Michael Dirda

Ron Chernow’s sweeping new biography explores how the “Huckleberry Finn” author became such a fixture in American literature and life, despite his failings

Richard Ellmann’s “James Joyce” is a classic of literary biography. In “Ellmann’s Joyce,” Zachary Leader delves into the biography and its distinguished creator.

Trying to control what kids read is a fool’s errand. Like Comstockery and Prohibition, it aims to make human beings into little saints. Ain’t never gonna happen.

“The Rose of Tibet” by Lionel Davidson is an unsung classic of the genre. It’s up there with “Treasure Island,” “The Scarlet Pimpernel” and “The Princess Bride.”

On the 50th anniversary of Natalie Babbitt’s novel, I finally finished the book and have a whole new appreciation for the author and work

Antonia Fraser’s ‘The Pleasure of Reading,’ which features the desert island picks of prominent British writers, inspired me to pick my own

With the publication of “The Rose Field,” I revisited the His Dark Materials series, a magical journey by a master whose fantastical saga sheds light on the human condition.

Robin Waterfield’s new translation of Thucydides’ “The History of the Peloponnesian War” offers clarity but little consolation as we face upheaval and conflict.

Michael Dirda’s guide to books for the holidays. You probably won’t find them on any other list.

Bennett Cerf, co-founder of Random House, published many greats of 20th-century letters. The biography “Nothing Random” looks at his life and the times that shaped him.