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Listing of biography resources. Also refer to life stories, famous people, lives, information, Ron Kurtus, School for Champions. Copyright © Restrictions
Biography Resources
by Ron Kurtus (revised 26 December 2005)
The following is a listing of biography resources:
Topic list
- General biography
- Winston Churchill
- Thomas Edison
- Benjamin Franklin
- King Gillette
- Nikola Tesla
- Mark Twain
- George Westinghouse
- Miscellaneous
General biography
Biographies.com - Extensive listing of short biographies.
PBS Biographies - Biographies of wide range of historical figures, from the Public Broadcasting System.
Info Please: Biography - Facts on over 30,000 personalities.
Lives, the Biography Resource - Great collection of links to biographical sites.
Forbes 400 Richest People in America - Biographies of America's living rich.
Women International Center Biographies - Material on famous women.
National Inventors' Hall of Fame - Biographies of famous inventors.
Winston Churchill
Resources on Churchill:
Books
Winston Churchill by John Keegan; Viking Press (2002) $19.95 - A short but thorough book on the life of Churchiill by an eminent military historian
Churchill: A Biography by Roy Jenkins, Publisher; Plume (2002) $18.00 - A large book (1024 pages) ranks as one of the best single-volume biography of Churchill in recent years
The Wit and Wisdom of Winston Churchill: A Treasury of More Than 1,000 Quotations and Anecdotes by James C. Humes, Richard M. Nixon; Perennial (1995) $12.95 - Entertaining compendium of witticisms, anecdotes, and trivia about Winston Churchill by a former Nixon speechwriter
Never Give In: The Best of Winston Churchill's Speeches by Winston S. Churchill; Hyperion (2003) $27.95
Websites
Winston S. Churchill site - Maintained by the Churchill Society in Washington D.C.
Life and Times of Winston Churchill - From the National Library of Scotland
Churchill's "Never Give In" Speech - Recording in RealAudio
Text of Winston Churchill's First Speech as Prime Minister: "Blood, Toil, Tears and Sweat" in 1940
Text of Winston Churchill's "Never Give In" Speech of 1941
Thomas Edison
Resources on Edison:
Books
Thomas Alva Edison: Inventing the Electric Age by Gene Adiar; Oxford Univ. Children's Books (1997) $9.56 - Goes through the life of Edison from a boy starting up businesses to becoming one of the world's greatest inventors; Scientific principles of Edison's inventions also explained and some of Edison's sketches and patent drawing are included; Focuses more on his work than his personal life
Thomas A. Edison: A Streak of Luck by Robert Conot; (1986) $13.95 - Book contends that much of Edison's success came from luck and clever public relations
Thomas Alva Edison: Young Inventor by Louis Sabin and George Ulrich; Troll Communications (1990) $2.80 - Focuses on Edison's early years and how he got started as an inventor
Edison: A Life of Invention by Paul Israel; John Wiley & Sons (1998) $21.00 - Gives attention to Edison's early career, then shows the relationship of his life to the Industrial Revolution. The book looks into Edison's technical work and business dealings and includes copies of Edison's original drawings
Edison: Inventing the Century by Neil Baldwin; Hyperion Press (1996) $11.96 - Explains Edison's personal life and work habits. More of a biography of his life and personality than a study of his inventions
The Story of Thomas Alva Edison by Margaret Cousins; Random House Publishing (1997) $4.79 - Story of Edison's life, inventions, and personality; Written for readers from 9 to 12 years old
Websites
Thomas Edison's Inventions Web - Biography and background on inventions.
Thomas Edison Web Site - Biography and other information.
Inventing Entertainment - Library of Congress information on Edison.
Thomas Edison Birthplace Museum - Gives short history and lists inventions.
Edison National Historic Site - Provides information about the National Park Service's Edison National Historic Site in West Orange, New Jersey, home of Edison's research and development laboratory.
Thomas Alva Edison - Biography material from Edison Elementary School in Minot, North Dakota.
Thomas A. Edison Papers - Research site with database of Edison's papers and materials.
The Edison Trails - CD collection of talent search recordings of European singers made in 1912
Benjamin Franklin
Reosurces on Franklin:
Books
Benjamin Franklin by Carl Van Doren; Penguin Press (1991) $15.16 - Classic biography by a respected author.
Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, MacMillan Publishing (1997) $4.80 - Written as a letter to his son, this autobiography of Franklin is a great book that gives insight on his thought processes and methods.
Benjamin Franklin Wit and Wisdom, Peter Pauper Press, (1998) $3.96 - Famous and not-so-famous sayings by Franklin.
Benjamin Franklin's Adventures with Electricity by Beverly Birch; Barrons Juveniles (1996) $4.76 - Facts and pictures about Franklin's early electrical experiments (Ages 9 to 12).
Benjamin Franklin's Science by I. Bernard Choen; Harvard Univ. Press (1990) $44.00 - Examines the theoretical side of Franklin's scientific work.
Websites
The World of Benjamin Franklin - from the Franklin Institute Science Museum
Benjamin Franklin - a Documentary History - highly detailed biography
An Enlightened American - Benjamin Franklin - view of Franklin as a leader
Benjamin Franklin - from Spectrum Magazine
King Camp Gillette
Resources on King Camp Gillette:
Articles
The Razor's Edge by Richard Martin, The Industry Standard magazine, August 6-13, 2001 (Magazine no longer in print)
Books
The Human Drift by K.C. Gillette, Boston: New Era Publishing Co. (1894) - Gillette's first book. Rare; out of print
The People's Corporation by K.C. Gillette, New York: Boni and Liveright Publishers (1924) - Rare; out of print
White House Cookbook, Revised and Updated Centennial Edition by Hugo Ziemann and F. L. Gillette; John Wiley & Sons (1996) $18.95 - Book by Gillette's mother
King C. Gillette: The Man and His Wonderful Shaving Device, by Russell B. Adams; Little Brown & Company (1978) - Biography; out of print
Cutting Edge: Gillette's Journey to Global Leadership by Gordon McKibben; Harvard Business School Press (1998) - History of Gillette and his company
Movers and Shakers: The 100 Most Influential Figures in Modern Business by Basic books Basic Books (2003) $17.95 - Short chapter on Gillette
Websites
Engines of Our Ingenuity - King Gillette
King Camp Gillette - Encyclopedia Britannica
King C. Gillette - MIT Inventors
Nikola Tesla
Websites
Tesla's Life - Short biography and links
Tesla - The Electric Magician - Good, detailed biography
Tesla - Master of Lightning - Excellent site from the U.S. Public Broadcasting System (PBS)
Tesla Memorial Society of New York - Good background of Tesla, including information on his inventions
Zoran's Tesla Pages - Interesting stories and pictures of Tesla
Vedic Philosophy and Tesla's Understanding of Free Energy
Books
The Fantastic Inventions of Nikola Tesla by Nikola Tesla and David H. Childress; Adventures Unlimited Press (1993) $13.56 - Information on Tesla's patents and especially on his high energy electricity experiments, as well as some of his far-out theories
In Search of Nikola Tesla by F. David Peat; Ashgrove Press (1998) $9.56 - Scientific information on Tesla's wireless power transmission theories plus speculation on his thought processes
My Inventions: The Autobiography of Nikola Tesla by Ben Johnston (Editor); Hart Brothers Publishing (1982) $7.95 - The primary source for all Tesla biographers, tracing his career through a maze of sensationalism and controversy
Wizard: The Life and Times of Nikola Tesla : Biography of a Genius by Marc J. Seifer; Citadel Press (1998) $15.96 - An excellent non-technical book detailing the life, inventions, personality and tribulations of this great scientist
Nikola Tesla's Earthquake Machine by Pond, Daumgartner and Baumgartner; Message Company (1995) $16.95 - Details and plans for building a working model of the Tesla Oscillator, intended to create artificial earthquakes; A somewhat technical book
Nikola Tesla: A Spark of Genius by C. Dommersmuth; Lerner Pub. (1994) $25.26 - The life and career of an eccentric but brilliant inventor and pioneer in the field of electricity; For grades 5 to 9
Mark Twain
Material on Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens):
Websites
Mark Twain in his Times - From the University of Virginia
Mark Twain - Boondocks.Net articles and resources
Biographies
Mark Twain: An Illustrated Biography by Geoffrey C. Ward, Dayton Duncan, Ken Burns, and Russell Banks, Knopf Publishing (2001) $40.00
The Autobiography of Mark Twain by Charles Neider, Perennial Publishing (2000) $15.00
Mr. Clemens and Mark Twain: a Biography by Justin Kaplan, Touchstone Books (1991) $18.00
Writings
Mark Twain: Four Complete Novels by Mark Twain, Grammercy Publsihing (1993) $13.99 - The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, The Prince and the Pauper, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, Penguin USA (Paper) (2003) $6.00
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (Illustrated Library for Children) by Mark Twain, Troy Howell (Illustrator), True W. Williams (Illustrator), Gramercy (2002) $16.99
Mark Twain: Mississippi Writings by Mark Twain, Guy Cardwell (Editor), Library of America (1982) $30.00 - Tom Sawyer, Life on the Mississippi, Huckleberry Finn, Pudd'nhead Wilson
The War Prayer by Mark Twain HarperCollins (2002) $9.95
George Westinghouse
Website
Miscellaneous
Summary
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