Best Books of 2020-Biography/Memoir

MBS: The Rise to Power of Mohammed bin Salman by Ben Hubbard describes the rise of Mohammed bin Salman (also known as MBS) from an unknown prince to heir to the throne of Saudi Arabia. While he appears to project a somewhat Westernized view for the future of Saudi Arabia, the book shows that MBS’ actions also have a much darker side. See my full review of MBS in the Post dated October 7, 2020.

The Dead Are Arising: The Life of Malcolm X is Les Payne’s extremely well researched biography of civil rights icon Malcolm X. In his time, Malcolm X was feared and criticized for his advocacy of an approach to civil rights that was more violent than that of his contemporary, Martin Luther King, Jr. However, as shown by Mr. Payne, history now reveals that Malcolm X’s true impact was to convince African Americans that they were not inferior to anyone and that they should take their civil rights rather than wait for white America to give them. See my full review of this book in the Post dated December 14, 2020.

All About the Story: News, Power, Politics and the Washington Post is Leonard Downie, Jr’s memoir of his 44 year career at the Washington Power which included 23 years as Executive Editor. Downie reviews all of the great news stories of the late 20th and early 21st centuries and provides behind the scenes views of how the Post puts out its paper and stands up to pressure from the powerful. See my full review of this book in the Post dated December 24, 2020.

In God’s Shadow: Sultan Selim, His Ottoman Empire, and the Making of the Modern World by Alan Mikhail uses the life of sultan, Selim the Grim, as the backdrop for his larger story of the interactions between the Ottoman Empire and the Western world during the late 15th and early 16th centuries. The events and times described by Mikhail established much of what was in place in the world when World War I commenced in 1914. See my full review of this book in the Post dated December 8, 2020.