Nicholas Boggs monumental biography considers James Baldwin through the prism of love, placing four beloved men at the centre of his writing, his activism, his political consciousness, his philosophy and his life. We have been presented with many partial Baldwins over the years, but here is the whole loveable man: the radical and the celebrity, the civil rights hero and the downtown playwright, the cosmopolitan jet-setter and the son of East Harlem. Compulsively interesting and beautifully written, there is something to treasure on every page. I absolutely loved it -- Zadie Smith Nicholas Boggs's biography of James Baldwin is not merely comprehensive and brilliantly researched, it is beautifully structured and nourished by insight and sympathy. It creates an extraordinary and definitive portrait of Baldwin and his time * Colm Tóibín, author of BROOKLYN and THE MASTER * Nicholas Boggs goes far beyond other scholars in tracing Baldwins relationships and their role in his work Everybody knows Baldwins name but the elusiveness remains. The writer and scholar Nicholas Boggs aims to change that in his sensational new biography, Baldwin: A Love Story, expanding on what we know of Baldwins gifts and suffering, his writing life and his love life Boggs handles all of this with a commanding, sure-footed authority and comprehensiveness, subtle and solemn at once, that dazzles and awes. The churn and swirl of Baldwins life is rendered emotionally rational as Boggs expertly details how Baldwins personal life pervades his work The kind of masterly narrative ability that can be achieved only with deep research and deep understanding of a subject. Boggs has produced a stunning book, one whose true beauty is that it allows Baldwin to reveal himself slowly, almost tenderly. The reader is immersed in the man of Baldwin, the chaos and the preternatural talent, the tragedy and the aching heart, the flesh that itches to be touched and the voice that will not be suppressed * New York Times * Gorgeous. Nicholas Boggss storytelling, so tenderly rendered, brings us the beautiful yet tattered heart of not only Baldwin the intellectual and artist, but Baldwin the vulnerable, yearning, flesh-and-blood person. This book is so important and timely -- Imani Perry, National Book Award winner for SOUTH TO AMERICA Nicholas Boggss meticulously researched and passionately written Baldwin is the crown jewel of the ongoing James Baldwin revival. Boggs, in seamless fashion, vividly recounts the personal life of Americas brave Black novelist, essayist, gay liberation oracle, and civil rights activist. Replete with freshly unearthed revelations about Baldwins intimate relationships, this epic biography captures Baldwin in full. Highly recommended! -- Douglas Brinkley, author of ROSA PARKS: A LIFE James Baldwin spent his life being a witness to the world, and for the first time, in Baldwin: A Love Story, we are a witness to him. Nicholas Boggs shows us Baldwins brilliance, his desire to change the world, as well as his loneliness, his desire for domesticity, and his determination to leave something behind that would ultimately become our inheritance. So grateful for this stunning work -- Lena Waithe, Emmy Award-winning writer, producer, and actor Through this gloriously written and exhaustively researched page-turner of a biography, Ive just spent the past few weeks moving through the twentieth century with one of the worlds most brilliant writers. Im better for it -- Jacqueline Woodson, National Book Award winner and MacArthur Fellow Magnificent. Nicholas Boggss Baldwin is a formidable achievement, beautifully written, engrossing, and extremely intimate. Boggss long journey as the biographer becomes a wild and most improbable treasure hunt where he unearths more than one poignant love story. James Baldwins life is revealed in all its triumphs and agonies -- Kai Bird, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of AMERICAN PROMETHEUS A virtuosic feat of literary imagination, rhapsodic and transportive. Stunningly, it answers not only the question of who James Baldwin was but how he made and remade his art and his world. Fast paced and, at times, movingly tender, with love palpable throughout, the total effect is symphonic. This book deserves a standing ovation -- Ilyon Woo, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of MASTER SLAVE HUSBAND WIFE Compelling ... contains revelations for even the greediest consumers of Baldwins life and work ... A gripping story about love, loss and the unresolved tensions between the public and private self * The Literary Review * Explored deftly ... affectionate and painstakingly researched * The Independent * Compulsively readable ... [ Boggs] displays great tact with sensitive subject matter and uses the biographical form not to put down or exalt but to broaden the readers appreciation of the scale and complexity of Baldwins writings in their many forms * Irish Times * Virtuosic ... Boggs's summaries of Baldwin's positions on race are expressed with admirable clarity and wind back to his subtitle * Spectator *
