Writing Lives is the Devil: Essays of a Biographer at Work

I stumbled across this book without any prior exposure to Christianson or his other works but found it hard to put down. The topic is self-evident from the title, but this is no dry how-to treatise on biography. His essays are wonderfully crafted and paint a rich picture of the biographer's struggles and joys. Stories of the hassles and hardships of research, writer's block, publishers, editors and reviewers are nicely balanced with humerous anecdotes and richly textured stories from his biographical works on Isaac Newton and Loren Eiseley. I particularly enjoyed his extensive use of quotations from other historians and literary luminaries. My favorite: "The vision of the historian as a sort of intellectual private eye swashbuckling through a succession of unremittingly fascinating adventures of the mind can survive only among those who do not destroy it by engaging in historical research (J.H. Hexter)." Christianson's other works have now found their way on to my (admittedly lengthy) "to-read" list. I suppose this is the ultimate measure of my enjoyment of this 5-star effort.

Dr. Christianson's "Writing Lives is the Devil" is a quality choice for readers who want to learn the inside dealings of how a biography is written. The style Christianson uses to write the articles flows and shapes into a simple story the reader can easily follow. His articles on the back-door operations of a biographer at work clearly illustrate how complex the profession of historian can be. With several references to his previous works, the reader becomes enthralled in the lives of many of his subjects and may very well want to dive into the other biographies. "Writing Lives is the Devil" is a great choice for would-be biographers to learn the tricks of the trade, and for a easy-reading for current biographers as well.