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

[ThomCat]

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?

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.

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

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.

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

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

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,

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

Oh yes I wanted to read about Mandela.

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

michael j fox
jonathan swift

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

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''''''

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

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

I really enjoyed "Toast" by Nigel Slater.

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

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

I liked the Jordan book too. I think I enjoyed Richard E Grant 'With Nails' but I was in NY and v jetlagged at the time and tbh can't really remember much of it

Am reading 'Feel' Robbie Williams atm, which isn't as such a biography, but a very good book.

Oh yes, I like popular culture

ozzy obbourne's is really good

Also enjoyed Toast, though I was just a little bit too young to do the "OMG that is so true" bit- my Aunt is the same age as him and really raved about it. (And you are younger than me TC)
I really enjoyed Eleanor of Aquitane if you fancy something historical.

ooh, yes Prufrock, loved that book, plus anything by Alison Weir generally.

Bob Geldof............Is that it ?

Michael Caine............. What's it all about

Will There Really Be a Morning?... Frances Farmer

LGJ - was Frances Farmer the actress who was sent to an asylum?