People whose power, influence, or perseverance have changed the world are the subjects of these candid biographies, which stress the impact of these individuals on the course of 20th-century events. Each book includes a bibliography and an index.Billie Holiday overcame tremendous obstacles to become one of the most respected and influential artists on the jazz scene from the 1930s to her untimely death in 1959. This moving biography details the triumphs and trials of her remarkable life and career. Leslie Gourse lives in New York, N.Y.