"An engrossing new page turner" about one of old Hollywood's royal families: "theater people don't get more interesting, and it's a true tale well told" ( Hollywood Reporter).In the early 1930s, Constance Bennett was the highest paid star in Hollywood, famous for dramatic roles before reinventing herself in the classic comedy Topper, starring opposite Cary Grant. Her sister Joan played the femme fatale in films like Scarlet Street and als...

**“A smart and eminently readable examination of the life and career of one of the twentieth century’s most influential movie critics.”—Los Angeles Times“Engrossing and thoroughly researched.”—Entertainment Weekly• A New York Times Book Review Notable Book of 2011 •The first major biography of the most influential, powerful, and controversial film critic of the twentieth century**Pauline Kael was, in the words of Entertainment ...

**“To call Sue Mengers a ‘character’ is an understatement, unless the word is written in all-caps, followed by an exclamation point and modified by an expletive. And based on Brian Kellow’s assessment in his thoroughly researched Can I Go Now? even that description may be playing down her personality a bit.” —Jen Chaney, The Washington Post• A NY Times Culture Bestseller • An Entertainment Weekly Best Pop Culture Book of 2015*•*...

“Kellow’s chronology is dishy and seamless; he understands the dynamics of the theater world and makes you feel the exhilaration of an evolving hit and the frustrations inherent in working with a performer like Merman.”—The New York Times Book Review“[Kellow] has painted a vivid portrait of a Broadway diva who shone brighter and sang louder than anyone else.”—The Washington Post BookWorldMore than twenty years after her de...

A legendary beauty, hailed as one of the greatest singing actors of her time, Jarmila Novotná (1907–1994) was an internationally known opera soprano from the former Czechoslovakia. Best known for her performances in Der Rosenkavalier, The Marriage of Figaro, and La Traviata, she was a celebrated performer at the Metropolitan Opera and other theaters across Europe and the United States. A "natural screen actress," Novotná also appeared in Hollywood hits such as The Sea...

“To call Sue Mengers a ‘character’ is an understatement, unless the word is written in all-caps, followed by an exclamation point and modified by an expletive. And based on Brian Kellow’s assessment in his thoroughly researched Can I Go Now? even that description may be playing down her personality a bit.”—Jen Chaney, The Washington Post• A NY...

Academy Award-winning actress Anjelica Huston’s “tireless fascination with the world is thrilling” (Elle), and Watch Me is an “elegant and entertaining” (Chicago Tribune) account of her seventeen-year love affair with Jack Nicholson, her rise to stardom, and her mastery of the craft of acting.Picking up where her first memoir A Story Lately Told leaves off, Watch Me is a chronicle of Anjelica Huston’s glamorous and event...

An award-winning historian shares the true story of a frayed and diasporic Sephardic Jewish family preserved in thousands of letters.One of The Economist's Best Books of 2019A New York Times Book Review Editors' ChoiceA National Jewish Book Award finalistFor centuries, the bustling port city of Salonica was home to the sprawling Levy family. As leading publishers and editors, t...

"A great book to introduce you to three fascinating sisters whose marriages during the reign of the infamous Edward II transformed England." — Adventures of a Tudor NerdThe de Clare sisters Eleanor, Margaret and Elizabeth were born in the 1290s as the eldest granddaughters of King Edward I of England and his Spanish queen Eleanor of Castile, and were the daughters of the greatest nobleman in England, Gilbert "the Red" de Clare, Earl of Gloucester. They grew...

What would it be like if you were transported back to Athens 420 BCE? This time-traveler's guide is a fascinating way to find out . . .Imagine you were transported back in time to Ancient Greece and you had to start a new life there. What would you see? How would the people around you think and believe? How would you fit in? Where would you live? What would you eat? What work would be available, and what help could you get if you got sick?All these question...

A renowned military historian closely examines the first month of World War I in France.On August 1, 1914, war erupted into the lives of millions of families across France. Most people thought the conflict would last just a few weeks . . .Yet before the month was out, twenty-seven thousand French soldiers died on the single day of August 22 alone—the worst catastrophe in French military history. Refugees streamed into France as the German army advanced, spr...

"The dramatic story of the soldiers at the heart of the Roman empire . . . traces the history of the praetorians and the emperors they served."—Adrian Goldsworthy, author of Philip and Alexander: Kings and ConquerorsFounded by Augustus around 27 B.C., the elite Praetorian Guard was tasked with the protection of the emperor and his family. As the centuries unfolded, however, Praetorian soldiers served not only as protectors and enforcers but also as powerfu...