Autobiographies/Biographies

[Carouselfish]

Whose do you own and out of those, which is the best? As in, most interesting, well-written etc.

I own:

Anais Nin
Shirley Temple
Daniel Lanois
River Phoenix
Marilyn Monroe
Orson Welles
Vivien Leigh
David Niven
Errol Flynn
Bonnie and Clyde
Russell Brand
Angelica Huston
Ashley Judd

I'm sure there are more I'm forgetting.
Even though 95% of mine are film star related I'd actually recommend the Bonnie and Clyde one 'Go Down Together' by Jeff Guinn for being very well-researched and illuminating about the Great Depression and their lives.
Also Orson Welles by Barbara Leaming as it was written while he was alive and interspersed with meetings between the two of them. He led a very interesting life.

Adam Ant,Nile Rodgers,Holly Johnson,Pete Burns,Steve Strange,Boy George,Mayte Garcia(Prince's ex wife).

Autobiography: Elton John, Marianne Faithfull (the 1994 one), Steve Martin, Andre Leon Talley. Also Mayte Garcia! I enjoyed them all.

Biography: Lots of Beatles books. Barry Miles' book on 60s Paul is probably my favourite, a real masterclass in creating a sense of time and place. At the other end of the scale, Craig Brown's recent Beatles book is awful. Full of his own prejudices and heavily derivative.

Just remembered
PB Shelley
Virginia Woolf
Graham Linehan.

Latter two not read yet but Shelley: The Pursuit one by Richard Holmesvery good though v v comprehensive. Read if you want to know what Shelley had for dinner or what his wallpaper was like. It's that in depth.

@BeverleyMacker which would you recommend?

Hermione Lee’s Virginia Woolf is brilliant. Agreed also on Richard Holmes’ Shelley biog.

Would hugely recommend Frances Wilson’s The Ballad of Dorothy Wordsworth.

I'd recommend Boy George "Take it like a man". Great if you're into the 80s and new romantics etc. His follow up "Straight" was a bit meh in comparison. He has a new book coming out in November 👍

@BeverleyMacker do rather like the New Romantics. Bet he has a lot of gossip in there!!