Biographies?

[theluckiest]

I was watching 'Legend' about the Krays t'other night and am now catching up with 'Bette & Joan' from Christmas about Bette Davis & Joan Crawford's long-standing feud.

I've just realised that I absolutely love stories about interesting people and/or real events and would love a really good, meaty biog/autobiog to get my teeth into over the holidays. I've downloaded Mommie Dearest already but thought I'd ask you knowledgeable lot too.

What biographies or autobiographies would I like? Who's written a real cracker?

I'm definitely looking at more classic Hollywood A list or dirty rotten scoundrel as opposed to a 'Closer celeb famous for 5 mins' who I might not have heard of IYKWIM.

Any good recommendations? Many thanks!

I'm not usually a fan of biographies, but I loved Richard Ellman's book about Oscar Wilde.

If you include autobiography, I'm a huge fan of Jessica Mitford's memoirs and muckrakers.

OP if you like Mommie Dearest try Hollywood Babylon by Kenneth Anger; Steven Bach's biography of Marlene Dietrich; Lulu in Hollywood by Louise Brooks; The Purple diaries: Mary Astor and the most sensational Hollywood scandal of the 1930s by Joseph Egan. In general The Mitford Girls by Mary S. Lovell; Flappers: six women of a dangerous generation by Judith Mackrell; Greta and Cecil and Mrs Keppel and her daughter both by Diana Souhami.

Wonderful, thanks for all the suggestions. I'll get downloading.

No, I always thought I didn't like biographies either but having read a few, realise that I really like them!

Also like reading about real-life stories that feel like you couldn't make it up as well (like Shackleton for example)

For old Hollywood glamour and scandal I'd recommend Elizabeth Taylor by J. Randy Taraborrelli and Gerald Clarke
Get Happy: The Life of Judy Garland

I'm going to check some of those out Dottie thanks for the recommendation
Also recommend Goddess by Antony Summers and Bette and Joan The Divine Feud by Sean Consindine

I love a good biography! I really recommend Natasha: The Biography of Natalie Wood, by Suzanne Finstad.

Not so sure about Hollywood stuff but Claire Tomalin is a brilliant biographer. She wrote one about Samuel Pepys called The Unequalled Self which was fantastic, not difficult to read as I had thought it might be.
She's written loads of others too. Might be worth checking them out.

I would second the Mitford sister by Mary s Lovell. I also read her riviera set which was wonderful. I also loved queen bees about high society women in the 30's and 40's.

Clothes, Clothes, Clothes. Music, Music, Music. Boys, Boys, Boys by Viv Albertine is absolutely brilliant.

Another great read that is funny but touching is ma'am darling by Craig brown. It's stories about princess Margaret. A great insight into her life!

Arnold Schwarzenegger's autobiography Total Recall is fascinating. How a teenager from a poor family in an Austrian village with no language skills made it to America and then became a Hollywood star, becoming a real estate developer along the way and marrying a Kennedy, then got elected Governor of California is a story that will surprise, entertain, and especially inspire every reader.