Biographies & Memoirs
Explore the stories of remarkable lives in our Biographies & Memoirs section at Thryft. Discover firsthand accounts of influential figures and captivating memoirs that'll inspire and educate. Our collection is carefully curated to ensure you find the perfect narrative to delve into.
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David Leigh, The Guardian, Luke Harding
WikiLeaks : Inside Julian Assange's War on Secrecy
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Title: WikiLeaks Binding: Paperback Author: Luke Harding & David Leigh Publisher: Guardian Books
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John K. Fairbank, Edgar Snow
Red Star over China
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The first Westerner to meet Mao Tse-tung and the Chinese Communist leaders in 1936, Edgar Snow came away with the first authorized account of Mao’s life, as well as a history of the famous Long March and the men and women who were responsible for the Chinese revolution. Out of that experience came Red Star Over China, a classic work that remains one of the most important books ever written about the birth of the Communist movement in China. This edition includes extensive notes on military and political developments in China, further interviews with Mao Tse-tung, a chronology covering 125 years of Chinese revolution, and nearly a hundred detailed biographies of the men and women who were instrumental in making China what it is today.
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Liu Binyan
A Higher Kind of Loyalty : A Memoir by China's Foremost Journalist
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A distinguished Chinese journalist provides a study of post-1949 China as he describes his involvement with the Communist Party, his internal exile, and his investigations into political corruption
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Lucy Wadham
The Secret Life of France
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At the age of eighteen Lucy Wadham ran away from English boys and into the arms of a Frenchman. Twenty-five years later, having married in a French Catholic Church, put her children through the French educational system and divorced in a French court of law, Wadham is perfectly placed to explore the differences between Britain and france. Using both her personal experiences and the lessons of French history and culture, she examines every aspect of French life - from sex and adultery to money, happiness, race and politics - in this funny and engrossing account of our most intriguing neighbour.
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Rohini Mohan
The Seasons of Trouble : Life Amid the Ruins of Sri Lanka's Civil War
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The Seasons of Trouble is a vivid and heart-wrenching account of the devastating effects of war on ordinary citizens. Through the personal stories of Sarva, Indra, and Mugil, the reader gains a deeper understanding of the complexities and turmoil of Sri Lanka's civil war. This book is highly recommended for those interested in gaining insight into the impact of conflict on individuals, families, and communities. Rohini Mohan's writing is both honest and empathetic, offering a raw and nuanced view of life amid the ruins of war.
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Philip Gourevitch
We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will be Killed with Our Families
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This book would be a good read for anyone interested in learning more about genocide, political science, or postcolonial African history. Gourevitch's firsthand accounts and intimate portraits of Rwandans provide a moving and thought-provoking exploration of the human spirit in the face of extreme adversity. Overall, this book is an unforgettable testament to humanity's resilience and the urgent need for sane and habitable political orders.
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Katharine Graham
Personal History
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#1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER • PULTIZER PRIZE WINNER • The captivating inside story of the woman who helmed the Washington Post during one of the most turbulent periods in the history of American the scandals of the Pentagon Papers and WatergateIn this widely acclaimed memoir ("Riveting, moving...a wonderful book" The New York Times Book Review), Katharine Graham tells her story—one that is extraordinary both for the events it encompasses and for the courage, candor, and dignity of its telling. Here is the awkward child who grew up amid material wealth and emotional isolation; the young bride who watched her brilliant, charismatic husband—a confidant to John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson—plunge into the mental illness that would culminate in his suicide. And here is the widow who shook off her grief and insecurity to take on a president and a pressman’s union as she entered the profane boys’ club of the newspaper business. As timely now as ever, Personal History is an exemplary record of our history and of the woman who played such a shaping role within them, discovering her own strength and sense of self as she confronted—and mastered—the personal and professional crises of her fascinating life.
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Frank Gardner
Blood and Sand
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On 6 June 2004, Frank Gardner and cameraman Simon Cumbers were in a suburb of Riyadh, filming a report on Al-Qaeda when they were confronted by Islamist gunmen. Simon was killed outright. Frank was brought down by shots in the shoulder and leg. As he lay bleeding in the street, a figure stood over him and pumped four more bullets into him at point blank range… Against all the odds, Frank Gardner survived and this is his remarkable account of the agonizing journey he has taken - from being shot and left for dead to where he is today, partly paralysed but alive. It is a journey that really began 25 years earlier when a chance meeting with explorer Wilfred Thesiger inspired what would become a lifelong passion for the Arab world. This would take him throughout the Middle East and eventually lead to his becoming a BBC journalist. And, in the wake of the events of 9/11, this passion sent him on the journey that came to dominate - and nearly end - his his coverage of Al-Qaeda. Honest, moving and inspiring, his story - now updated for this paperback edition - reveals a deep understanding of the Islamic world and offers a compelling analysis of the on-going ‘War on Terror†and what it means in these uncertain times.
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Luke Harding, David Leigh
WikiLeaks : Inside Julian Assange's War on Secrecy
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This book could be a good read for someone who is interested in politics, technology and human rights in the modern information age. The unique feature of this book is its portrayal of Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, as a complicated and deeply flawed individual. It offers a gripping account of the courageous journalists behind the publication of leaked documents, and shows the role that the internet can play in shaping the power dynamics of the world. Readers may find it difficult to sympathize with Assange, but the book is ultimately a fascinating exploration of what it means to have transparency in the public sphere.
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Balji P N
Reluctant Editor : The Singapore Media as Seen Through the Eyes of a Veteran Newspaper Journalist
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Recommendation: For those interested in the history of Singapore media and journalism as seen through the eyes of an experienced veteran journalist. This book offers a compelling narrative filled with anecdotes of how editors of the past grappled with government authority and made tough decisions. The author provides an alternative perspective on how some editors managed to hold their ground in challenging times, offering a glimpse into the drama that played out behind the scenes. A must-read for those interested in the behind-the-scenes workings of journalism in Singapore.
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Åsne Seierstad
With Their Backs To The World : Portraits from Serbia - from the bestselling author of the Bookseller of Kabul
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This book offers a unique perspective on daily life under the Milosevic regime and in post-Milosevic Serbia. It focuses on the individual stories of Serbs from various walks of life, giving readers a glimpse into the complex hopes, dreams, and viewpoints of a nation in transition. If you're interested in understanding the human impact of political turmoil, this book is for you.
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Bob Woodward
After Watergate
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"After Watergate" provides an in-depth account of how the presidency has been permanently altered following the Watergate scandal. It delves into the subsequent presidencies of Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush, and Clinton and how each administration failed to handle the inquisitorial environment of the media and Congress. Using presidential documents, interviews, and prosecutorial records, Woodward shows the impact of the new ethics laws on presidents and the country. This book is a must-read for those interested in the history of the presidency and the consequences of unchecked power.
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Anderson Cooper
Dispatches from the Edge : A Memoir of War, Disasters and Survival
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This book is a gripping memoir that takes readers on a whirlwind journey through some of the world's most dangerous crises. Anderson Cooper's personal experiences as a journalist provide a unique perspective, making this book an intense and captivating read. From covering political battles to natural disasters, Cooper's emotional storytelling will leave readers on the edge of their seats, gaining a rare insight into the chaos and conflict that shapes our world. Get ready for an adrenaline-fueled adventure unlike any other.
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Peter Day
The Bedbug : Klop Ustinov - Britain's Most Ingenious Spy
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Klop ('Bedbug') Ustinov (1892–1962) was an MI5 secret agent tasked, not with killing, but with bemusing and beguiling his enemies into revealing their deepest, darkest secrets. Through the Russian revolution, two World Wars and the Cold War, Klop bluffed and tricked his way into the confidence of everyone from Soviet commissars to a Gestapo Gruppenführer. Journalist Peter Day tells the epic tale of an agent whose missions remained obscured by his socializing and womanizing.
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Balji P N
Reluctant Editor : The Singapore Media as Seen Through the Eyes of a Veteran Newspaper Journalist
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These are the unpublished stories about the stories that you may have read in Singapore newspapers over the years. Above all, they are Singapore media stories as experienced first-hand by a veteran journalist who had to be persuaded to become Editor of a leading newspaper. PN Balji was an active participant in mainstream journalism, having spent nearly 40 years working in five newsrooms. He was part of a hardy generation of newspaper editors who wrestled with editorial issues and made tough decisions, sometimes against the will of authority. He also had a ringside view of his colleagues' tussles and confrontations with the government. In Reluctant Editor, Balji weaves a compelling narrative, with anecdotes, of an alternative story of how some editors of his generation managed to hold the ground in challenging times. He brings back the drama, mostly played behind the scenes, and attempts to answer the question: What made the editors of the 1970s, 80s and 90s act the way they did? It was a life lived dangerously; some lost their jobs, some had to leave the country and some decided to give in and lived to fight another day.
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Peter Hessler
Oracle Bones
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A century ago, outsiders saw China as a place where nothing ever changes. Today the country has become one of the most dynamic regions on earth. In Oracle Bones , Peter Hessler explores the human side of China's transformation, viewing modern-day China and its growing links to the Western world through the lives of a handful of ordinary people. In a narrative that gracefully moves between the ancient and the present, the East and the West, Hessler captures the soul of a country that is undergoing a momentous change before our eyes.
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David Leigh, The Guardian, Luke Harding
WikiLeaks : Inside Julian Assange's War on Secrecy
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This book is an eye-opener to the power of information in today's world. It's a thrilling account of Julian Assange's radical journey to expose governments and reveal their undisclosed secrets alongside his own tumultuous personal life. A great read for those intrigued by the impact of media on politics and society.
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Jodi Kantor
The Obamas
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Award-winning reporter Jodi Kantor takes readers deep inside the White House in a portrait of Barack and Michelle Obama that will surprise even readers who thought they knew the two icons. When Barack Obama won the 2008 presidential election, he also won a long-running debate with his wife Michelle. Contrary to her fears, politics now seemed like a worthwhile, even noble pursuit. Together they planned a White House life that would be as normal and sane as possible. Then they moved in. In the Obamas, Jodi Kantor takes us deep inside the White House as they try to grapple with their new roles, change the country, raise children, maintain friendships, and figure out what it means to be the first black President and First Lady. The Obamas is filled with riveting detail and insight into their partnership, emotions and personalities, and written with a keen eye for the ironies of public life.
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Luke Harding, David Leigh
WikiLeaks : Inside Julian Assange's War on Secrecy
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This book is a gripping account of the controversial figure, Julian Assange, and his trailblazing platform, WikiLeaks. Filled with suspense, it explores the unprecedented leak of classified documents, delving into the debate surrounding Assange's motives and actions. As the authors, David Leigh and Luke Harding, draw you into their own involvement in the publishing drama, you'll be captivated by the inside story of a man who challenged the powerful and sparked global debate on information freedom and transparency. A must-read for those intrigued by the enigmatic world of hacktivism and the ripple effects of whistleblowing.
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Svetlana Alexievich, Larry Heinemann, Sergio Rapetti
Zinky Boys : Soviet Voices from the Afghanistan War
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Zinky Boys could be a great read for anyone interested in learning about the Soviet-Afghan War from a unique perspective. It offers an insight into the realities of war from the firsthand accounts of the officers, grunts, nurses, and prostitutes. The candid and affecting testimony of the people affected by the war presents a shocking and brutal picture of the war and its lasting effects. The book is an unforgettably powerful account of the war that sheds light on the similarities between the Soviet-Afghan War and the American experience in Vietnam.
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Hunter S. Thompson
The Great Shark Hunt : Strange Tales from a Strange Time
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America, with all its warts, lies naked under the laser-like scrutiny of legendary outlaw journalist and brilliant reporter Hunter S. Thompson. Fearlessly, he hurls himself into each assignment, gouges out the truth, then returns with a fresh story no one else on earth could write. From Nixon to napalm, Las Vegas to Watergate, Carter to cocaine, hippies to himself, Thompson's razor-sharp insight and crystal clarity capture the crazy, hypocritical, degenerate, and redeeming aspects of the explosive and colorful '60s and '70s. Thompson is a rebel and an artist, and we are all richer for it."No other reporter reveals how much we have to fear and loathe, yet does it so hilariously."-- Chicago Tribune
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Daniel Domscheit-Berg
Inside WikiLeaks - My Time With Julian Assange At The World's Most Dangerous Website
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"Inside WikiLeaks" provides an insider's account of the rise of the organization and its leader, Julian Assange. The book offers never-disclosed details about the inner workings of the organization and its evolution, finances, inner tensions, and lack of transparency. The author's disenchantment with the loss of political neutrality and Assange's increasing concentration of power eventually led to his withdrawal from the organization. This book is an eye-opening account of a controversial organization that has struck fear into governments and businesses worldwide.
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Tom Brokaw
Boom! - Voices Of The Sixties : Personal Reflections On The '60S And Today
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Boom! provides valuable insights into how the '60s changed American institutions from politics to social values. It is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding the impact of the cultural upheaval that defined this pivotal era in our nation's history.
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Dive Into Real-Life Stories
Biographies and memoirs offer unparalleled insights into the lives and minds of individuals who've shaped our world. Be it political icons, celebrities, or unsung heroes, Thryft brings you a rich assortment of stories that reveal extraordinary experiences and life lessons. Embark on a journey through time as you explore the personal tales that have influenced history and culture.
Our collection includes a wide range of biographies, from influential leaders to pop culture icons. Find engrossing memoirs that give insight into personal journeys and historical events.
Consider what aspects of life you’re curious about. Whether it’s artistic journeys, political memoirs, or overcoming adversity, our collection will have something that resonates with you.
Yes, we include stories about notable religious figures. You might also explore our Religion collection for more faith-based narratives.
Yes, we celebrate local voices and histories. Discover the lives of Singaporean figures that have shaped our city-state's unique culture and heritage.