Charles King Books

A small circle of renegade scientist-explorers transformed the concept of normalcy in the early twentieth century. This group of pioneering anthropologists, many of whom were women, embarked on bold journeys that challenged prevailing notions of race, sexuality, gender, and human diversity, laying the groundwork for subsequent civil rights movements and ongoing debates. Their travels spanned the globe, from the Arctic to the South Pacific, Haiti to Japan, where they engaged with isolated communities and documented diverse approaches to love, child-rearing, family dynamics, and gender roles. Armed with this evidence, they confronted the scientific consensus of their time, which held that intelligence and character were determined by race or sex, demonstrating instead that societal roles are shaped by a rich variety of cultures. Their lives were marked by boundary-breaking experiences, scandal, romance, rivalry, and tragedy. Figures like Margaret Mead and Ruth Benedict achieved fame, while others, such as Native American activist Ella Deloria and African-American writer Zora Neale Hurston, faced poverty and obscurity. The narrative also highlights the contributions of Franz Boas, the controversial founder of anthropology. Together, these unconventional individuals shaped the moral framework of our contemporary world.

"A ... group portrait of Franz Boas, the founder of cultural anthropology, and his circle of women scientists, who upended American notions of race, gender, and sexuality in the 1920s and 1930s--a ... chronicle of how our society began to question the basic ways we understand other cultures and ourselves"--Publisher's description

The first English-language book to present a complete picture of this intriguing East European borderland, The Romania, Russia, and the Politics of Culture, illuminates the perennial problems of identity politics and cultural change that the country has endured.

With his astonishing debut novel, Charles King has created a masterful and heartstopping thriller sure to enthrall readers of The Silence of the Lambs. Mama's Boy is a searing new thriller about the hunt for a serial killer who specializes in destroying only the most loving families.

*THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER* *WINNER OF THE FRANCIS PARKMAN PRIZE 2020* *FINALIST FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE AWARDS 2019* The riveting story of the pioneers who redefined conceptions of 'normality' in the early twentieth century. Under the guiding eye of cultural anthropologist Franz Boas, these scientist-explorers - most of them women - made intrepid journeys into far-flung communities all over the world, where they documented radically different social approaches that overturned Western assumptions about human diversity and challenged the era's scientific consensus. Here, the boundary-breaking lives and achievements of Margaret Mead, Ruth Benedict, Ella Deloria and Zora Neale Hurston are brought fully into light for the first time, showing how their trailblazing discoveries helped shape the moral universe we inhabit today.

The inspiration for the Netflix series premiering March 3rd "Hugely enjoyable, magnificently researched, and deeply absorbing." —Jason Goodwin, New York Times Book Review At midnight, December 31, 1925, citizens of the newly proclaimed Turkish Republic celebrated the New Year. For the first time ever, they had agreed to use a nationally unified calendar and clock. Yet in Istanbul—an ancient crossroads and Turkey's largest city—people were looking toward an uncertain future. Never purely Turkish, Istanbul was home to generations of Greeks, Armenians, and Jews, as well as Muslims. It welcomed White Russian nobles ousted by the Russian Revolution, Bolshevik assassins on the trail of the exiled Leon Trotsky, German professors, British diplomats, and American entrepreneurs—a multicultural panoply of performers and poets, do-gooders and ne’er-do-wells. During the Second World War, thousands of Jews fleeing occupied Europe found passage through Istanbul, some with the help of the future Pope John XXIII. At the Pera Palace, Istanbul's most luxurious hotel, so many spies mingled in the lobby that the manager posted a sign asking them to relinquish their seats to paying guests. In beguiling prose and rich character portraits, Charles King brings to life a remarkable era when a storied city stumbled into the modern world and reshaped the meaning of cosmopolitanism.

The narrative delves into the lives of the eighteenth-century individuals who played pivotal roles in the creation of Handel's Messiah. Through meticulous research, it uncovers their personal struggles, artistic aspirations, and the cultural context that shaped this iconic work. The book highlights the collaborative spirit and the diverse backgrounds of the musicians and patrons involved, offering a fresh perspective on a celebrated masterpiece. Charles King's exploration reveals the profound impact these figures had on the music world and their enduring legacy.

The biography of Ulysses S. Grant stands out as a significant work by Charles King, an accomplished American soldier and writer. After graduating from West Point, King served in the Indian Wars and was wounded in battle, leading to his retirement as a captain. He had notable connections, including with Buffalo Bill Cody, for whom he wrote silent film scripts. King's prolific writing career includes over 60 books, with titles reflecting his military experiences and insights into American history.

Von Alexander Puschkin und Isaac Babel über den zionistischen Abtrünnigen Wladimir Jabotinsky bis hin zum Filmemacher Sergei Eisenstein – eine erstaunliche Anzahl von Genies hat Odessa, den legendären Hafen der kosmopolitischen Freiheit am Schwarzen Meer, geprägt. Charles Kings »Odessa«, das sich auf eine Fülle von Originalquellen stützt und den ersten detaillierten Bericht über die Zerstörung der jüdischen Gemeinde der Stadt während des Zweiten Weltkriegs enthält, ist sowohl Geschichte als auch Elegie – eine lebendige Chronik einer echten multikulturellen Stadt und ihrer bemerkenswerten Widerstandsfähigkeit in den letzten zwei Jahrhunderten. In seinem aufwändig recherchierten Buch erweckt King die Geschichten der Russen, Juden, Türken, Griechen, Italiener, Deutschen und Rumänen zum Leben, die die durch und durch gemischte Stadt Odessa ausmachen. Kings Fähigkeit, die Geheimnisse der Stadt – sowohl die schönen als auch die dunklen – zu enthüllen, bietet ein faszinierendes Prisma, durch das sich Odessa ganz anders betrachten lässt als andere Städte.

Historie Černého moře. Napínavé líčení neustále se měnících kontaktů mezi národy a mocnostmi kolem této nesmírně důležité vodní cesty. Země kolem Černého moře sdílejí pestrou minulost. I když v posledních desetiletích zažily etnické konflikty, hospodářský kolaps a vzájemnou rivalitu, jejich společné dědictví je veliké a jejich společné zájmy hluboké. Nyní má Černé moře a oblast kolem něj, v níž se stýkají Balkán, střední Asie a Blízký východ, větší důležitost než kdykoli předtím. Charles King v této zajímavé a čtivé knize založené na rozsáhlém studiu řady materiálů rozkrývá tisíce a tisíce vazeb, které činily z Černého moře vždy více most než hranici a spojovaly náboženské komunity, jazykové skupiny, říše a později národy a státy.