A revelatory look at the complex inner world of one of the twentieth century's most beloved theatrical composers Stephen Sondheim (1930-2021) was a towering figure in American musical theater. Celebrated for his iconic Broadway shows such as Company,...

A world-renowned critic's haunting and deeply researched account of the subversive acts of literary revenge performed during the 1950s Red Scare hearings In the 1930s, '40s, and '50s, the House Un-American Activities Committee and the Senate...

Blackstar Rising and the Purple Reign is the first critical anthology dedicated to exploring the legacies of two pop music icons who died within months of one another in 2016: David Bowie and Prince. Daphne A. Brooks brings together an extraordinary...

A groundbreaking account of how firearms changed Europe and the world In Renaissance Italy, the gun was not only a tool of war but also a desirable object, a luxury item carried at court. Guns were in use on the battlefield by 1440; later in that century...

A groundbreaking, sweeping overview of the great kingdoms in African history and their legacies, written by world-leading experts. This is the first book for nonspecialists to explore the great precolonial kingdoms of Africa that have been marginalized...

A major new biography that reveals how politics profoundly shaped Joyce’s life, thought and writingsThe young James Joyce (1882–1941) was forged in the smithy of Irish political controversies, and he took into his European exile a depth of political...

To what extent does our knowledge of the past rely upon written sources? And what happens when these sources are destroyed? Focusing on the manuscripts of the Middle Ages, History in Flames explores cases in which large volumes of written material were...

This probing account shines a new light on the problem of anti-Asian violence and inspires us to build lasting solidarity. During the COVID-19 pandemic, racist demagoguery fomented a campaign of terror against Asian Americans. But these attacks were...

The award-winning co-anchor of PBS NewsHour presents a sweeping and insightful retrospective on the history of Black comedy in America. Black comedians have long played a pivotal role in shaping the American sense of humor. The 1990s showcased a golden...

The crazy but true story of how owner George Steinbrenner, followed by his son Hal, have controlled the most famous team in American sports. Since taking over the New York Yankees franchise in 1973, the Steinbrenners have transformed the fabled team from...

Rebecca Solnit offers a thrilling account of the sheer breadth and scale of social, political, scientific, and cultural change over the past three quarters of a century. In this sequel to her enduring bestseller Hope in the Dark, Solnit surveys a...

From Laurie Anderson's Songs And Stories From Moby Dick And Led Zeppelin's Moby Dick To The More Recent Emoji Dick, A Retelling Of The Novel Using Only Emojis, And Sena Jeter Naslund's Ahab's Wife, Traces Of Melville Are Everywhere. In The Melville...

A NEW YORK TIMES, LOS ANGELES TIMES, and USA TODAY BESTSELLER This “intimate and sympathetic portrait of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy that is as enthralling as she was” (Dana Thomas, New York Times bestselling author) reexamines her life and legacy as never...

"A definitive history of bird conservation in America.” (Kirkus Reviews, starred)From the time the country was founded, early Americans assumed that the land’s natural resources were infinite, including its birds, which were zealously hunted for food,...

An internationally celebrated poet and critic brings Jagadish Chandra Bose's revolutionary writings on plant sentience and communication to English readers for the first time Jagadish Chandra Bose (1858-1937) was a Bengali scientist and polymath who...

“Here, at last, is someone doing something new.” —The New York Times “The style is George Saunders meets Ottessa Moshfegh.” —The Guardian “The funniest book of the year and one of the smartest.” —Gary Shteyngart A hilarious, surreal, and devastating...

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • FINALIST FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD • From Pulitzer finalist, MacArthur Fellowship recipient, and bestselling author of Swamplandia! and Vampires in the Lemon Grove Karen Russell: a gripping dust bowl epic about five characters...

A devastating account of contemporary American military folly, political dysfunction, and corruption by the Washington editor of Harper’s MagazineDuring the war of 1812 British Admiral George Cockburn fought his way to Washington, DC and torched the...

An astonishing account of life under a murderous regime amid a great city’s descent into utter annihilationIn 1939, when Ian Buruma’s epic opens, Berlin has been under Nazi rule for six years, and its 4.3 million people have made their accommodations to...