Recommend me a good autobiography

[Tim-D]

Howaard Marks - Mr Nice - cracking read

[Phil Dicky]

plg said:

Life at the Limit: Triumph and Tragedy in Formula One
by Sid Watkins

Cheeky Jim said:

Dixie68 said:

Pothole said:

Robert Mason - Chickenhawk

Yes! Fantastic read.

Thirded... Very moving.

these two looking good so far

[Ed]

Range Rover make a cracking 'Autobiography'

[Papa Hotel]

Great read, fascinating life.

[cazzer]

Another vote for Kenneth Williams Diaries and Bill Brysons Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid.

[Huff]

Gen. Sir Peter de la Billiere 's book is a great recommendation I'd second; his actual autobiography Looking for trouble' is even better.

Completely unrelated, try Oliver Postgate's Seeing Things : he brought us 'Ivor the Engine' and 'Bagpuss' and 'The Clangers', amonst other things; and it's a wonderful book, full of humanity.

Now for a slightly different approach - three other books I've greatly enjoyed, not necessarily written as autobiographies, but it's what is left us that reveals the author:

Guy Gibson Enemy Coast Ahead
Samuel Pepys Pepys' diary
Primo Levi The Periodic table

- The last would definitely be on my 'Desert Island' wishlist.

Edited by Huff on Sunday 22 August 00:03

[Egbert Nobacon]

Alan Clarke MP

[Parabola]

Most of Charles Bukowski's stuff is semi autobiographical (I think!).
'Post Office' or 'Women' are well worth checking out.

Edited by Parabola on Sunday 22 August 00:23

[Beardy10]

A Long Walk to Freedom - Nelson Mandela

It's 800 odd pages and does have some parts that you have to plough on through but it's brilliant. Very educational.

If you like sport Martin Johnson's is very good as is Mike Atherton's.

Shantaram is a brilliant book. It's not strictly an autobiography but it is a true life story and an amazing one. You won't put it down.

[550Hep]

John Simpson's books... a jolly good read, engaging and well written.

[ClaphamGT3]

Cock Womble 7 said:

That's not his autobiography: his autobiography is entitled "Looking for Trouble" and is a much better read than the rather dry and self-justifying "Storm Command".

As a biography, I am just re-reading "The Africa House", the biography of 07:43:27 Col Sir Stewart Gore-Browne which is brilliant. John Major's is also very good.

[Tycho]

plg said:

Life at the Limit: Triumph and Tragedy in Formula One
by Sid Watkins

^^^^ This.


Also worth a look is Sir Ranulph Fiennes autobiography.

[Eric Mc]

An Ordinary Soldier - Doug Beattie

[_rubinho_]

AndrewTait said:

On a motoring theme:-

Eddie Jordan

David Couthard

Ayrton Senna's biography is a fantastic read.

Valentino Rossi's is excellent too.

[nobodyknows]

Chris Evans
General Sir Peter De La Billiere
Ranulph Fiennes
Michael Parkinson
Bob Monkhouse
Keith Allen & many others!

[Uriel]

Innes Ireland - All Arms and Elbows is one of the best motorsport books I've read.
Geoffrey Wellum - First Light for a young Spitfire pilots view of the war.

[Strangely Brown]

If you like real Boys' Own adventure stories...

Autobiographies:
Carrying the Fire - Michael Collins
Lost Moon - Jim Lovell
The Unbroken Chain - Guenter Wendt
Two Sides of the Moon - David Scott and Alexei Leonov
Flight - Chris Kraft
Failure is Not an Option - Gene Kranz
Schirra's Space - Wally Schirra
Deke! - D.K. Slayton
The Last Man on The Moon - Gene Cernan

Biographies:
First Man - James R. Hansen
Rocketman - Nancy Conrad
Light This Candle - Neal Thompson

[maser_spyder]

Vvroom said:

David Niven's is superb- the moon's a balloon. I also recently enjoyed Roger Moore's- My word is my Bond (see what he did there).

For me though, the daddy of all autobiographies is Ranulph Fiennes- Mad, Bad & Dangerous to Know.

Another recommendation for Niven, widely held as one of the best ever written.

[Asterix]

A great read if you're into music at all is 'Hammer of the Gods' - the unauthorised Led Zeppelin biography - very funny in parts.

For a person - I love John Peel's 'Margrave of the Marshes'. The first half written by JP (he died before completion), when read, it is like having him sit in the room with you chatting away. The 2nd half written by his wife and kids is just as good.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Margrave-Marshes-John-Peel...

[Cotty]

Cock Womble 7 said:

I was going to suggest that, its a cracking read.