Sometimes I enjoy nothing better than a big thick biography.  I’d read Edmund Morris before and was wary, but I was still eager to pick up Edison as soon as it came out.

After reading the reviews and finding out that Morris, whom I’m no fan of after his horrible authorized “fictional” biography of Ronald Reagan, decided with his editor to write the story of Edison’s life backwards, I wasn’t sure I wanted to read it. Then I did what any self-respecting reader who prefers chronological biographies would do: I read the book backwards, starting with part 8 and working my way back to the Prologue.

Edison was a very interesting book when read backwards like I did. I think I would have been frustrated had I read it the way it was laid out, because part 1 refers to inventions and patents that come up in part 5 and 6. So the gimmick didn’t work for me. I still wonder how Morris won the Pulitzer, because I found his books on Theodore Roosevelt good but not spectacular. This could be considered a Pulitzer-worthy book if only it were written in the traditional manner.

This post contains affiliate links.

For more of my book reviews, visit www.bargain-sleuth.com

Join our Facebook page Bargain Sleuth Book Reviews or join our book group here.

We are also on Pinterest, Instagram and Twitter. Check us out!

Or subscribe below and never miss a review. Just click the Follow button.