Ultimate Biography

Rating:
Summary: Great Reference Book
Review: "Ultimate Biography" gives an overview on the lives of 250 influential people throughout history. The individuals are divided by categories: Arts, American History, Human Achievement, World History, and Human Spirit and are further divided into several sub-categories such as founding fathers, gangsters, pop stars, and despotic rulers. As you can see by the categories, people from all walks of life are featured. Each feature has at least one photograph (generally more than one) as well as a brief biography and some "Did You Know?" trivia. Of course featuring so many individuals in one book, there is only a brief biography for each one. It makes a great reference book or a great way to spark interest in the lives of many influential people through history.

Rating:
Summary: Great Reference Book
Review: "Ultimate Biography" gives an overview on the lives of 250 influential people throughout history. The individuals are divided by categories: Arts, American History, Human Achievement, World History, and Human Spirit and are further divided into several sub-categories such as founding fathers, gangsters, pop stars, and despotic rulers. As you can see by the categories, people from all walks of life are featured. Each feature has at least one photograph (generally more than one) as well as a brief biography and some "Did You Know?" trivia. Of course featuring so many individuals in one book, there is only a brief biography for each one. It makes a great reference book or a great way to spark interest in the lives of many influential people through history.

Rating:
Summary: A delight to read.
Review: A&E's "Ultimate Biography" (just published in the spring of 2002) gives a superb look at the world's most influential and important people. With informative mini-biographies, gorgeous color and black & white photographs and interesting "Did you know?" facts about each of the 250 people profiled, this is an extraordinary book for all ages.

As soon as I picked this book up, I couldn't put it down! It's so engrossing and no matter how much you know about these people, you'll learn something else about them. There is also a very nice section devoted to America's most famous family, the Kennedys. This is a must have (especially for fans of the Biography show) and you won't regret purchasing it.

With categories such as:

Arts
-Impressionists
-Creators of Rock 'n' Roll
-Talk Show Hosts
-Giants of Jazz
-Creators of Television
-Showmen
-Music Makers of the '60s & '70s
-The Great Architects
-Pop Stars of the '80s & '90s
-Dancers

American History
-Civil Rights
-Native Americans
-Wild West
-Founding Fathers
-Gangsters
-The Kennedys
-Leaders of the Civil War
-Harlem Renaissance
-Leaders of the Vietnam Era

Human Achievement
-Scientists
-Tycoons & Moguls
-Basic Principles
-The Greatest Sportsmen
-The Greatest Sportswomen
-Healers
-Inventors of the Modern World
-Makers of the Wired World

World History
-Conquerors
-Kings & Queens of England
-The Renaissance
-Communist Revolutionaries
-Age of Elizabeth I
-The French Revolution

-Leaders of World War I
-Modern British Royals
-Despotic Rulers
-Leaders of World War II
-Military Leaders of WWII
-Assassins
-The Fall of the Iron Curtain

Human Spirit
-Spiritual Teachers
-Those Who Touched the Sky
-Those Who Reached the Stars
-The Fight for Justice
-The Great Explorers
-Polar Explorers
-Five Major Saints
-Sex Symbols
-Christian Reformers
-Sex On the Mind

Rating:
Summary: Compendium of TV Showcasing Bio
Review: Here is editors collection of in their words "250 of the moost powerful, revered, infamous, and interesting people who have ever lived."

Their profiles of chosen few are excellent. See other reviews which list all categoreies.

But how can anyone argue Burt Bacharach over Bach and Beethoven? Or Jennifer Capriatti over Arthur Ashe? In annals of time, this reviewer is convinced there is no comparison. Poor choices in many categories.

What is chosen is done very well, with great capsulized profiles, all excellently done with art and photos and crisp journalism. Great reference and starting point, and to debate 250 most influential.

Rating:
Summary: --An appetizer of biographies--
Review: ULTIMATE BIOGRAPHY was written and published to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the Biography channel on A & E. Out of 1000 subjects that have been presented on the program, they've chosen to profile the lives of 250 people that they're calling "the world's most influential people." It's necessary to understand that premise because when you look inside you're sure to disagree with some of the individuals that are mentioned and wonder about others who are not in the book. I wasn't particularly interested in the entertainment stars that were chosen to be included but I did enjoy reading the fascinating stories of the good and not so good people who have made up our world.

Reading this book is like reading a who's who in the world of the Arts, American History, Human Achievement, World History and Human Spirit. There are a lot of photographs and each subject has a very brief biography explaining what made them a person of world influence and then some interesting tidbits of information are given. I enjoy history and here are some things that I learned from the book:

Eleanor of Aquitaine took 300 women with her on the Second Crusade.

Benjamin Franklin was the 15th child in his family.

Queen Victoria, the mother of nine children hated childbearing, which she called "the shadow side of marriage."

Mao Zedong's childhood heroes were George Washington and Napoleon Bonaparte.

Writers, Langston Hughes and Ernest Hemingway were friends and attended

bullfights together.

ULTIMATE BIOGRAPHY would make a good coffee table book! There's just enough information on each subject to wet the appetite and possibly make the reader want to learn more.

Rating:
Summary: --An appetizer of biographies--
Review: ULTIMATE BIOGRAPHY was written and published to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the Biography channel on A & E. Out of 1000 subjects that have been presented on the program, they've chosen to profile the lives of 250 people that they're calling "the world's most influential people." It's necessary to understand that premise because when you look inside you're sure to disagree with some of the individuals that are mentioned and wonder about others who are not in the book. I wasn't particularly interested in the entertainment stars that were chosen to be included but I did enjoy reading the fascinating stories of the good and not so good people who have made up our world.

Reading this book is like reading a who's who in the world of the Arts, American History, Human Achievement, World History and Human Spirit. There are a lot of photographs and each subject has a very brief biography explaining what made them a person of world influence and then some interesting tidbits of information are given. I enjoy history and here are some things that I learned from the book:

Eleanor of Aquitaine took 300 women with her on the Second Crusade.

Benjamin Franklin was the 15th child in his family.

Queen Victoria, the mother of nine children hated childbearing, which she called "the shadow side of marriage."

Mao Zedong's childhood heroes were George Washington and Napoleon Bonaparte.

Writers, Langston Hughes and Ernest Hemingway were friends and attended

bullfights together.

ULTIMATE BIOGRAPHY would make a good coffee table book! There's just enough information on each subject to wet the appetite and possibly make the reader want to learn more.