A 3-Star General Explains 'Why We Lost' In Iraq, Afghanistan
In his new book, a former Army lieutenant general compares the war on terrorism to Alcoholics Anonymous: "Step one is admitting you have a problem."
Books
Actress Anjelica Huston's Memoir Has Glitz, But Lacks Depth
Anjelica Huston's memoir is all Hollywood, all the time. It's full of anecdotes about Jack Nicholson and other stars. But these stories of excess, fame and money lack feeling and subtext.
Superstorm Sandy Inspires Bleak, Poetic Landscapes In 'Let Me Be Frank'
In Richard Ford's brilliant collection of four short stories, protagonist Frank Bascombe returns to be "frank" about touchy topics. His awareness, particularly of mortality, is profound and hilarious.
Book News: PBS Promises 'Olympic-Style' Coverage Of Miami Book Fair
The network will feature the massive festival, which boasts hundreds of authors and countless more attendees, in a live webcast. Across the Atlantic, The Hunger Games is getting a theater adaptation.
'The Black Horn': Blowing Past Classical Music's Color Barriers
Robert Lee Watt, the first black French horn player to join a major U.S. symphony, spent 37 years with the LA Philharmonic. He faced a lot of resistance along the way, as his new memoir recounts.
Richard III: Not Such A Bad Guy After All?
Archaeologist Mike Pitts' new book, Digging for Richard III, recounts the search for the king's skeleton — and sheds new light on a ruler who's often seen as one of history's great villains.
Imagining Lives That Might Have Happened In 'End Of Days'
German author Jenny Erpenbeck's new novel grapples with the classic question: What if? What if one choice, one event goes differently, and the whole course of your life changes?
Will Self's 'Shark' Swims In A Chaotic Sea
Featuring the same time frame and some of the same characters as his last novel, Umbrella, Shark continues Self's modernist exploration of the human psyche and the violence done by modern society.
McCain's 'Soldiers:' 13 Ordinary People Transformed By Battle
In his new book, Sen. John McCain tells the stories of 13 U.S. soldiers in wars from the Revolution to Iraq. NPR's Linda Wertheimer speaks with the senator about his book, Thirteen Soldiers.
London's Mayor On Winston Churchill: He Saved Civilization
Winston Churchill was a writer, an orator and a Tory. So is London Mayor Boris Johnson, and he has a new book about the late prime minister. NPR's Scott Simon speaks with Johnson about his new book.