Hamilton: The Revolution - Lin-Manuel Miranda, Jeffrey Seller, Jeremy McCarter

Staff Pick

Over the past year, Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical, Hamilton, has won a bevy of awards, sold out shows across the country, and dominated pop-culture like no other show in recent memory—or maybe ever. In Hamilton: The Revolution (Grand Central, $45), Miranda and theater critic Jeremy McCarter provide a detailed look into the show’s gestation from a single rap about the founding fathers to a full blown Broadway phenomena. The book includes detailed liner notes, deleted songs, photographs, interviews (including several with President Obama), and a guide to the show’s many hip hop references. The juicy behind the scenes details and anecdotes are sure to be catnip for theater nerds. But the insight into the multi-talented Miranda’s creative process is a fascinating read for both fans and newcomers alike.

Hamilton: The Revolution By Lin-Manuel Miranda, Jeremy McCarter Cover Image
$50.00
ISBN: 9781455539741
Availability: In Stock—Click for Locations
Published: Grand Central Publishing - April 12th, 2016

I Am Brian Wilson: A Memoir - Brian Wilson

Staff Pick

Over the years, the legend of Brian Wilson’s personal struggles has threatened to overshadow the groundbreaking work he did with the Beach Boys. In I Am Brian Wilson (Da Capo, $26.99) the musician, with writer Ben Greenman, finally gets a chance to tell his story from his own perspective. In many ways, this book is an antidote to his earlier memoir, Wouldn’t It Be Nice: My Own Story, ghostwritten by Wilson’s domineering therapist Eugene Landy. In this update, Wilson freely admits that his memory is spotty, and the book often reads as Wilson’s attempt to make sense of his recollections, both good and bad. The narrative often succumbs to melancholy, as when Wilson reflects on his tyrannical father, his mental breakdown at age twenty-five, his struggles with drugs, his therapist Landy, and his own inadequacies as a father. However, Wilson also shares his musical inspirations, insights into his creative process, his joy at making music, and his artistic comeback in the 2000s. I Am Brian Wilson is ultimately a rewarding read, as the author invites us to help him comb through his life story and find the one thing that always came so easily to him in his music: harmony.

I Am Brian Wilson: A Memoir By Brian Wilson, Ben Greenman (With) Cover Image
$28.00
ISBN: 9780306823060
Availability: Not On Our Shelves—Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Da Capo Press - October 11th, 2016

I Am Brian Wilson: A Memoir By Brian Wilson, Ben Greenman (With) Cover Image
$16.99
ISBN: 9780306825798
Availability: Not On Our Shelves—Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Da Capo Press - October 10th, 2017

Alfred Hitchcock: A Brief Life - Peter Ackroyd

Staff Pick

Alfred Hitchcock’s life, his films, and the ways in which they intersect are well trodden territories. Peter Ackroyd’s Alfred Hitchcock (Nan A. Talese, $26.95) gives a chronological overview of Hitch’s life and his work. We are guided through the filmmaker’s upbringing in Dickensian London, through war-ravaged Britain, and taken to Hollywood. Ackroyd pays special attention to the director’s Catholicism, his macabre sense of humor, and his grueling work ethic. He also details and analyzes each of Hitchcock’s films. Ultimately, this comprehensive biography shows us just how hard it is to know Hitchcock, a man who directed his life’s story with the same control he wielded in his films.

Alfred Hitchcock: A Brief Life By Peter Ackroyd Cover Image
$26.95
ISBN: 9780385537414
Availability: Special Order—Subject to Availability
Published: Nan A. Talese - October 25th, 2016