A biography is a detailed account of a person’s life written by someone else. It encompasses the major events, experiences, and achievements of the individual, often providing insights into their personality, motivations, and the impact they had on the world. Biographies typically include information about the subject’s early life, education, career, relationships, and legacy, and they may draw on various sources such as letters, diaries, interviews, and historical records to provide a comprehensive and accurate portrayal. Here are our biographies.
Forthcoming | June 2025 |
90 Seconds to Midnight by Charlotte Decroes Jacobs tells the story of Setsuko Nakamura Thurlow, who, after surviving the atomic bombing of Hiroshima at thirteen, dedicated her life to warning the world of nuclear devastation’s horrors. Her relentless advocacy helped shape the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, leading to a historic global ban.
I Have No Enemies | The Life and Legacy of Liu Xiaobo by Perry Link and Wu Dazhi is a fascinating biography of Liu, a Chinese political and human rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate. A powerful record of Liu’s life and times, this book also tells the story of a generation of Chinese intellectuals who sought a better way forward.
Victorious in Defeat | The Life and Times of Chiang Kai-shek, China, 1887-1975 by Alexander V. Pantsov and Steven I. Levine looks back on the life of Chinese leader Chiang Kai-Shek. The authors shed new light on the role played by the Russians in Chiang’s political career as well as on Chiang’s complex relationship with top officials of the United States
Zelda Popkin | The Life and Times of an American Jewish Woman Writer by Jeremy D. Popkin tells an amazing story. Zelda Popkin’s adventurous life could have made her the protagonist of one of her own novels. In his brilliant telling of the story of her life, her historian grandson, Jeremy D. Popkin, has made a singular contribution to the history of American Jewish women in the twentieth century.
Lost in the Cold War | The Story of Jack Downey, America’s Longest-Held POW by John T. Downey, Thomas J. Christensen, and Jack Lee Downey recounts the story of Jack Downey’s time as a prisoner in Cold War China. Downey’s lively and gripping memoir—written in secret late in life—interweaves horrors and deprivation with humor and the absurdities of captivity.
We Have Tired of Violence | A True Story of Murder, Memory, and the Fight for Justice in Indonesia by Matt Easton is a chilling work of true crime about the midair murder of a human rights activist, set against a riveting political drama in the world’s fourth-largest nation. The story uncovers a conspiracy involving spies, a mysterious co-pilot, threats of violence and black magic, and deadly poison.
Champagne Charlie | The Frenchman Who Taught Americans to Love Champagne by Don and Petie Kladstrup recounts the story about Charles Heidsieck, who faced a tumultuous road in his quest to introduce champagne to the United States. It is a thrilling tale of how the go-to celebratory drink of our time made its way, thanks to the controversial figure of Heidsieck.
To Repair a Broken World | The Life of Henrietta Szold, Founder of Hadassah, introduces a new generation to a remarkable leader who fought for women’s rights and the poor. Author Dvora Hacohen is an Israeli historian and professor in the Martin (Szusz) Department of Land of Israel Studies and Archaeology at the Bar-Ilan University in Israel.
Pamela S. Nadell’s America’s Jewish Women | History from Colonial Times to Today weaves together the complex story of Jewish women in America — from colonial-era matriarch Grace Nathan, poet Emma Lazarus, to Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Recounting how Jewish women have been at the forefront of social, economic, and political causes for centuries, Nadell shows them fighting for suffrage, labor unions, civil rights, feminism, and religious rights.
The Planter of Modern Life | How an Ohio Farm Boy Conquered Literary Paris, Fed the Lost Generation, and Sowed the Seeds of the Organic Food Movement by Stephen Heyman tells of story of Louis Bromfield, leader of the organic food movement. This sweeping biography unearths a lost icon of American culture, a fascinating, hilarious and unclassifiable character who—between writing and plowing—also dabbled in global politics and high society.
Peter and Amy Bernstein founded Bernstein Literary Agency in 2009. For over two decades, we have worked with over 100 brilliant authors around the globe and across a gamut of subjects to get their books published, and their stories told. We typically work on non-fiction projects, but we have helped bring many fiction books, children’s books, and the occasional cookbook to market. We work with authors in all stages of their careers, from experienced, award-winning, and bestselling ones to debut writers ready to take on the world.
Amitav Acharya
Esther Allen
Gerard Araud
Chris Bohjalian
Andrew Scott Cooper
Vincent Coppola
Eva Dou
Caldwell B., Esselstyn, Jr., M.D.
Bruce Falconer
Gillian Lipton
Sven Steinmo
Robert Suettinger
Tanzina Vega
Olajide Williams
Dalena Wright