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?

Both Clinton books are poor.

Michael J Fox's autobiography Lucky Man. Brilliant.

Lance Armstrong - It's not about the bike. Inspiring reading - beats testicular cancer, lives and then wins more Tour de Frances than anyone else!

Is a follow up called Every Second Counts which is also good.

He has been a bit selective in what he has left out though - doesn't go into much detail as to why his relationships failed. Def recommend them though.

it's written as a novel but is a true account of his own experiences as a child in a Japanese POW camp in Shanghai - 'Empire of the sun' by JG Ballard. One of the most mind blowing books you'll ever read and all true.The sequel is called 'The kindness of women' and is equally rivetting.

Paula Fox, 'Borrowed Finery': memoir of her childhood at very edge of (feckless Hollywoody) parents' lives. Gorgeous piece of writing, with startling payoff

Gitta Sereny's biog of Hitler's architect, Albert Speer. Massive, but unputdownable (will give you achy forearms)

Selina Hastings' biog of Rosamund Lehmann, one of my favourite novelists, and plainly a bit of a monster

Elizabeth Jane Howard's autobiography Slipstream: frank and funny and sad (lots of Amis-ery in this, too)

I've just read Paula Fox's book and can second BP's opinion. I also loved the Eleanor of Aquitaine book and one about Marie Antionette by Antonia Fraser. Gladstone by Roy Jenkins is excellent, too. Alan Clarke's Diaries are an amazing insight into politics. Wellington - The Iron Duke by Richard Holmes is a good read. I also loved the Dirk Bogard autobiogs, delightful books.

oh yes forgot Alan Clarke's diaries. I really enjoyed them (so painfully honest).

does Touching the Void count?

If Wild Swans counts, then that (it is biography, but of 3 generations)

Or Robert Graves's

Keep seeing books I'd forgotten I'd read and enjoyed - the one about Albert Speer was excellent.

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Touching the Void is practically the best book I have read - well modern book anyway.

I like boigraphies of figures I admire: Brunel, Nelson and Queen Victoria (the last two I think by Christopher Hibbert) spring to mind.

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Agree with Long walk to freedom, nelson mandela, wild swans, IS that it ? (Bob Geldof).

Also loved Richard E Grant's 'Withnail' and Evita by Mary Main was fascinating.

Just enjoyed reading Eleanor Perenyi "More was lost". Tells the story of her life with her Hungarian husband on his estate just before the start of the second world war. Eleanor Perenyi also wrote the excellent Green Thoughts.

My favourites are Led Zeppelin: Hammer Of The Gods and Howard Marks: Mr Nice.

Christopher Reeves' "STill me", written after his accident (which left him paralysed) but well before his death, was very moving on audio-cassette - read by him himself. Very good on coming to terms with the fact that the accident happened, and on his relationship with his wife.

Martin Kemp was good but am reading (nearly finished) Jon Snow - the news reader guy and its really good - some of the people he has met and actually says in the book that they are awful.