What is the best Autobiography that you have read and why?

life without books - I am a certified abibliophobic so that is absolutely unimaginable!!

Wild Swans: by Jung Chang. true story about 3 generations of women growing up in China under Mao. Sounds a bit dire but is really really good, 5 stars on amazon!

Also loved an Evil Cradling which others mentioned, very moving and inspiring.

Touching the Void by Joe Simpson, which is his amazing story of survival after a mountain climbing accident. harrowing story and very well written.

I loved the Mitford girls too.

Could go on and on and on and on......what would we do without books

John Peel's
if you are into music
and even if you aren't he was a wonderful man, a great read

Tom Baker's (My Name Escapes Me) is good -- very honest about his problems and his difficulties with mental illness and I felt it gave me a real idea of what it was like to be in his skin. It was very sad overall, though.

Pudmog - I've read Maria Von Trapp's too, and the second book, the children are adults, the family are singing their way round America, and then have a song camp. I found it moving - eberyone else can laugh at me too!

Recently I really enjoyed 'Margrave of the Marshes', just loved John Peel, could hear his voice resonating off the page. Was good to hear 'Pig's' point of view too.

Like 'Is that It'by Bob Geldof too.

Katherine Graham - wow!
The Duff Cooper Diaries -
Winston and Clementine - their love letters - very special.

the mitford girls was fab, and another fab one was a big thick one called "America's Princess" about Jackie Onassis.

I really like My Early Life by Winston Churchill - the first twenty-five years of Churchill's life: cavalry charges, skirmishes on the North West Frontier, escape from a Boer prison camp and a visit to the Cuban War.

Vera Brittain - Testaments.

Also I read a book earlier this year about a man who was an envoy to Russia at the time of the Revolution. An amazing true story.

like harold, i thought frank skinner's book was great it's really rude and funny

robinpud, I loved Nigel Slater's Book Toast. Was evn thinking about it earlier tonight again.. when his Father leaves the marshmallows by his son's bedside because they are the closest thing to his Mother's kisses.(tears)

Oh and the other one which is amazing is Elisabeth Glaser (Paul Michael Glasers wife as in Starskey and Hutch) who died from AIDS, contracted from a blood transfusion and whose children are all HIV positive. It is called In The Absence of Angels.

I also liked Toast - Nigel Slater and have read lots of dh's climbing ones which ren't bad sometimes. didn't like Lance Armstrong tho'

You can have a good laugh- Maria von Trapp. You would never watch the film again if you read the true story. She was an incredible lady and I am so sad the film (which is about a third of the first book) made it seem so trite.

zippy, the threadworm description still haunts me, years later - I can never forget it - bleurggh

sobernow - I didn't like the Lorna Sage one either - in fact I don't think I even finished it (very unusual for me)

Actually one of my favourite autobiographies is 'Jump for Joy' by the showjumper Pat Smythe. marvellous

Also read that once in a house on fire which is a dead good read and the Marylin Monroe ones are good too.

Frank Mcourt Angelas ashes, Nelson Mandella Long walk, i love any Alan Bennet.
Too numerous to mention, i only read non fiction but cant abide trashy VB, Geri Halliwell or any thing like that.
Years ago i read an autobiography about Charlie Chaplain but cant remember the title but that was superb.

MrsJohnCusack - I'm so glad someone else in the world has actually read it. It really was dreadful, wasn't it?

I read that Maria Callas one zippy! it was great, in a car crash kind of way

NB - great everyone mentioning the Mitford sisters. Have always meant to read their stories, off to Amazon now. Ta!

I love biogs - the trashier the better. DH gets me a pile of them of every Christmas much to his parents disgust (Jordan, Victoria Beckam etc).

But the best one I've ever read was a biog of Maria Callas written by her really bitter ex-husband. Went into loads of unnecessary detail about her thread worms etc while all the time disguising his dirt dishing under a cloak of 'oh, poor Maria, how I wanted to help her with her anal itching...' Loved it.

I read the Shane Ritchy one. I think hes pretty lovely bloke anyway and his life was pretty hard as a boy. It took me about 4 days to read because I couldnt put it down. Great stuff

Once in a house on fire -Andrea Ashworth and both of Blake Morrison's books about his parents which are partly bio and partly autobiography. Katharne Graham- personal history also good. Lots of Margaret forster's stuff.

Rabbi Hugo Gryn Chasing Shadows - completed after his death by his daughter a truly awesome which made me realise the inhumanity of man towards fellow man. Brian Keenan An Evil Cradling.

Both sad tales but truly make you realise how the human soul can endure so much and still find compassion and a will to survive beyond belief