Books by Carla Kaplan
“Kaplan’s attention to detail in this comprehensive biography gives us insight into this famous Muckraker’s life whose fearless approach to journalism still reverberates today. This book was so well-researched. I know she got files directly from the family, including from Decca’s daughter Dinky. Kaplan changes the way we see the Mitford sisters from the inside of her biography.” Read more...
The Best Biographies: The 2026 NBCC Shortlist
Iris Jamahl Dunkle, Biographer
Interviews where books by Carla Kaplan were recommended
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1
A Perfect Turmoil: Walter E. Fernald and the Struggle to Care for America’s Disabled
by Alex Green -

2
Love, Queenie: Merle Oberon, Hollywood's First South Asian Star
by Mayukh Sen -

3
Pride and Pleasure: The Schuyler Sisters in an Age of Revolution
by Amanda Vaill -

4
Queen Mother: Black Nationalism, Reparations, and the Untold Story of Audley Moore
by Ashley D. Farmer -

5
Troublemaker: The Fierce, Unruly Life of Jessica Mitford
by Carla Kaplan
The Best Biographies: The 2026 NBCC Shortlist, recommended by Iris Jamahl Dunkle
The Best Biographies: The 2026 NBCC Shortlist, recommended by Iris Jamahl Dunkle
Every year, we ask the chair of the National Book Critics Circle biography committee to talk us through their shortlist of the best new books in the genre. Here, Iris Jamahl Dunkle—the award-winning biographer, poet and critic—introduces us to the winning title, a deeply-researched profile of a special education pioneer, as well as the four runners-up.




