Biography genre books (332)
301.
There Was a Country : A Personal History of Biafra by Chinua Achebe EN
NigeriaDescription:
From the legendary author of Things Fall Apart comes this long-awaited memoir recalling Chinua Achebe's personal experiences of and reflections on the Biafran War, one of Nigeria's most tragic civil wars Chinua Achebe, the author of Things Fall Apart, was a writer whose moral courage and storytelling gifts have left an enduring stamp on world literature. There Was a Country was his long-awaited account of coming of age during the defining experience of his life: the Nigerian Civil War, also known as the Biafran War of 1967-1970. It became infamous around the world for its impact on the Biafran... continue
302.
They Called Us Enemy by George Takei, Justin Eisinger, Steven Scott EN
Country: North America / 
United States of America
United States of America
Description:
New York Times Bestseller! A stunning graphic memoir recounting actor/author/activist George Takei's childhood imprisoned within American concentration camps during World War II. Experience the forces that shaped an American icon -- and America itself -- in this gripping tale of courage, country, loyalty, and love. George Takei has captured hearts and minds worldwide with his captivating stage presence and outspoken commitment to equal rights. But long before he braved new frontiers in Star Trek, he woke up as a four-year-old boy to find his own birth country at war with his father's -- and th... continue
303.
They poured fire on us from the sky by Benson deng, Alephonsion Deng, and Benjamin Ajak EN
Country: Africa / 
South Sudan
South Sudan
Description:
A stunning literary survival story of three young Sudanese boys, two brothers and a cousin—hailed by the Los Angeles Times as a “moving, beautifully written account, by turns warm and tender.” Between 1987 and 1989, Alepho, Benjamin, and Benson, like tens of thousands of young boys, took flight from the massacres of Sudan's civil war. They became known as the Lost Boys. With little more than the clothes on their backs, sometimes not even that, they streamed out over Sudan in search of refuge. Their journey led them first to Ethiopia and then, driven back into Sudan, toward Kenya. They walked n... continue
304.
This Child Will Be Great : Memoir of a Remarkable Life by Africa's First Woman President by Ellen Johnson Sirleaf EN
LiberiaDescription:
In January 2006, after the Republic of Liberia had been racked by fourteen years of brutal civil conflict, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf—Africa's "Iron Lady"—was sworn in as president, an event that marked a tremendous turning point in the history of the West African nation. In this stirring memoir, Sirleaf shares the inside story of her rise to power, including her early childhood; her experiences with abuse, imprisonment, and exile; and her fight for democracy and social justice. This compelling tale of survival reveals Sirleaf's determination to succeed in multiple worlds: from her studies in the U... continue
305.
This Voice in My Heart : A Runner's Memoir of Genocide, Faith, and Forgiveness by Gilbert Tuhabonye, Gary Brozek EN
BurundiDescription:
Gilbert Tuhabonye is a survivor. More than ten years ago, he lay buried under a pile of burning bodies. The centuries–old battle between Hutu and Tutsi tribes had come to Gilbert's school. Fueled by hatred, the Hutus forced more than a hundred Tutsi children and teachers into a small room and used machetes to beat most of them to death. The unfortunate ones who survived the beating were doused with gasoline and set on fire. After hiding under burning bodies for over eight hours, Gilbert heard a voice inside saying, "You will be all right; you will survive." He knows it was God speaking to him.... continue
306.
Thomas Sankara Speaks: The Burkina Faso Revolution, 1983-87 by Thomas Sankara EN
Country: Africa / 
Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso
Description:
Under Sankara's leadership, the revolutionary government of Burkina Faso in West Africa mobilized peasants, workers, women, and youth to carry out literacy and immunization drives; to sink wells, plant trees, build dams, erect housing; to combat the oppression of women and transform exploitative relations on the land; to free themselves from the imperialist yoke and solidarize with others engaged in that fight internationally. Sankara speaks as an outstanding revolutionary leader of working people and youth the world over. Second edition includes a new introduction by editor Michel Prairie, fo... continue
307.
Three Cups of Tea : One Man's Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time by Greg Mortenson, David Oliver Relin EN
Country: North America / United States of America
United States of America
Description:
The astonishing, uplifting story of a real-life Indiana Jones and his humanitarian campaign to use education to combat terrorism in the Taliban’s backyard Anyone who despairs of the individual’s power to change lives has to read the story of Greg Mortenson, a homeless mountaineer who, following a 1993 climb of Pakistan’s treacherous K2, was inspired by a chance encounter with impoverished mountain villagers and promised to build them a school. Over the next decade he built fifty-five schools—especially for girls—that offer a balanced education in one of the most isolated and dangerous regions ... continue
308.
Through Gates of Splendor by Elisabeth Elliot EN
BelgiumDescription:
Documents the lives of missionaries who sought to convert the Huao Indians of Ecuador.
309.
To Hell and Back : An Autobiography by Niki Lauda EN
AustriaDescription:
Niki Lauda drove a car for sport, but crossed the line between life and death and fought back to even greater glory. Even people who know nothing of Formula One have heard of his crash at Nurburgring in 1976, when we was dragged from the inferno of his Ferrari so badly injured he was given the last rites. Within 33 days, he was racing again at Monza. His wounds bled, he had no eyelids. He was terrified. A year later, he reclaimed his World Championship title. In To Hell and Back he reveals how he battled fear to stage a comeback that seemed beyond human endurance. Then it's Lauda vs Hunt, an e... continue
310.
To Sir with Love by Edward Ricardo Braithwaite EN
Country: South America / 
Guyana
Guyana
Description:
Candidly describes the problems overcome by this Black teacher in teaching distrustful, rebellious teenagers in a London slum school.