In 1983, a stereotypically professorial man—60-something, ruddy complexion, tweed blazer—led public television audiences on a leisurely two-hour stroll through a history of American art. New World ...

Miriam Pawel is the author of “The Crusades of Cesar Chavez: A Biography,” “ The Union of Their Dreams: Power, Hope and ...

This is an edition of the Books Briefing, our editors’ weekly guide to the best in books. Sign up for it here. George Saunders has a new mantra A novel about the costs of family secrets Why so many ...

Each age has its own way of drawing the arc of a human life. Ours is concerned with its unpredictability. Credit...Photo illustration by Ricardo Tomas Supported by By Parul Sehgal Parul Sehgal is a ...

Throw out your to-be-read list, cancel your pre-orders, let your library check-outs sit overdue and cover the pile of books you got for your birthday with a decorative blanket. Shock everyone. The ...

Jonathan Eig's "King: A Life," a biography of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., was recognized as one of the best books of 2023. Biographies offer a chance to explore the decision-making and ...

At its best, an artist biography lingers long after we've read it, continually reshaping our orientation toward a maker and their life. But what might a biography of a mountain look like? Author ...

Zachary Leader’s book on Richard Ellmann’s landmark work on James Joyce asks whether a biographer can be considered an artist. In 1927—just five years after the publication of Ulysses and five years ...