How To Do Biography: A Primer by Nigel Hamilton (English) Paperback Book

Description: How To Do Biography by Nigel Hamilton Following his recent Biography: A Brief History (from Harvard), award-winning biographer and teacher Nigel Hamilton tackles the practicalities of doing biography in the first succinct primer to elucidate the tools of the biographers craft. FORMAT Paperback LANGUAGE English CONDITION Brand New Publisher Description It is not surprising that biography is one of the most popular literary genres of our day. What is remarkable is that there is no accessible guide for how to write one. Now, following his recent Biography: A Brief History (from Harvard), award-winning biographer and teacher Nigel Hamilton tackles the practicalities of doing biography in this first succinct primer to elucidate the tools of the biographers craft.Hamilton invites the reader to join him on a fascinating journey through the art of biographical composition. Starting with personal motivation, he charts the making of a modern biography from the inside: from conception to fulfillment. He emphasizes the need to know ones audience, rehearses the excitement and perils of modern research, delves into the secrets of good and great biography, and guides the reader through the essential components of life narrative.With examples taken from the finest modern biographies, Hamilton shows how to portray the ages of man-birth, childhood, love, lifes work, the evening of life, and death. In addition, he suggests effective ways to start and close a life story. He clarifies the difference between autobiography and memoir-and addresses the sometimes awkward ethical, legal, and personal consequences of truth-telling in modern life writing. He concludes with the publication and reception of biography-its afterlife, so to speak.Written with humor, insight, and compassion, How To Do Biography is the manual that would-be biographers have long been awaiting. Author Biography Nigel Hamilton is the author of prize-winning biographies of Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery and of John F. Kennedy. He is currently a Senior Fellow of the John W. McCormack Graduate School of Policy and Global Studies at the University of Massachusetts, Boston. Table of Contents * Introduction I. Getting Started * The Task of Biography * What Is Your Agenda? * Defining Your Audience * Researching Your Subject * The Shape of a Life II. Composing a Life-Story * The Starting Point * Birthing Your Subject * Childhood and Youth * Love Stories * Lifes Work * The Twilight Years * Ending Your Story III. Variations on a Theme * Autobiography and Memoirs * Memoir * Truth--and Its Consequences * The Afterlife * Notes * Selected Bibliography * Acknowledgments * Index Review This marvelous work--basically, a how-to book--is comprehensive in its treatment of everything necessary to creating a published biography. Hamilton, who has authored biographies of Field Marshall Montgomery, John F. Kennedy, and Bill Clinton, here leaves nothing unsaid on the subject. He thoroughly details biographys agenda and motivation and describes its target audience, who will expect something of a revelation concerning the human condition...He additionally scrutinizes autobiography and memoir writing, the consequence of telling the truth, and biographys afterlife. The exceptional excerpts Hamilton selects from published biographies to illustrate his points are both edifying and entertaining. -- Robert Kelly * Library Journal *Drawing instruction from his own lifetime of biographic work and others--including Samuel Johnson, Robert Caro, David McCullough, Hermione Lee, Edmund Morris, and others whom Hamilton has admired, known and worked with--the author takes readers on an intellectual journey through the creative process, from conception to publishing...Hamiltons passion, lyricism and collection of telling anecdotes make this "short book of advice" an unexpected page-turner; its hard not to get caught up in the authors romantic vision of biography, a form he believes has nearly as many permutations as music. Elucidating not just the dos and donts of biography, but also the whys and hows, Hamilton has created a motivating, empowering guide for writers (and fans) of the genre. * Publishers Weekly (starred review) *No one writing biography can afford to ignore this edifying book. Nigel Hamilton has the depth and breadth of experience to write about a genre that he champions...While this is a "how-to" book, even the most seasoned biographer will find much of value about choosing a subject; doing proposals for biographies; handling interviewing; negotiating the perils of publishing unauthorized biographies; managing biographical narratives; writing with an audience in mind; and the nexus between memoir, autobiography, and biography. -- Carl Rollyson * thebiographerscraft.com *[How To Do Biography] offers a well-written, sensible, and, given its brevity, fairly encompassing assessment of what it is that a biographer does and how he goes about doing it...Hamilton is quite eloquent and persuasive in discussing how things come around at the end, not only at death, but after, when the life meets posterity. -- Sven Birkerts * Boston Globe *The book is full of good advice and interesting stories. -- Owen Richardson * The Age * Review Quote This marvelous work--basically, a how-to book--is comprehensive in its treatment of everything necessary to creating a published biography. Hamilton, who has authored biographies of Field Marshall Montgomery, John F. Kennedy, and Bill Clinton, here leaves nothing unsaid on the subject. He thoroughly details biographys agenda and motivation and describes its target audience, who will expect something of a revelation concerning the human condition...He additionally scrutinizes autobiography and memoir writing, the consequence of telling the truth, and biographys afterlife. The exceptional excerpts Hamilton selects from published biographies to illustrate his points are both edifying and entertaining. Details ISBN0674066154 Author Nigel Hamilton Short Title HT DO BIOG Publisher Harvard University Press Language English ISBN-10 0674066154 ISBN-13 9780674066151 Media Book Format Paperback Year 2012 Imprint Harvard University Press Subtitle A Primer Place of Publication Cambridge, Mass Country of Publication United States Birth 1944 UK Release Date 2012-10-22 NZ Release Date 2012-10-22 Pages 400 DEWEY 808.06692 Audience General AU Release Date 2012-10-21 Publication Date 2012-10-22 US Release Date 2012-10-22 We've got this At The Nile, if you're looking for it, we've got it. With fast shipping, low prices, friendly service and well over a million items - you're bound to find what you want, at a price you'll love! TheNile_Item_ID:129402923;

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