Skip to content

Memoir: A History
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

Memoir: A History Paperback - 2010

by Ben Yagoda

From Saint Augustine's "Confessions" to Augusten Burroughs's "Running with Scissors," the art of memoir has had a fascinating life. Yagoda, a critically acclaimed cultural and literary critic, offers the definitive history and analysis of the memoir.


Summary

From Augustine's Confessions to Augusten Burroughs's Running with Scissors, from Julius Caesar to Ulysses S. Grant, from Mark Twain to David Sedaris, the art of memoir has had a fascinating life, and deserves its own biography. "As Yagoda says: 'Memoir has become the central form of the culture: not only the way stories are told, but the way arguments are put forth, products and properties marketed, ideas floated, acts justified, reputations constructed or salvaged. How did we come to this pass? The only way to answer that question is to go back a couple of thousand years and tell the story from the beginning,'" which is just what Yagoda does in this "excellent" history (The Washington Post).

From the publisher

From Augustine's Confessions to Augusten Burroughs's Running with Scissors, from Julius Caesar to Ulysses S. Grant, from Mark Twain to David Sedaris, the art of memoir has had a fascinating life, and deserves its own biography. "As Yagoda says: 'Memoir has become the central form of the culture: not only the way stories are told, but the way arguments are put forth, products and properties marketed, ideas floated, acts justified, reputations constructed or salvaged. How did we come to this pass? The only way to answer that question is to go back a couple of thousand years and tell the story from the beginning, '" which is just what Yagoda does in this "excellent" history (The Washington Post).

Details

  • Title Memoir: A History
  • Author Ben Yagoda
  • Binding Paperback
  • Edition Reprint
  • Pages 304
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher Riverhead Books
  • Date 2010-10-05
  • ISBN 9781594484827 / 1594484821
  • Weight 0.57 lbs (0.26 kg)
  • Dimensions 8.2 x 5.53 x 0.8 in (20.83 x 14.05 x 2.03 cm)
  • Ages 18 to UP years
  • Grade levels 13 - UP
  • Library of Congress subjects Autobiography
  • Dewey Decimal Code 809.935

Media reviews

END

Citations

  • New York Times Book Review, 10/31/2010, Page 24

About the author

Ben Yagoda is a journalism professor at the University of Delaware. He is the author, coauthor, or editor of ten books, including Memoir: A History, Will Rogers: A Biography, and When You Catch an Adjective, Kill It, and has written for Slate, The New York Times Magazine, and publications that start with every letter of the alphabet except J, K, Q, X, and Z. He lives in Pennsylvania with his wife.
Back to Top

More Copies for Sale

Memoir : A History

Memoir : A History

by Ben Yagoda

  • Used
  • very good
  • Paperback
Condition
Used - Very Good
Binding
Paperback
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9781594484827 / 1594484821
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Seattle, Washington, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$6.46
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Penguin Publishing Group, 2010. Paperback. Very Good. May have limited writing in cover pages. Pages are unmarked. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
Item Price
$6.46
FREE shipping to USA
Memoir : A History

Memoir : A History

by Ben Yagoda

  • Used
  • good
  • Paperback
Condition
Used - Good
Binding
Paperback
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9781594484827 / 1594484821
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Seattle, Washington, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$6.46
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Penguin Publishing Group, 2010. Paperback. Good. Former library book; Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
Item Price
$6.46
FREE shipping to USA
Memoir : A History

Memoir : A History

by Ben Yagoda

  • Used
  • good
  • Paperback
Condition
Used - Good
Binding
Paperback
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9781594484827 / 1594484821
Quantity Available
6
Seller
Seattle, Washington, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$6.48
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Penguin Publishing Group, 2010. Paperback. Good. Disclaimer:Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
Item Price
$6.48
FREE shipping to USA
Memoir : A History
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

Memoir : A History

by Yagoda, Ben

  • Used
Condition
Used - Very Good
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9781594484827 / 1594484821
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Mishawaka, Indiana, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$7.09
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Penguin Publishing Group. Used - Very Good. Used book that is in excellent condition. May show signs of wear or have minor defects.
Item Price
$7.09
FREE shipping to USA
Memoir : A History
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

Memoir : A History

by Yagoda, Ben

  • Used
Condition
Used - Very Good
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9781594484827 / 1594484821
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Mishawaka, Indiana, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$7.21
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Penguin Publishing Group. Used - Very Good. Former library book; may include library markings. Used book that is in excellent condition. May show signs of wear or have minor defects.
Item Price
$7.21
FREE shipping to USA
Memoir : A History
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

Memoir : A History

by Yagoda, Ben

  • Used
Condition
Used - Good
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9781594484827 / 1594484821
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Mishawaka, Indiana, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$7.21
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Penguin Publishing Group. Used - Good. Former library book; may include library markings. Used book that is in clean, average condition without any missing pages.
Item Price
$7.21
FREE shipping to USA
Memoir: A History
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

Memoir: A History

by Ben Yagoda

  • Used
  • Paperback
Condition
Used: Good
Binding
Paperback
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9781594484827 / 1594484821
Quantity Available
1
Seller
HOUSTON, Texas, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$8.12
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Riverhead Trade, 2010-10-05. Paperback. Used: Good.
Item Price
$8.12
FREE shipping to USA
Memoir: A History
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

Memoir: A History

by Yagoda, Ben

  • New
  • Paperback
Condition
New
Binding
Paperback
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9781594484827 / 1594484821
Quantity Available
800
Seller
Fairfax Station, Virginia, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 2 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$11.74
$3.99 shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Riverhead Books, 2010-10-05. Paperback. New.
Item Price
$11.74
$3.99 shipping to USA
MEMOIR
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

MEMOIR

by YAGODA,BEN

  • Used
  • fair
  • Paperback
Condition
Used - Fair
Binding
Paperback
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9781594484827 / 1594484821
Quantity Available
1
Seller
NEW YORK, New York, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$12.00
$4.49 shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
pb. Fair. Obviously worn, but no text pages missing. May have highlighting and marginalia, but markings do not interfere with readability. Textbooks do not have accompanying CDs or access codes. Ships from an indie bookstore in NYC.
Item Price
$12.00
$4.49 shipping to USA
Memoir: A History
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

Memoir: A History

by Yagoda, Ben

  • Used
  • Paperback
Condition
Like New
Binding
Paperback
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9781594484827 / 1594484821
Quantity Available
800
Seller
Fairfax Station, Virginia, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 2 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$14.21
$3.99 shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Riverhead Books, 2010-10-05. Paperback. Like New.
Item Price
$14.21
$3.99 shipping to USA