Editors' Picks

The Early History of Faking War on Film

Early filmmakers faced a dilemma: how to capture the drama of war without getting themselves killed in the process. Their solution: fake the footage

PHOTOS: The History of Abraham Lincoln on Film

The 16th president has been a Hollywood star and box office attraction since the earliest days of Hollywood

Esperanza Spalding Took on Bieber, Now Takes on Jazz

The innovative bassist and winner of the Smithsonian American Ingenuity Award for performing arts is taking jazz to a whole new place

Beats

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A pioneering elephant rescuer looks back on the loves of her life and a collection of essays investigates the history of happiness
June 2012 | By Chloë Schama

One of the most gifted singer-songwriters of our time talks love, science and the deep space between men and women
June 2012 | By Ron Rosenbaum

The man who helped make the banana an American favorite also mercilessly used his company’s power to topple foreign governments
May 2012 | By Chloë Schama

Now 92 years old, the legendary folk singer recalls his pioneering days touring college campuses and discusses his favorite songs
April 2012 | By Aviva Shen

The '70s music scene is being reexamined in these books by and about the major players of rock 'n' roll
February 22, 2012 | By Chloë Schama

This vivid new book charts the dazzling contradictions in the life of the Godfather of Soul
March 2012 | By Chloë Schama

What are the must-read books written by and about the famed British author?
January 17, 2012 | By Megan Gambino

Biographer Claire Tomalin's literary sleuthing revealed the untold story of the famed author's "invisible woman"
February 2012 | By Joshua Hammer

Two centuries after his birth, the novelist is still wildly popular, as a theme park, a new movie and countless festivals attest
February 2012 | By Joshua Hammer

The Scottish baritone saxophone musician recalls his 60-year career and the famous singers he’s accompanied
October 13, 2011 | By Jeff Greenwald

Great written works from authors such as Shakespeare and Jane Austen that you'll never have a chance to read
September 20, 2011 | By Megan Gambino

John Howard Griffin gave readers an unflinching view of the Jim Crow South. How has his book held up?
October 2011 | By Bruce Watson

In his new book, music historian Don Cusic recounts the enduring icons of western music and their indelible mark on pop culture
September 08, 2011 | By Katy June-Friesen

It took an Oscar-winning director to make sense of the drug-addled footage shot by the enigmatic author and his Merry Pranksters
August 05, 2011 | By Daniel Eagan

In the mountains of upstate New York, the ’60s bandleader plays host to musicians old and young with sets that play far into the night
July 19, 2011 | By Anne Miller

A new book explores how the author of the beloved children’s book was inspired by his love for nature and animals
June 03, 2011 | By Chloë Schama

In honor of the folk singer’s 70th birthday, we have selected 10 of the many pivotal events that have shaped his tumultuous life
May 20, 2011 | By Jim Morrison

The rock guitarist talks about his custom-made Frankenstein 2 that is now in the collections of the American History museum
June 2011 | By Beth Py-Lieberman

With the imminent re-opening of Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark, we look back on some of the most memorable failures in musical theater history
May 11, 2011 | By Jesse Rhodes

Even in the age of the Kindle and the Nook, the library on wheels can still attract an audience
February 23, 2011 | By Jeff Greenwald

Songwriters Leon Huff and Kenneth Gamble composed tunes with political messages for chart-toppers like the O’Jays and Billy Paul
February 18, 2011 | By Jim Morrison

Two comic book veterans—who authored the graphic adaptation of the 9/11 Report—train their talents on the young diarist
January 25, 2011 | By Jamie Katz

Novelist and travel writer Paul Theroux examines other authors' autobiographies to prove why this piece will suffice for his
January 2011 | By Paul Theroux

Fiction was stranger than truth in these examples of authentic autobiographies that were anything but that
December 20, 2010 | By Lyn Garrity

In our annual tradition, we present some of the best that children's literature has to offer this year
December 16, 2010 | By Kathleen Burke

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