“Sensational…[with] commanding, sure-footed authority and comprehensiveness, subtle and solemn at once, that dazzles and awes…Boggs expertly details how Baldwin’s personal life pervades his work…This demonstrates 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.” –Charles Blow, The New York Times (FULL REVIEW)
"A hugely important contribution." –Louis Menand, The New Yorker (FULL REVIEW)
"In Nicholas Boggs’ lively and vigorously researched biography of James Baldwin, the great writer's search for the source of his art dovetails with his lifelong search for meaningful relationships. . . . [An] even-handed and critically rigorous biography. . . . Boggs has dug much deeper than his predecessors. . . . Baldwin: A Love Story is superlative, and it should become the new gold standard." –Marc Weingarten, The Los Angeles Times (FULL REVIEW)
"A major new biography explores the great writer’s heart and mind...the book itself can be seen as an act of love — a lucid, propulsive, compassionate and deeply researched portrait of a writer and thinker whose wisdom the country has too often failed to heed." (FULL REVIEW)
“Enlightening…revelatory…a triumphant work of scholarship." (FULL REVIEW)
"[A] bold take on literary giant James Baldwin. . . . Magisterial. . . . Boggs offers fresh insights throughout his final section, based on interviews with Cazac. He serves up a feast of gossip and speculation, which succeeds brilliantly as narrative. . . . Boggs targets our nation’s myths and hypocrisy with dead-eyed accuracy. . . . BALDWIN is a fiery, fiercely researched biography worthy of an American genius, an indictment of enduring racism and 'homosocial panic.'" –Hamilton Cain, The Minnesota Star Tribune (FULL REVIEW)
"This superb biography is more than worth of its larger-than-life subject...It's a life story that is at once erotic and erudite...Boggs [is] every bit the equal of James Boswell." –Kitty Kelley, The Washington Independent Review of Books (FULL REVIEW)
"In Boggs' hands, Baldwin's life story feels complete." (FULL REVIEW)
★ STARRED REVIew "[A] vibrant new biography. . . . A dynamic portrait that deepens our understanding of a complex artist." (FULL REVIEW)
★ STARRED REVIew "The life of James Baldwin is told through four of his intimate relationships in the standout debut biography from independent scholar Boggs . . . The author’s rigorous research, including interviews with Cazac, makes for an impressive portrait of Baldwin’s life and work. It’s a fascinating and original window into the private world of one of America’s greatest writers." (FULL REVIEW)
★ STARRED REVIew “In this comprehensive, emotional biography, Boggs positions Baldwin’s romantic history squarely at the center of his literary and political work, chronicling the parallel developments in Baldwin’s art and in his relationships . . . [A] rich and complex look at a writer who exemplifies the impossibility of separating the personal from the political.”-Lesley Williams (FULL REVIEW)
“A well-written, easy-flowing biography…it shows how much of his life is revealed in his work.” (FULL REVIEW)
"An impressive and kaleidoscopic exploration of Baldwin's origins, his intellectual and artistic evolution, and the ever-expanding ripples of his influence across tumultuous artistic and political landscapes.... A biography of immense scope and profound insight that deepens our understanding of Baldwin and his work.... This is an indispensable companion to the ever-relevant legacy of James Baldwin." (FULL REVIEW)
