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

[biglips]

as ive never had read one till i read Bob Marley - Died too young (summat like that) mini book and i was so absorbed into it.. i would like to try out another again

LOL it was some fruit pies, can't remember the brand. He (she) was disappointed in the amount of filling. The film was lush too. I was seriously obsessed with Joe Orton for a while in my teens.

Agree about Primo Levi, but I also loved Jessica Mitford's autobiographies- Hons and Rebels is just very funny, but the follow-up is a really interesting insight into American politics at the time of McCarthyism and equal rights.

totally agree about the brian keenan book - more inspiring stuff comes from Nelson Mandela's Long Walk to Freedom. I also love Jung Chan's (sp?)Wild Swans (covers her own life and that of her mother and grandmother)

oh yes those Jessica Mitford ones are fab
I love books of people's letters/diaries too. Even Kenneth Williams's, although it's a little depressing - but a lovely surprise where a friend of our family is mentioned (and in a nice way, unlike many other poor sods that he lays into!). I don't think autobiographies have to cover the whole person's life Franny - well otherwise they'd be impossible to write unless you managed to write the final word just as you popped your clogs! I know what you mean though

I keep reading Mitford biographies - they're just fascinating because the family were so eccentric and covered such a wide array of political leanings. There was a lovely Nancy Mitford one a couple of years ago, and also the book of her and Evelyn Waugh's letters to each other is fab

I do really like trashy ones too. Would like to read Sharon Osborne's actually

MrsJohnCusack - there are LOADS of sharon osbourne books on ebay

wild swns
i loved

also the one of the blinkin mad woms in ww2
who were they posh ...............the MItfords

oh yes agree with Wild Swans - fantastic book

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

Wow - so interesting to read on here..

had anyone read Paula Yates autob?

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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.

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'

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.

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)

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

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.