Fawn McKay Brodie: A Biographer's Life, 2nd ed.

by Newell G. Bringhurst

Available Summer/Fall 2026

Book Description:

The second edition of Fawn McKay Brodie: A Biographer’s Life reintroduces readers to one of America’s most influential and controversial biographers. Historian Newell G. Bringhurst explores the remarkable career of Fawn McKay Brodie, whose groundbreaking works transformed modern historical writing. Raised within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Brodie rose to national prominence through bold biographies of figures such as Joseph Smith, Thomas Jefferson, Richard Nixon, and Thaddeus Stevens. Bringhurst reveals how her fearless scholarship challenged traditional interpretations of history and permanently influenced the craft of biography. At the same time, he presents a deeply personal portrait of Brodie as a devoted wife, mother, and determined intellectual who endured criticism and controversy in her pursuit of historical truth. Readers gain insight into her struggles within academia, her marriage to strategist Bernard Brodie, and the personal sacrifices behind her extraordinary literary career.

This expanded edition also highlights Brodie’s lasting influence on modern scholarship and public understanding of American history. Bringhurst demonstrates how historians continue to engage with her interpretations, particularly her once-controversial arguments concerning Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings, many of which later gained wider acceptance through new evidence and scholarship. While acknowledging criticism of Brodie’s psychohistorical methods, Bringhurst offers a balanced and thoughtful assessment of her achievements, showing why her work remains both influential and widely debated. Beautifully written and richly researched, Fawn McKay Brodie: A Biographer’s Life is more than a biography—it is a compelling study of intellectual courage, historical interpretation, and the enduring power of storytelling. Complete with a new foreword and additional essays, this second edition confirms

More Information:

Paperback ISBN: 978-1-58958-852-3