Tell me your favourite autobiographies

[KenAdamsRealWife]

Please

And maybe why in a nutshell

Giving Up The Ghost by Hilary Mantel. More a memoir than an autobiog but great reading. Similarly - Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal? by Jeanette Winterson.

Oh and Rock Queen by Catherine Destiville but that’s a bit more of a niche book. Highly recommended for anyone who likes climbing, mountains and the outdoors though.

A long walk to Freedom, best by a long way.

I also enjoyed Climbing the Bookshelves by Shirley Williams, I learnt a lot I didn't know (e.g., Dennis Healey led the Allied landings at Anzio). A fascinating look at politics in the Thatcher era from another woman.

Walking with the wind by John Lewis. Such a courageous fight that goes on to this day.

John Peel. Because i was always a huge fan, and it sounds just like him. If that makes sense.

Agree with PP that Paul O'Gradys are fab.

Claire balding

Agree about Bob Geldof’s.
Also enjoyed John Bishop’s and have had a crush on him ever since reading it - not sure why.

Head On by Julian Cope. V happy to be painfully honest about himself, very funny and a great snapshot of 80s music (sulky teenager Morrissey and Courtney Love )(unless that's been removed from the later versions). And (along with the followup) an unintentional record of a great marriage

Was coming on to say Educated by Tara Westover but already mentioned. A fascinating account of being raised in a mormon family who had nothing to do with society and wonderfully written.

Yy to David niven books, gloriously gossipy... Moons a balloon and another.

Goldie hawn.. Funny warm... Inspiring..

Peter o toole.. Great for aspiring actors..

Terence stamp..

Julie Andrews.. Very surprising background... Trauma and struggle in her early years...

Another vote for becoming.

Scar Tissue by Anthony Kiedis, lead singer of Red Hot Chili Peppers. I was obsessed with them as a teen which is why I read it but his early life was an absolute whirlwind of drugs and debauchery. Strangely fascinating.

Though not an autobiography, as such, although memories are invoked by himself of his life . I find Bill Bryson and his books so good and so amusing as well ,
Try the first one , well first , Notes from a Small Island . Its of his first experience of the UK back in the 70s, starting in Dover.

I’ve never read any Maya Angelou. It definitely feels like I should.

Allan Carr, it's just simply brilliant

Definitely agree with the suggestion for Scar Tissue by Anthony Kiedis.

First do no harm by Henry Marsh - brilliant book (and a friend did their training under him)

Head On - Julian Cope - just bonkers!

The Naked Island by Russell Braddon - about his time as a prisoner of war under the Japanese. A difficult read

I am enjoying Trevor Noah's Born a crime.
(it was a crime for him to be born as a mixed race baby in South Africa hence the title). It's going to be made into a film.
Hated Russell Brand's title of his autobiography (booky wook) but credit to him for being so honest in it (spoiler: his behaviour is unsavoury and it really is a warts and all depiction).
Second nominations for David Niven and Bob Geldof's.

Some of my favourites already listed here - one of the David Niven books (thin it might be Bring on the Empty Horses) has a wonderful passage about a funeral. It's so funny that it makes me laugh just thinking about it.

Agree with all of Paul O'Grady's books, Allan Carr and Frank Skinner. Michele Obama's book was interesting, but I was surprised to find the pre-Whitehouse part much more interesting than after the elections.

Some others which havent been mentioned yet:
Ricky Tomlinson - Ricky
Andre Agassi - Open (unputdownable even if you dont like tennis)
Alan Bennett - all of them!
Pete McCarthy - The Road to McCarthy and McCarthy's bar (more a mix of travel tales and autobiographical musings, and hilarious)
Shane Spall - The Voyages of the Princess Matilda (again not exactly an autobiography, but more the story of her life with Timothy Spall entwined through a sailing trip)

Oh yes I'd agree with Trevor Noah's too.

Not really an autobiography but a fascinating non fiction book that I recommend to anyone who asks is The Surgeon Of Crowthorne, written about the creation of the dictionary and one of the main contributors to it.

Paul o grady's is laugh out loud funny
Charles Bronson's is v interesting

Andre Agassi-Open. I’m not even a huge tennis fan but this was fantastic. He’s very honest and talks about his childhood and how he got into the sport and how rebellious he was. He also talks a lot about his relationship with Brooke Shields and the celebrity circles they mingled with and the rumours of an affair with Barbara Streisand. It’s by far the best sports autobiography I’ve read