bree Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 And not sure if this counts as an autobiography : A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier - Ishmael Beah. Though there have been questions raised on the credibility of the memoirs, it's nevertheless very stark, powerful and deeply disturbing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roland Butter Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 I bought that when it came out - three, maybe even four years ago now, was it? I haven't got round to reading it yet, but it's still staring at me reproachfully from the shelf, so I think it'll be next up when I feel like a dose of misery and redemption. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bree Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 I bought that when it came out - three, maybe even four years ago now, was it? I haven't got round to reading it yet, but it's still staring at me reproachfully from the shelf, so I think it'll be next up when I feel like a dose of misery and redemption. I know what you mean - it was a gift from a dear friend - and I let it lie around for ages before I read it. And I'm not sure I'll read it again any time soon. But yes, it was worth that one read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
booksnake Posted March 11, 2012 Share Posted March 11, 2012 I'm new to the forum so Hi 2 books I've just read are: Inside by John Hoskison, and a Fair Cop by Michael Bunting, both are biographies relating to prison sentences, and I highly recommend them if you like that sort of thing. if anyone has an Ipad or Iphone Inside is free on Ibook store and the other is only 99p... bargain lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karen.d Posted August 4, 2012 Share Posted August 4, 2012 I'm not much of a fan of autobiographies, but I have just finished reading 'May I Have Your Attention Please?' by James Corden. Whilst I think that throughout the novel he occasionally gushes about some of the people he has worked with, the book is honest and Corden is able to admit to some of the mistakes he has made in the past. This book had me laughing out loud at times and I really enjoyed it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wordsgood Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 I've read many biographies and autobiographies. I love the genre but rarely read any by or about celebrities as I find them boring. I tend to focus more on biographies about historical and/or political figures, as well as personal memoirs from people not in the entertainment business. I've been a bit obsessed lately with ones about some of history's more infamous figures, such as Chian Kai-Shek, Mao Zedong and Hitler, etc. A couple I've particularly enjoyed are: Infidel, by Ayaan Hirsi Ali Chiang Kai-Shek: China's Generalissimo and the Natiopn He Lost, by Jonathan Fenby I've been fishing through this thread and have found a few that have piqued my interest so much that they have now landed on my Wish List. I've listed them below. My thanks to Frankie the Moderator, Jo-Bridge, Sammisnana, BrainFreeze and Ausonius for posting about them. The Life and Death of Sylvia Plath, by Ronald Hayman Jane Austen, by Carol Shields The Hacienda, by Lisa St Aubin De Teran Dry: A Memoir, by Augesten Burroughs The Damage Done: Twelve Years of Hell in a Bangkok Prison, by Warren Fellows Dostoyevsky: A Writer in His Time, by Joseph Frank Also, Knitnat, you mentioned Wild Swans, by Jung Chang. I've read this one a couple times and agree that it is definitely a great read! I've got some of her other stuff and think she is a very gifted writer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talisman Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 I don't as a whole go in for the whole celebrity memoir thing, but I have read both Charlie Chaplin's and more recently cyclist Mark Cavendish' biography - both of which I enjoyed. The latter in particular taught me a lot about the dynamics of professional cycling and how the riders work together and help each other. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted August 26, 2012 Share Posted August 26, 2012 I've been fishing through this thread and have found a few that have piqued my interest so much that they have now landed on my Wish List. I've listed them below. My thanks to Frankie the Moderator, Jo-Bridge, Sammisnana, BrainFreeze and Ausonius for posting about them. The Life and Death of Sylvia Plath, by Ronald Hayman Dry: A Memoir, by Augesten Burroughs Oooh, I'm so happy that these have gone on your wishlist! Burroughs is one of my absolute favorite authors, and the Hayman book was (at least for me) very eye opening. It changed my opinion on Plath completely (from negative to a more sympathetic, positive one). I hope you get to read them soon and enjoy them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rovertakenmb Posted August 28, 2012 Share Posted August 28, 2012 Life - Keith Richards Richards' story is fascinating. His passion for music and lust for life is infectious. Well worth a read for any fan of popular music. Twisting My Melon - Shaun Ryder Same sort of general theme as Keith Richards' autobiography (music, fame and excess) but a totally different journey. Midnight Express - Billy Hayes You can't beat a good true story about escaping from a foreign jail. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian. Posted August 28, 2012 Share Posted August 28, 2012 (edited) Life - Keith Richards Richards' story is fascinating. His passion for music and lust for life is infectious. Well worth a read for any fan of popular music. This is something that I think a lot of people miss when it comes to Keith Richards. Although he is often portrayed as a wild party animal only, he musical knowledge is really something to behold. He was one of the early bunch of British musicians with a real passion for American blues which was so important in shaping the sound that many British bands have been influenced by. He is also always keen to learn from other musicians, so much so that he rarely writes alone or plays alone. Edited August 28, 2012 by Brian. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruth Posted August 28, 2012 Share Posted August 28, 2012 This is something that I think a lot of people miss when it comes to Keith Richards. Although he is often portrayed as a wild party animal only, he musical knowledge is really something to behold. He was one of the early bunch of British musicians with a real passion for American blues which was so important in shaping the sound that many British bands have been influenced by. He is also always keen to learn from other musicians, so much so that he rarely writes alone or plays alone. Oh, totally agree. Keith's lifestyle - which in any event is much tamer these days - tends to overshadow his musical talent sometimes. He's such an amazing musician though. And he sure knows how to tell a good story! (For my money, Jagger and Richards were always a better songwriting duo than Lennon and McCartney, but obviously that's just personal opinion ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted August 28, 2012 Share Posted August 28, 2012 We've bought several bios lately. The one on General Sherman that I'm currently reading, Ernest Hemingways, one on Mikhail S. Gorbachev, one on Eisenhower...coming out in a month or so I believe. I've pre-ordered it. Oh, one on Alfred Hitchcock. and a few more that I can't recall at the moment. Well stocked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wordsgood Posted August 29, 2012 Share Posted August 29, 2012 ...It changed my opinion on Plath completely (from negative to a more sympathetic, positive one). Thanks Frankie! I've read portions of Plath's story in other books I've got exploring mental illness and the very questionable treatment techniques that have been tried throughout history, but kept forgetting to add her story to the list of bios I wanted. Your post reminded me to do so and Hayman's account looks like a great take on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aitraining Posted September 9, 2012 Share Posted September 9, 2012 Reading "Lincoln" - David Herbert Donald. VERY good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted September 17, 2012 Share Posted September 17, 2012 We've bought several bios lately. The one on General Sherman that I'm currently reading, Ernest Hemingways, one on Mikhail S. Gorbachev, one on Eisenhower...coming out in a month or so I believe. I've pre-ordered it. Oh, one on Alfred Hitchcock. and a few more that I can't recall at the moment. Well stocked. What are the names of the Sherman, Hemingway and Hitchcock biographies? I'd be interested in reading something about them. Have you read Sherman's memoirs (I think they're memoirs, or maybe diaries)? Does anyone know of a good biography of the Bronte sisters? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wordsgood Posted September 17, 2012 Share Posted September 17, 2012 I'm wondering if anyone here has read, or even owns, Abraham Lincoln: A Life, by Michael Burlingame. It's a mammoth 2 volume biography that came out late in December 2008. I just read a review about it by the late Christopher Hitchens (in his book Arguably: Essays) and he makes it look fascinating. However, it also has a mammoth price tag, even for used copies, so before I even consider adding it my wish list, I would like other people's opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted September 17, 2012 Share Posted September 17, 2012 What are the names of the Sherman, Hemingway and Hitchcock biographies? I'd be interested in reading something about them. Have you read Sherman's memoirs (I think they're memoirs, or maybe diaries)? Does anyone know of a good biography of the Bronte sisters? The one Citizen Sherman, by Michael Fellman is based on Sherman's own diaries. I'm up to page 99, it's been sitting for a while now. It isn't that the book actually drags, but in a way it is starting to be a bit repetitious. Well written though. Hemingway's Boat: Everything He Loved in Life and Lost 1934 - 1961 by Paul Hendrickson is here along with Ernest Hemingway: A Life Story by Carlos Baker, the latter supposedly being the best of the lot. Alfred Hitchcock: A Brief Darkness is an autobio, I can't put my hand on it at the moment, its' already been buried.... I'm sorry to say. Another one I can recommend, although I've been stuck in the middle for quite a while now, is Beautiful Shadow: A Life of Patricia Highsmith by Andrew Wilson. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julie Posted September 17, 2012 Share Posted September 17, 2012 Kat It sounds as if you are on a BIO kick right now. I also like reading them and memoirs of plain old people who might not even be famous for much of anything . I guess I like learning how other people live their lives and the odd quirks and personalities people have . Very entertaining ,aren't they ? Wordsgood wish I could help you on the Lincoln book . I've read some books about him or about the time the Civil War takes place. It's an interesting subject to me,and Lincoln sounds like he was quite an interesting character with a personality to match. His wife Mary also sounds as if she was a handful,but he sounded like he knew just how to deal with her. I supposed anyone who lived her life would be a little bit "frazzled",to put it mildly. She had so many tragedies to live through . I bought a book for my Nook quite awhile back about the remaining members of the Lincoln family after the assassination of Lincoln. They really didn't have much of a direct line of family left ,since only one boy grew to adulthood. I've always wondered if he had a family,and of there are any V E R Y distant Lincolns leftover someplace who are still around, or if their piece of the family has all died off . I guess maybe I should read the book to see ,right ? I get really bogged down with all the books waiting on me, so it takes me a long time to get to them all . Good luck in your search . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted September 17, 2012 Share Posted September 17, 2012 LOL Julie, I do seem to have accumulated quite a few in the last few months. Another one I can't wait to read is one that just came in the mail the other day about Eisenhower. Ike's Bluff, President Eisenhower's Secret Battle to Save the World by Evan Thomas. Ike was evidently a fascinating guy that was nothing like the easy going facade one saw. Well, I guess to get were he got...not only the Presidency, but being a General in WWII he had to be pretty wily. Here is a quote from the inside flap: "Acclaimed historian Evan Thomas, drawing upon diaries and newly declassified papers, reveals how the underrated Eisenhower was a surprisingly acute tactician, cold-blooded and brilliant at manipulating others in Washington, Moscow and Beijing. A genius at poker and bridge--after West Point he had to stop playing because he had left too many fellow officers insolvent--Ike could be patient and ruthless, a master of both the slow con and the bold conjecture." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julie Posted September 17, 2012 Share Posted September 17, 2012 Kat Yea,some of these people are "packaged" with a different outside than what they have inside . I think in any line of politics, you have to be willing to step on or over people to get to the top of the game. Once when our son was small, he asked me who was President when I was born . I wanted to answer quickly,so as to not look like a total numbnutt. I said Eisenhower ,and thankfully was right. Sometimes when you are caught off guard ,you can't think quickly enough . Maybe I should thank my Grandad -- he had a huge campaign button on his bulletin board saying I LIKE IKE . I'll be interested in hearing what his wife was like if it tells much about her . She looked kinda like a fuddy-duddy,but she might have been packaged differently too . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wordsgood Posted September 21, 2012 Share Posted September 21, 2012 Julie, I read several historical fiction sagas about that era and a few actual bios about the political situation and war, but haven't read anything that focused specifically on Lincoln, his life from childhood up, or how the many tragedies hurt Lincoln and his wife even while running a country at war with itself. But this one really caught my eye and I read an extensive excerpt at a seller's site that just made me want it even more. It did state in the excerpt that he grew up with quite abusive parents. I've added it to my "When I get rich wish list" and think for now I will have to settle for a shorter bio about Lincoln by the same author/historian. That one I can afford. Here's a pic of the cover and below that, a blurb taken from Amazon. Amazon Blurb: Abraham Lincoln's excruciating, yet highly productive, midlife crisis; his woeful marriage to a dishonest woman who often embarrassed and sometimes physically abused him; his intense estrangement from a shiftless father; his streak of cruelty; his explosive temper; and his aversion to women are among the topics covered by Michael Burlingame in The Inner World of Abraham Lincoln. Based primarily on long-neglected manuscript and newspaper sources - especially on reminiscences of people who knew Lincoln - this psychobiography casts new light on the emotional origins of Lincoln's deep hatred of slavery, on his transformation from a party hack to a statesman, on his relations with his family, on the causes of his depressions, and on the roots of his ambition. Burlingame uses a blend of Freudian and Jungian theory to interpret the psyche of the sixteenth president. Amazon's Book Link if anyone want's to check it out: http://www.amazon.co...n/dp/0252066677 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julie Posted September 21, 2012 Share Posted September 21, 2012 Wordsgood Thanks for the link. That's one I haven't heard of before .It is a little steep in price and doesnt come for Kindle,so maybe I can find it at the library sometime. I always like to learn more about the private lives of some of the famous people, mainly the presidents .Makes for some interesting reading .From all I've ever read, Lincoln had a pretty "challenging " wife ,but it sounded as if he learned how to get along ok with her and overlook a lot of her shortcomings. I've also read a lot of good about him and his personality and beliefs ,and how funny he could be at times .I'm sure he had his faults as we all do,and probably had times where he was pretty difficult to deal with,but it could have been the time he lived in, and the decisions he had to make . I don't think you could be wimpy during those years as president.You'd have to stand firm with your beliefs . Thanks for letting me know about this other book Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted September 21, 2012 Share Posted September 21, 2012 Thanks Frankie! I've read portions of Plath's story in other books I've got exploring mental illness and the very questionable treatment techniques that have been tried throughout history, but kept forgetting to add her story to the list of bios I wanted. Your post reminded me to do so and Hayman's account looks like a great take on it. You're welcome! I think the Hayman book on Plath is one of the best biographies I've ever read, and I'm always happy to see more people wanting to read the book Oh, and I'd be interested in hearing about the mental illness books you mentioned, if they are any good? What are the names of the Sherman, Hemingway and Hitchcock biographies? I'd be interested in reading something about them. Have you read Sherman's memoirs (I think they're memoirs, or maybe diaries)? I know this wasn't directed towards me, but I have a few titles on Hemingway I think you might find of interest. I've not read them myself yet ( ), but here they are: - A. E. Hotchner: Papa Hemingway - Leicester Hemingway: My Brother, Ernest Hemingway - Ernest Hemingway: By-Line And pontalba, thanks for the Hemingway titles, I'll be adding them to my wishlist! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickB Posted October 1, 2012 Share Posted October 1, 2012 I read recently Bear Grylls - Mud, Sweat and Tears. Which I was surprised I enjoyed as much as I did although major chunks of the book are dedicated to SAS selection and climbing Everest and there's nothing wrong with that but it's not a complete life story as you might expect. I think Bear Grylls has published a lot of rubbish but this book was quite good, very readable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vodkafan Posted October 2, 2012 Share Posted October 2, 2012 I read several historical fiction sagas about that era and a few actual bios about the political situation and war, but haven't read anything that focused specifically on Lincoln, his life from childhood up, or how the many tragedies hurt Lincoln and his wife even while running a country at war with itself. But this one really caught my eye and I read an extensive excerpt at a seller's site that just made me want it even more. It did state in the excerpt that he grew up with quite abusive parents. I've added it to my "When I get rich wish list" and think for now I will have to settle for a shorter bio about Lincoln by the same author/historian. That one I can afford. Here's a pic of the cover and below that, a blurb taken from Amazon. Hi Wordsgood, this sounds very interesting. Does it cover his early career as a vampire hunter? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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