Best Autobiography you ever read.

karaokeman

Jimmy MacCarthy's Ride On in Song and Story.

Great read from Ireland's most prolific songwriter, he talks about his career from busking in London, playing with his first band Southpaw and later playing in the National Concert Hall with the fifth Beatle.

The type of book I wish every songwriter would write, the man is a living legend.

mikemac1

Colin Powell

He was a solider who went right to the top

Great book

Daniel2590

"Barefoot Runner" about Abebe Bikila's life (first Ethiopan to win the marathon)

Rango555

Rented Mule wrote: »

Slash's auto-biography was brilliant.

Really? I thought he was taking the piss.... Christy Dignams book was a good read.

Mr.Biscuits

Mandela's Long Walk To Freedom.

plasmaguy

I haven't read that many, well not in the last few years, but I thought John Giles' one was very good.

MaroonAndGreen

Paul McGrath's one is brilliant.

I'd recommend it to anyone not just sports fans!

plasmaguy

Jordan's wasn't that bad either, the model that is.

Joking of course!

danslevent

I love autobiographies.

Michael McIntyre's was good, but he could skim over the sad bits to keep it humorous and I like to get all the details!

Marilyn Manson's one was really good. Not into his music that much but it is a really, really interesting read.

George Best's autobiography was okay, made me sad to see someone so talented throw it all away but continously talk about the glory days that didn't last that long...

As someone already mentioned, Anthony Keidis, lead singer of Chilli peppers was a really good one.

Read the Steve Jobs book as well, which was sort of auto biographical because it interviewed so many of his close friends/family and also had a lot from interviews between him and the writer. Probably one of the best I have read, really fascinating to see what went behind apple. You won't look at Apple products the same afterwards!

mr_edge_to_you

Slashs book was a brilliant read. Gave a brilliant insight into the whole rock'n'roll scene/era from 86 to 94.

BillyMitchel

Howard Marks: Mr Nice is a great one. Never got around to seeing the movie though

kfallon

Paolo Di Canio
Paul McGrath
Also enjoyed Johnny Giles one

Hootanany

kfallon wrote: »

Paolo Di Canio
Paul McGrath
Also enjoyed Johnny Giles one

Spilling the Beans
One off the the Two Fat ladies absolutely brilliant.
Down & Out in Paris was another one I liked George Orwell.
Mark Smith from the Fall was another.

MetalDog

Read Keith Richard's one recently. Fairly sure the man will survive nuclear war (along with cockroaches of course). duff McKagans' "It's so easy - and other lies" was a good read too. He was so fu*cked up on booze and drugs at one point that his pancreas burst! But he got clean through martial arts training and went on to college.

MetalDog

plasmaguy wrote: »

Jordan's wasn't that bad either, the model that is.

Joking of course!

I think Jordan is someone who has "written" more books than she's read

"Commandant of Aushwitz" by Rudolf Hoess.

He wrote it on the advice of his lawyers in 1946 to leave some kind of testament for future generations as it was basically no secret that he was gonna swing for what he did, but Jesus talk about a cold blooded mother fukcer.

No excuses, no apologies, no denials, and none of that "I was only following orders" bull****. But the coldest and creepiest thing about him was that he felt no personal animosity towards his victims, but gassed them anyway. Just saw himself almost as a factory manager. Said he would probably have run things a little differently (ie more efficiently) had he been given a free hand, but went to the gallows without too much gnawing his conscience.

In fact the only thing that seemed to bother him about the whole thing was feeling a bit pissed off that Heinrich Himmler in his opinion chickened out and ran away, telling Hoess to do the same.

Oh dear, now I've just spoilt the ending for everyone! :pac:

Pherekydes

thebigbiffo wrote: »

Ok ok it's not an auto-biography, but i can't let it pass!

Anyone ever read Adrian Goldsworthy's biography of Ceasar? Absolutely impeccably researched, wonderfully readable and balanced account of the life of the great man himself - very hard to put down and although I like history I'm not a history buff. Generally noted as the defining biography of Ceasar. Read it, now!

Yes, I've read it. Superb.

Winston Churchill's, which I can't remember the name of off the top of my head at the mo, was excellent.

languagenerd

It's more an autobiographical novel than an autobiography (it details one very specific year of his life) but Danny Wallace's "Yes Man" is one of my favourite books. It's hilarious and his writing style is quirky. Basically, he decides he's going to say yes to everything for a year, and ends up in some pretty random/dangerous/incredible situations. You can't read it without wanting to be more positive in life, but it's not in any way preachy, it's just him telling his story.

The film Yes Man is very loosely based on it, but the story is completely different, so don't judge it by that!

howardmarks

Howard marks. I write a good yarn

RachaelVO

MetalDog wrote: »

Read Keith Richard's one recently. Fairly sure the man will survive nuclear war (along with cockroaches of course). duff McKagans' "It's so easy - and other lies" was a good read too. He was so fu*cked up on booze and drugs at one point that his pancreas burst! But he got clean through martial arts training and went on to college.

Isn't it a good read... I loved it, what a life (the Keith Richards Book)

Peter Ustinovs (Dear Me) is absolutely superb, the amount of powerful people he knew is amazing, but it's very endearingly funny. I'd highly recommend it.

Not really and Autobiography, but The war for Late Night, about what went on at NBC between Jay Leno and Conan O'Brien n stuff is a great read too, it was recommended on another thread and I got it out of curiosity.

General Relativity

Hitch 22 by Christopher Hitchens is a fantastic read. The man's a phenomenal writer.

maddragon

I think Chuck Yeagers was the best autobiography I've read with honourable mentions to Chickenhawk and Once a warrior king.

sunflower27

Well, it wasn't Sharon Osbourne. Was given that to read on a long flight once.

What a vile woman. Happily left on the plane

p to the e

Biggins wrote: »

Confessions of a Prairie Bitch: How I Survived Nellie Oleson and Learned to Love Being Hated

Absolute class.

Laughed.
Cried.
Stunned and shocked at times.
Informed at times.

Brilliant read.

WARNING: This a book not for children. It deals with some very serious issues at times including

rape

.



http://www.amazon.com/Confessions-Prairie-Bitch-Survived-Learned/dp/0061962147

Wow now there's an out of the blue biography. I love biographies like this that have a story behind a none too famous person rather than a boring life story from someone very famous.

Jackie Chan's "I am Jackie Chan" was very interesting, Roald Dahl's "Boy" and the follow up "Going Solo" are probably my favourite biographies. Just finished "The secret Life of Houdini" which is a long but interesting look at Houdini's life and some of his missions to expose spiritualists.

Have read a few on English criminals including Ronnie Kray's "My Story" (the man was seriously deluded thinking he could heal people with his hands), Lenny McClean's "The Guvnor" about the bare knuckle boxer who was also the big ugly lad in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and then Roy Shaw's "Pretty Boy" which was co written by Kray's wife. If you don't know him he was McClean's biggest rival and certifiably insane.

Odysseus

Mad, bad and dangerous to know Ranulph Fiennes.

The moon is a ballon David Niven.

Both are excellent and really enjoyable to read.

Shane-KornSpace

Chris Jerichos' 2 books are great.
The 1st one, "A lions' tale" was fantastic.

retalivity

Dear boy: The life of keith moon.

Ghost written, but jesus he was mad/sad/crazy/funny. 600+ pages!!!

coleria

All the ones listed so far seem to be celebs/sports/rock stars but you got to check this out. He's had one of the most incredible life, and now lives quietly in west Cork.

If You’re Not In Bed By 10, Come Home
Martin Bengtsson is living proof that truth can be stranger than fiction. His extraordinary autobiography, If You Are Not In Bed By Ten, Come Home, contains all the ingredients of best-selling fiction — murder, intrigue, sex, royalty, piracy and espionage. Yet it is all true.
Martin’s story has many threads which are sewn together in a wonderful narrative that would be impossible to replicate.
This raffish rogue spied for MI5, worked for the Mafia, planned an international kidnapping for the CIA, partied with Errol Flynn and Gracie Fields and even forged a plot to overthrow an island government.
His voice — witty, debonair and emphatically non-conformist — sings from the pages whether he is describing working as a stunt-double alongside Clint Eastwood and Richard Harris on Spaghetti Westerns such as The Good, The Bad And The Ugly and Buddy Goes West, conducting a ballet orchestra or fighting Greek pirates on the high seas.
Martin started in life as a bank clerk for Coutts but he soon escaped the drudgery when he began smuggling cigarettes along the Mediterranean coastline for the Mafia — whom he describes as the most ‘conscientious employer he has ever worked for.
Among many subsequent undertakings — some legal, some not so legal — he recounts how he worked as a bodyguard for a Saudi prince, forged famous impressionist paintings (famously duping BBC’s Antique Roadshow), was part of a CIA plan to catch the leader of the Black Panthers and smuggled guns to a breakaway African republic.
Resembling an old James Bond who refuses to hang up his cravat, although he has no need for it in his isolated mountain retreat, Bengtsson is charming, witty and a natural storyteller.
This charm carries throughout the book, making it a gripping and thoroughly entertaining read.
If You Are Not In Bed By Ten, Come Home is currently available in bookshops priced £7.99 or online at www.maverickhouse.com

shancoduff

MetalDog wrote: »

I think Jordan is someone who has "written" more books than she's read

So did Garth Merenghi but he's a brilliant writer!

CruelCoin

I don't read autobiographies. Tend to be a pile of smug ****ism.

I prefer Biographies for more accuracy and to avoid the above.

MetalDog

shancoduff wrote: »

So did Garth Merenghi but he's a brilliant writer!

Indeed, but it seems more men have entered Jordan's Darkplace :eek:

liamhana

garret fitzgerald - the style of writing is great
Tony cascarinos - even if the passport issue was a dud.

Scanlas The 2nd

I read Alan Sugar's autobiography after seein so many glowing reviews on this thread, I was a bit disappointed with it overall, while still an enjoyable read my expectations were set too high.

Colmustard

Very few of the above examples are autobiographies. An autobiography is a book about the author penned by the author. Most of the above were ghost written. Do people here really think Jordon or David Beckham could write a book.

CommanderC

John McGahern, Memoir.

Pensivepuca

I read the van gogh letters, very good read.

bhamsteve

Frank Skinners is certainly funny if you're after a laugh.

ruthloss

The Moon's a Baloon.
David Niven. It made me laugh out loud.

cometogether

Shaun Ryder's is a great read

Colmustard

When I am in Easons I look at the best sellers and there they are, the celebrity "autobiographies" what strikes me, is here you have best selling authors and yet no-one knows their names.

I don't know why people think Frank Skinner or Alan Sugar could write a book, what they do is hire a ghost writer, give some interviews and the ghost gets on with it. They are in fact biographies.

To write a book takes talent, I doubt the likes of Jordan or Beckham could even write a post.

bhamsteve

Colmustard wrote: »

When I am in Easons I look at the best sellers and there they are, the celebrity "autobiographies" what strikes me, is here you have best selling authors and yet no-one knows their names.

I don't know why people think Frank Skinner or Alan Sugar could write a book, what they do is hire a ghost writer, give some interviews and the ghost gets on with it. They are in fact biographies.

To write a book takes talent, I doubt the likes of Jordan or Beckham could even write a post.

Frank Skinner's biography is hardly Shakespeare but he is a good comedian and is hardly the dimwit you imply

He passed 2 O-levels in summer 1973 and took A-levels in English Language and Art, along with several O-level re-sits, at Oldbury Technical School Sixth Form. He subsequently took 4 A-levels (including English Language and Literature) at Warley College of Technology and graduated from Birmingham Polytechnic (now Birmingham City University) in 1981 with a degree in English. This was followed by a Masters degree in English Literature at the University of Warwick in Coventry, the following year. After graduating, he spent three and a half years on unemployment benefit before finding work as a lecturer in English at Halesowen College. In 1987 he decided to give stand-up comedy a try on the side, before quitting his job in 1989 to pursue his comedy career full-time.[citation needed] During this period a bout of influenza made him give up drinking, and he remains a high-profile recovering alcoholic.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Skinner

I'd find it hard to argue for Jordan though :-)

kfallon

Paolo Di Canios

Pj!

chalkie 501 wrote: »

Bellies and bullseyes by Sid Waddell is a good second

Have been meaning to get this book.


Just heard that the man died last night.

RhubarbCrumble

"Escape from evil" - Cathy Wilson.

Cathy was married to serial killer Peter Tobin, and this is her story of her life with him. It also covers her life as a child. She went through a unbelieveable amount of stuff in her life and I have no idea how she managed to come through it all and come out the other end. She's one hell of a woman.

Definitely a book worth reading.

Bassfish

Ozzy Osbourne's book is very good, not often you end end up laughing out loud at a book but there's some hilarious stories in it.

BlueSmoker

Jack Kerouac's "Memory Babe" by Gerald Nicosia, my copy of it from 1986 has notes and underline right the way through it (coffee stains, dogged eared, and a ticket to McGonagles), it looks like a copy of Soundings

Edit

Please ignore this post as I haven't actually learnt to read properly yet, my bad sorry

AnonoBoy

BlueSmoker wrote: »

Jack Kerouac's "Memory Babe" by Gerald Nicosia, my copy of it from 1986 has notes and underline right the way through it (coffee stains, dogged eared, and a ticket to McGonagles), it looks like a copy of Soundings

Not an autobiography though.

BlueSmoker

AnonoBoy wrote: »

Not an autobiography though.

Crap your right, it is a biography, I shall edit it so. Thanks

Snowie

Kitchen Confidential - Anthony Bourdain

or

Rick Wakemen grumpy old Rock star

Piriz

John Healey The Grass Arena... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Grass_Arena

an amazing insight into the world of a wino... John Healey is truely gifted..

Republished by Penguin Classics