha môže ovplyvniť smerovanie nášho života. Pri biografickej literatúre to platí stonásobne, pretože v ruke držíme príbeh reálneho človeka, z ktorého môžeme čerpať mnoho inšpirácie a tipov.
Nájdete tu biografie z oblasti biznisu, filmu a hudby, histórie, literatúry, športu, mafie a podsvetia, náboženstva, politiky, osobností vedy a umenia.
