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Original poster

What is the best biography, or autobiograpy, you've ever read?

93 replies

ThomCat · 18/03/2005 18:02

My book club meets in a few weeks and everyone has a choice of biography or autobiography, and then we vote and choose which one we'll read.

So what are the best ones you've read?

OP posts:
kama · 18/03/2005 20:23

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Gem13 · 18/03/2005 20:20

Another vote for 'Moab is my washpot'. Read it a long time ago but I enjoyed the writing. It's a very 'English' story.

Blossomhill · 18/03/2005 20:20

I have to say I too enjoyed the Jordan biography. It was a rivetting read and I am not ashamed to admit it!

PuffTheMagicDragon · 18/03/2005 20:17

I really enjoyed "Toast" by Nigel Slater.

treacletart · 18/03/2005 20:14

Howard Marks'is a cracking good read and I've just started reading Stephen Fry's "Moab is my Washpot" - v enjoyable so far

lou33 · 18/03/2005 18:19

I read it too quickly, i didn't want it to fnish TC. It isn't that heavy either, just v frank. The characters he meets are really interesting as well. But don't have a root canal treatment booked before you read this, a word of warning! It's in waterstones as a 3 for 2 offer i believe, I bought it to go to thailand with

cp3 · 18/03/2005 18:16

Right im really gonna get shot for saying this but Jordan yes i said it Jordan. It changed what i thought of her. Shes just human like us, insecure and unlucky in love. Im so pleased she has now found the right man.

''''''''sneaks back out of the cback door before someone recognises me''''''

Cam · 18/03/2005 18:11

I really liked the ones by Dirk Bogarde (think there's a series of 3 about different stages in his life).

popsycal · 18/03/2005 18:11

michael j fox
jonathan swift

mummytosteven · 18/03/2005 18:11

my life in orange by tim guest - funny in parts, sad in parts, about a boy growing up in the Bhagwans ashram

Original poster
ThomCat · 18/03/2005 18:11

Oh yes I wanted to read about Mandela.

OP posts:
Original poster
ThomCat · 18/03/2005 18:10

Sounds like an interesting one to take along Lou. Don't want anything too long, or too heavy for book club.

OP posts:
kalex · 18/03/2005 18:09

Along time ago I really enjoyed Bob Geldof,, But my best must be Nelson Mandela, what a supremely amazing man, And I am South African so grew up wth a lot of prejudices,

JanH · 18/03/2005 18:08

Bob Geldof's is pretty good. (Is That It?) (That's the title )

mummytosteven · 18/03/2005 18:07

and there's a whomping one by I think Paul Stacey (?) about Antoine de St-Exupery (as well as writing the little prince, he had an interesting role to play in early days of aviation and as pilot for free French in WWII).

it is v-e-r-y long tho

lou33 · 18/03/2005 18:07

does it have to be a famous person?

I just finished reading a great book called a Million Little Pieces, by a bloke called James Frey. He was addicted to everything by the age of 23 and almost dead when he was dumped into rehab, and it's about how he got on in there. Really good read.

mummytosteven · 18/03/2005 18:06

this one's more dealing with a period of someone's life than encompassing whole life:- the past is myself by Christabel Bielenberg - about an Anglo-Irish woman married to a German anti-Nazi during WWII

lavenderrr · 18/03/2005 18:05

I don't know, never quite finished one yet but have tried these:

Trowel and Error by Alan Titchmarsh ....a very honest account of his life, very amusing too,

Dawn French's interesting

Gerald Durrell's just started, looks really like a page turner.

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