Some Sort of Epic Grandeur - The Life of F Scott Fitzgerald

Matthew J. Bruccoli

Sinossi

“Epic indeed, this is the definitive biography of Fitzgerald, plain and simple. There’s no reason to own another.” —Library Journal The Great Gatsby, The Beautiful and Damned, Tender Is the Night, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.” These works and more elevated F. Scott Fitzgerald to his place as one of the most important American authors of the twentieth century. After struggling to become a screenwriter in Hollywood, Fitzgerald was working on The Last Tycoon when he died of a heart attack in 1940. He was only forty-four years old. Fitzgerald left behind his own mythology. He was a prince charming, a drunken author, a spoiled genius, the personification of the Jazz Age, and a sacrificial victim of the Depression. Here, Matthew J. Bruccoli strips away the façade of this flawed literary hero. He focuses on Fitzgerald as a writer by tracing the development of his major works and his professional career. Beginning with his Midwest upbringing and first published works as a teenager, this biography follows Fitzgerald’s life through the successful debut of This Side of Paradise, his turbulent marriage to Zelda Sayre, his time in Europe among The Lost Generation, the disappointing release of The Great Gatsby, and his ignominious fall. As former US poet laureate James Dickey said, “the spirit of the man is in the facts, and these, as gathered and marshalled by Bruccoli over thirty years, are all we will ever need. But more important, they are what we need.”

Disponibile da: 28/06/2022.

Lunghezza di stampa: 692 pagine.

Altri libri che potrebbero interessarti

Half a Sheet of Foolscap - From...

August Strindberg

The bookshelves of European literature are incredible collections that have gathered together centuries of very talented authors.  From this continent their fame spread and whilst among their number many are now forgotten or neglected their talents endure.  Among them is Giovanni Verga.

Mostra libro

Socrates - Socrates Philosophy...

Hector Davidson

Socrates stands as one of the most influential figures in the history of philosophy, a thinker whose ideas and methods continue to shape intellectual inquiry. Born in Athens around 469 BCE, he never wrote a single philosophical text, yet his impact endures through the works of his students, particularly Plato. His approach to philosophy was rooted in dialogue, questioning, and an unwavering commitment to seeking truth. Unlike the Sophists of his time, who often prioritized rhetorical skill and persuasion, Socrates believed that wisdom was not about appearing knowledgeable but about recognizing one’s own ignorance. His method of relentless questioning, now known as the Socratic Method, remains a cornerstone of critical thinking and philosophical discourse.
Socrates lived during a period of great political and social upheaval in Athens. The city had emerged from the Peloponnesian War weakened and uncertain about its future. In this context, Socrates became both an admired and controversial figure. His insistence on questioning authority and challenging conventional beliefs made him a target for those who saw his influence as destabilizing. He did not align himself with any particular political faction but instead sought to examine the moral and ethical foundations of society. His discussions often exposed the contradictions in the reasoning of politicians, poets, and fellow citizens, leading many to view him as a disruptive force.
His trial in 399 BCE remains one of the most significant moments in philosophical history. Accused of corrupting the youth and impiety, Socrates defended himself in a manner that was both defiant and deeply philosophical. In The Apology, Plato’s account of the trial, Socrates argues that he was fulfilling a divine mission by encouraging people to think critically and examine their lives.

Mostra libro

Russian Short Story The - Volume...

Alexander Pushkin, Nikolai Gogol

The Russian novel has a reputation that is immense, both in narrative and in length.  Unquestionably though the ideas, themes and characters make many novels rightly revered as world class, as icons of literature. 
 
Perhaps an easier way to enjoy a wider selection of the Russian heritage, with its varied and glorious literary talents, is with the short story.  These gems sparkle and beguile the mind with their characters and narrative, exploring facets of society and the human condition that more Western authors somehow find more difficult to navigate, or to explore, explain and relate to.   
 
The Russian short story is, in many respects, in a genre of its own.  It is at its captivating best whether it’s an exploration of real-life experiences, through fantasy and fables and on to total absurdity. 
 
In a land so vast it is unsurprising that it is a world almost unto itself. Cultures and landscapes of differing hues are packed together bound only by the wilful bonds and force of Empire. 
 
The stories in this collection traverse the decades where one might be a serf under an absolute monarch, and the reality of that was pretty near to slavery, into an emancipation of sorts in the fields, or towns under the despotic will of landowners and the rich into the upheavals of Empire and then the overthrow of the ruling class and its replacement by the communists, who promised equality for all and delivered a society where the down-trodden remained the lowest yet vital cog of the state machine and its will.  
 
Whilst Tolstoy, Gogol, Dostoevsky, Pushkin and Chekhov are a given in any Russian collection we also explore and include Andreyev, Korolenko, Turgenev, Blavatsky and many others to create a world rich and dense across a sprawling landscape of diverse people, riddled with the class and unfairness in perhaps some of the most turbulent times that Russia has ever experienced. 
 
01 - The Russian Short Story - Volume 1 - An Introduction 
02 - The Queen of Spades by Alexander Pushkin 
03 - The Stationmaster by Alexander Pushkin 
04 - The Blizzard by Alexander Pushkin 
05 - The Coffin Maker by Alexander Pushkin 
06 - The Shot by Alexander Pushkin 
07 - St Johns Eve by Nikolai Gogol 
08 - The Cloak by Nikolai Gogol also known as 'The Overcoat' 
09 - Old Fashioned Landowners by Nikolai Gogol 
10 - The Nose by Nikolai Gogol

Mostra libro

The Samurai Wars of Feudal Japan...

Gavin Morgan

For centuries, the samurai dominated Japan’s battlefields, engaging in legendary wars that shaped the course of history. From the rise of the great clans to the bloody conflicts that led to the unification of Japan, their code of honor and mastery of strategy made them some of the most feared warriors in the world. 
This audiobook explores the greatest samurai battles, legendary leaders, and the intricate warfare strategies that defined Feudal Japan. How did the samurai rise to power? What were the most decisive wars? And how did this warrior class ultimately fade from history? 
The Samurai Wars of Feudal Japan is a gripping journey into Japan’s past, perfect for history lovers, military strategy enthusiasts, and fans of warrior cultures.

Mostra libro

Exploring My Limits

Dwayne Fields

Exploring My Limits is a W. F. Howes Audio Original, written and recorded by Dwayne Fields: adventurer, explorer, presenter and the first black British person to reach the magnetic north pole.

As a young child in wild Jamaica, Dwayne Fields loved both nature and wildlife. Yet after moving to the UK at the age of six, his formative years were in the concrete jungle of inner-city London, where he became a victim of both knife and gun crime. In 2010, following a life-threatening incident, Dwayne made the decision to change his path, and his life, forever.

Dwayne set himself the challenge of becoming the first black British person to reach the magnetic North Pole. Upon doing so he was invited to Buckingham Palace, joining other polar explorers and adventurers at a reception to mark the centenary of Scott’s expedition to the South Pole.

His drive to engage and enthuse a new generation with our natural spaces, the climate challenges we face, and adventure, have led to Dwayne working on a variety of projects with household names such as Will Smith, Bear Grylls, Ellie Simons and Tim Peak. He is dedicated to inspiring young, underprivileged people to explore the ‘great outdoors’ – and in doing so push past society’s expectations of them and smash their own self-imposed boundaries.
In a series of frank and insightful conversations – with people ranging from fellow mould-breakers to world-famous explorers – Dwayne questions where those limits are, why they are in place, and what we can do to break them down in order to improve and change lives.

Dwayne speaks to:
• Adebayo Akinfenwa – a professional footballer told he was ‘the wrong size’ to ever make it
• Ben Fogle – the renowned explorer talks about the importance of being out in nature
• Maya-Rose Craig (aka Birdgirl) – the British-Bangladeshi ornithologist and author talks about her VME initiative Black2Nature and growing up not seeing ‘faces like mine’
Plus more people he has encountered in his journey to inspire underprivileged youth to transform their lives.

About the author
Dwayne Fields is an acclaimed explorer and the UK’s Chief Scout. Amongst other accolades, Dwayne’s TV series Endurance: Race to the Pole with Ben Fogle was nominated in the 2024 BAFTA awards, and Dwayne has been awarded the City of London’s highest honour, ‘The Freedom of the City of London’ by the Lord Mayor for his work with young people.

Mostra libro

Free to Stand for Truth and Justice

Laurent Gbagbo

Ousted from power by the French army on April 11, 2011, following the disputed presidential election in Côte d'Ivoire of November 2010, Laurent Gbagbo was charged with crimes against humanity before the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, on December 5, 2011.

This book, written from 2012 onwards, thanks to numerous prison visits and interviews, is the only one to have been produced with the participation of the Ivorian president during his incarceration and trial.
This unique testimony is more than ever a document for history, because it sheds light on the manipulations of the 2010 elections, the collusion between Nicolas Sarkozy's France and the ICC to get rid of Laurent Gbagbo, and the stalling tactics and maneuvers that marred "Gbagbogate."
Over meetings with François Mattei, Laurent Gbagbo looks back on his seven years in prison, explains what they mean and shares his vision for the future—that of a free man, come what may.

Mostra libro