Personal HistoryPersonal History
Score Modern
What it's about
Katharine Graham grew up rich and shy, the daughter of the man who bought the Washington Post. Her brilliant, troubled husband Phil ran the paper until his mental illness and suicide in 1963, when she found herself, with no experience, in charge of it. She tells how she learned the job in a man's world and led the paper through the Pentagon Papers and Watergate.
Why it's worth reading
It won the Pulitzer Prize for biography and was a #1 New York Times bestseller. It's candid about her own insecurity, and it's one of the great memoirs of American journalism and power.
You'll love it if you liked
The Years of Lyndon Johnson
Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln
Educated: A MemoirGood to know
It's long and detailed, especially about Washington society. The 2017 film The Post, with Meryl Streep, covers one chapter of it.
By the numbers
- Readers61 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics63 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller37 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #105 of the 198 history books we rank
- #119 of the 290 memoirs and biographies we rank
- #344 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #676 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
True story
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Quick answers
Is Personal History worth reading?
Yes. It won the Pulitzer Prize for biography and was a #1 New York Times bestseller. It ranks #676 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 76.3 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Personal History about?
Katharine Graham grew up rich and shy, the daughter of the man who bought the Washington Post. Her brilliant, troubled husband Phil ran the paper until his mental illness and suicide in 1963, when she found herself, with no experience, in charge of it. She tells how she learned the job in a man's world and led the paper through the Pentagon Papers and Watergate.
How long does it take to read Personal History?
About 16 hours (642 pages), or about 5 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What awards has Personal History won?
Pulitzer Prize (Biography) winner (1998).
What should I read after Personal History?
If you liked it, try The Years of Lyndon Johnson by Robert A. Caro, Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin or Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover.