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A-G • H-W |
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John Hancock
(1737 - 1793) Merchant,
statesman, first signer of
the Declaration of
Independence, and first
governor of the state of
Massachusetts.
In a biography awash in early American history, Unger celebrates the career of John Hancock, whose life was as large as his legendary signature. A successful merchant and accomplished politician, Hancock became the first signatory of the Declaration of Independence by virtue of his election as president of the Continental Congress. And when he served as a delegate to the Federal Convention of 1787, it was his suggestion to entertain amendments to the proposed Constitution that later became the basis for the Bill of Rights. Hancock lived at the center of late 18th-century Boston politics and commerce, and his life is an engaging prism through which to view Revolutionary New England. Unger, a journalist and a biographer of Noah Webster, effectively uses letters, newspaper articles and first-hand accounts by Hancock and other preeminent Americans to make immediate the events and controversiesAthe Stamp Act, the Boston Massacre, the Boston Tea PartyAthat culminated in the Revolutionary War John Hancock Books |
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Nathaniel Hawthorne
(1804 - 1864) Author of The
Scarlet Letter; born in
Salem.Grade 6 Up–The legendary novelist's life is portrayed as being as dramatic as the plotlines of his novels, and readers will be captivated by the detailed accounts of the family tragedies that made up his childhood and the financial and literary vicissitudes of his adult life. Meltzer provides sufficient background about New England at the time as well as accounts of the historical events that were shaping the country. This is not a sanitized biography, but an honest rendering, with a touching focus on Hawthorne's love for his wife and children that also shows his pro-slavery and sexist beliefs. Meltzer writes in a clear style and leaves much of the description and psychological analysis to authentic quotes and recorded anecdotes from the writings of Hawthorne, his family and friends, and his contemporaries. Nathaniel Hawthorne Books |
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Oliver Wendell Holmes
poet, Cambridge
Oliver Wendell Holmes Books |
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Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. jurist,
Boston
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. Books |
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Winslow Homer
painter, Boston
Winslow Homer Books |
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Elias Howe
inventor, Spencer
Elias Howe Books |
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Helen Hunt Jackson
writer, Amherst
Helen Hunt Jackson Books |
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John F. Kennedy
(1917 - 1963) The 35th
President of the United
States; born in Brookline.
Publicity for this book claims that until now there has been "no first-class modern biography that takes advantage of the huge volume of new material released from government archives and the JFK Library": somewhere there is a copywriter who missed Robert Dallek's magisterial and bestselling An Unfinished Life (2003), Dallek having been the first Kennedy biographer since Doris Kearns Goodwin to enjoy full, unrestricted access to all materials in the Kennedy Library. That being said, retired University of Wisconsin–Fox Valley history professor O'Brien (Vince: A Personal Biography of Vince Lombardi) offers a serviceable consideration of JFK that's as much a survey of the literature as it is a biography. The majority of O'Brien's footnotes refer to published sources, and this is reflected in O'Brien's prose. For example, his chapter on PT-109 is full of quotations from and allusions to the writings and conclusions of such authors as Robert Donovan, Joan and Clay Blair, and Nigel Hamilton. John F. Kennedy Books |
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Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
(1807 - 1882) Considered the
most influential poet of his
day with famous works such
as “The Courtship of Miles
Standish” and “Evangeline.”
The life story of Longfellow is full of drama, romance, and tragedy. The poet was born in a small seaport village in Maine. There, he began his dreams, gazing across the vast ocean to Europe. His dreams came true in a very unlikely profession—poetry. His fame reached far and wide, drawing him into the highest circles of society. Though sorrow came with his success, he continued to produce some of his most eloquent works, still quoted 200 years after his birth. Such poems as Paul Revere’s Ride, Tales of a Wayside Inn, Evangeline, A Psalm of Life, The Courtship of Miles Standish, and The Song of Hiawatha are some of his more memorable works. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Books |
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Amy Lowell poet,
Brookline
Amy Lowell Books |
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Percival Lowell
astronomer, Boston
Percival Lowell Books |
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James Russell Lowell
poet, Cambridge
James Russell Lowell Books |
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Robert Lowell
poet, Boston
Robert Lowell Books |
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Horace Mann (1796 -
1859) The father of public education; helped to establish the nation’s first
board of education and was a leading figure in promoting nonreligious public
education; born in Franklin.Urban ( American Education ) here describes in detail the career of a scholar and university administrator. The grandson of a slave, Bond was born into a family that encouraged educational pursuits, and graduated from college at age 18. After writing articles disputing the theory that IQ test scores were determined by heredity rather than environment, in 1934 he published The Education of the Negro in the American Social Order , a study of great distinction. Because racial prejudice limited African-American scholars' access to the publishing world, he devoted his career to college administration. Although the author offers few insights into Bond's personal life or his relationship with his son, activist and politician Julian Bond, the book is nevertheless a solid contribution to the history of African Americans. Horace Mann Books |
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Cotton Mather
clergyman, Boston
Cotton Mather Books |
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Sharon Christa McAuliffe teacher,
astronaut, Framingham
Sharon Christa McAuliffe Books |
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Jo Dee Marie Messina (born August 25, 1970), known professionally as Jo Dee Messina, is an American country music artist. In her career charted nine Number One singles on the Billboard country music charts. She has been honored by the Country Music Association, the Academy of Country Music and nominated for a Grammy Award. She was the first female country artist to score three multiple-week Number One songs from the same album. To date, she has two Platinum and three Gold-certified albums by the RIAA.
Messina debuted in 1996 with the single "Heads Carolina, Tails California". Her album was certifified Gold by the RIAA. Her second album, I'm Alright produced five Top 10 Country hits between 1998 in 1999 and sold over a million copies in America. Since her debut, six of her singles have peaked at #1 on the Billboard Country singles chart and five of her albums have received a certification by the RIAA or the CRIA.
Jo Dee Messina Website
Jo Dee Messina Books
Jo Dee Messina Discography |
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Samuel F. B. Morse
painter, inventor,
Charlestown
Samuel F. B. Morse Books |
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Leonard Nemoy
actor, Boston
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Leonard Simon Nimoy (pronounced /ˈniːmɔɪ/; born March 26, 1931) is an American actor, film director, poet, musician and photographer. He is famous for playing the character of Spock on the original Star Trek series, and he reprised the role in various movie and television sequels. Nimoy was born in Boston, Massachusetts, to Yiddish-speaking Jewish immigrants from Iziaslav, Ukraine. His father, Max Nimoy, owned a barbershop. His mother, Dora Nimoy (nιe Spinner), was a homemaker. Nimoy began acting at the age of eight. His first major role was Ralphie in Clifford Odets' Awake and Sing, at 17. He studied photography at the University of California, Los Angeles, completing his degree at Boston College in 1953, and has an MA in Education and an honorary doctorate from Antioch University in Ohio.
Nimoy served as a sergeant in the U.S. Army from 1953 through 1955,[8] alongside fellow actor Ken Berry.
Leonard had a guest role in the television series Sea Hunt in 1958.
He spent much of his early career doing small parts in B movies, TV shows such as Dragnet, and serials such as Republic Pictures' Zombies of the Stratosphere. In 1961, he had a minor role in The Twilight Zone episode "A Quality of Mercy".
Leonard Nemoy Books Leonard Nemoy Movies |
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Albert Pike
pioneer teacher, lawyer,
Boston
Albert Pike Books |
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Edgar Allen Poe
(January 19, 1809 –
October 7, 1849)
writer, Boston
As a lifelong fan of Edgar Allan Poe, I admit that I worship at the altar of Poe. Therefore it was a delight to discover this most excellent bio, extensively researched by another worshipful fan (from an earlier era) of American's greatest short story writer. This is a must for your reference library. I read and absorbed every single page. I'm grateful that the author followed his own lifelong passion for Poe and went against the grain of Poe bashing biographers of his time, and produced this work that extols Poe's positive character features while not neglecting the negatives. Compare this bio with other "negative" Poe bios of the past (esp. early 20th century), still available in libraries, and you'll understand why it was such a pleasure for me to find this particular book which provides a more balanced picture of the artist's life and career.
Author of works such as The
Tell-Tale Heart and The Fall of
the House of Usher; lived in
Richmond. Edgar Allen Poe Books |
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Paul Revere
(1734 - 1818), silversmith
and patriot; born in Boston.
Portraying the man behind the myth, A True Republican goes beyond the famous "ride" to explore Paul Revere's larger role in the American Revolution, the evolution of his political thought, and his transformation from Revolutionary artisan to entrepreneur in the early republic. Jayne E. Triber's insightful reading of both primary and secondary sources-including government documents, Masonic records, and Revere's personal and business papers-illuminates the social, cultural, and economic factors that shaped Revere's Revolutionary activities as well as his ardent interpretation of republicanism. Through the lens of one man's life, Triber explores the meaning and attraction of republicanism for artisans, the social structure of Revolutionary and post-Revolutionary America, the importance of Free-masonry, and the development of political parties in the newly formed republic. Paul Revere Books |
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Robert H. Rines
inventor, Boston
Robert H. Rines Books |
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Dr. Seuss - Theodore
Geisel author,
illustrator, Springfield
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Theodor Seuss Geisel (pronounced /ˈɡaɪzəl/; March 2, 1904 September 24, 1991) was an American writer and cartoonist most widely known for his children's books written under the pen name Dr. Seuss. He published over 60 children's books, which were often characterized by imaginative characters, rhyme, and frequent use of trisyllabic meter. His most celebrated books include the bestselling Green Eggs and Ham, The Cat in the Hat, and One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish. Numerous adaptations of his work have been created, including eleven television specials, three feature films, and a Broadway musical.
Geisel also worked as an illustrator for advertising campaigns, most notably for Flit and Standard Oil, and as a political cartoonist for PM, a New York City newspaper. During World War II, he worked in an animation department of the U.S Army, where he wrote Design for Death, a film that later won the 1947 Academy Award for Documentary Feature.
Dr. Seuss Books
Dr. Seuss Films |
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Lucy Stone woman
suffragist, West Brookfield
Lucy Stone Books |
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Louis Henry Sullivan
architect, Boston
Louis Henry Sullivan Books |
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Henry David Thoreau (1817 -
1862) Essayist, naturalist,
and philosopher; born in
Concord.
Grade 7 Up–Meltzer closes this engaging biography with Emerson's eulogy for his friend, The country knows not yet, or in the least part, how great a son it has lost…. Indeed, the picture painted here is not that of the oft-mythologized hermit, but of a passionate man largely uncelebrated in his lifetime. Readers see Thoreau through a variety of lenses–brother, friend, pencil maker, abolitionist, naturalist, and transcendentalist–to name only a few. Meltzer's clear and succinct writing style is punctuated with well-chosen and good-quality photographs and reproductions. Perhaps this title's greatest virtue lies in its successful depiction of the link between Thoreau's personal philosophy and modern movements and concerns. His statements on conservation still fuel environmental advocacy, while his writings on civil disobedience can be directly linked to the work of Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. A first-rate choice for any student seeking a well-organized introduction to the life of the author and philosopher.–Jill Heritage Maza, Greenwich High School,
From
School Library Journal Henry David Thoreau Books |
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Max Tishler
inventor, Boston
Max Tishler Books |
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James McNeill
Whistler painter, Lowell
James McNeill Whistler Books |
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Eli Whitney
inventor, Westborough Eli Whitney Books |
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John Greenleaf Whittier poet, Haverhill
John Greenleaf Whittier Books |
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A-G • H-W |
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