Pulitzer Prize Biography Winner

The Education of Henry Adams

by Henry Adams

Summary

Henry Adams writes about himself in the third person, presenting his life as a long failed search for an education that could explain a rapidly changing world. Moving from his Boston Brahmin childhood through Harvard, diplomacy, and the dynamo of modern technology, the book meditates on history, science, and the limits of understanding. It remains a landmark of American autobiography and intellectual self examination.

Historical Context & Significance

The book was awarded the Pulitzer in 1919, the year after Henry Adams died, and had circulated privately before its public release.