Recommend a good biography
Discussion
I'm going on holiday soon. A holiday where I might actually get chance to read a book.
It's been a while since I last read a book (for various reasons) and I feel completely out of touch with what's out there. I've had a look through a few well known sites to try and find something I like, but there seems to be an impossible number to trawl through. So, I'm hoping to shortcut this by asking for some recommendations
I used to read a lot of fiction, but gravitated towards autobiographies & biographies over the years, and I've tended to go for either something funny - usually by a comedian (I might try Bob Mortimer), or motor/motorsport related. I really enjoyed Adrian Newey's book, and I've read a few of Clarkson's books in the past - don't shoot me, I think he's a lot better on paper.
However, I'm totally open to something new I hadn't thought of before, so would you be so kind as to let me know what you've enjoyed, and why please?
It's been a while since I last read a book (for various reasons) and I feel completely out of touch with what's out there. I've had a look through a few well known sites to try and find something I like, but there seems to be an impossible number to trawl through. So, I'm hoping to shortcut this by asking for some recommendations
I used to read a lot of fiction, but gravitated towards autobiographies & biographies over the years, and I've tended to go for either something funny - usually by a comedian (I might try Bob Mortimer), or motor/motorsport related. I really enjoyed Adrian Newey's book, and I've read a few of Clarkson's books in the past - don't shoot me, I think he's a lot better on paper.
However, I'm totally open to something new I hadn't thought of before, so would you be so kind as to let me know what you've enjoyed, and why please?
ok, so not strictly a biography, though it contains many of several people, but I would really reeccomend the book
"Age of wonder" about the enlightenment period and the changes in science and society through it. a biography of the age of englightenment, perhaps.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Age-Wonder-Richard-Holmes...
I loved the combination of the scientific process with the passion and romance of the, er, romantic period. When you look at what people managed to discover and understand and the technology they had to do it with (e.g. there is a lot about Herschel - the astronomer who mastered making telescopes and saw the first galaxies), it's really quite amazing.
Closely related, 'the invention of nature' by Andrea wulfl is a great biography of Humboldt, the scientist-explorer, who had great adventures exploring South America. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Invention-Nature-Adventur...
and if you want a proper biography, .I really enjoyed this one of Benjamin Franklin (obvious choice, sorry. but really such a fascinating life, it's a proper adventure story. a remarkable man definitely, even more definitely a remarkable self publicist).
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Benjamin-Franklin-America...
"Age of wonder" about the enlightenment period and the changes in science and society through it. a biography of the age of englightenment, perhaps.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Age-Wonder-Richard-Holmes...
I loved the combination of the scientific process with the passion and romance of the, er, romantic period. When you look at what people managed to discover and understand and the technology they had to do it with (e.g. there is a lot about Herschel - the astronomer who mastered making telescopes and saw the first galaxies), it's really quite amazing.
Closely related, 'the invention of nature' by Andrea wulfl is a great biography of Humboldt, the scientist-explorer, who had great adventures exploring South America. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Invention-Nature-Adventur...
and if you want a proper biography, .I really enjoyed this one of Benjamin Franklin (obvious choice, sorry. but really such a fascinating life, it's a proper adventure story. a remarkable man definitely, even more definitely a remarkable self publicist).
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Benjamin-Franklin-America...
Edited by PlywoodPascal on Thursday 8th August 15:12
Edited by PlywoodPascal on Thursday 8th August 15:14
Not a biography but I can recommend this
https://www.amazon.co.uk/High-Performance-Britain-...
Edited to explain why I enjoyed it - I knew quite a lot of this but it’s very well written, reads almost like a novel. Not one if you want to get bogged down in historical detail but a great holiday read.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/High-Performance-Britain-...
Edited to explain why I enjoyed it - I knew quite a lot of this but it’s very well written, reads almost like a novel. Not one if you want to get bogged down in historical detail but a great holiday read.
Edited by Martin315 on Thursday 8th August 16:22
Edited by Martin315 on Thursday 8th August 16:22
Moby - Porcelain & Bez - Buzzin' are two good music related ones, Eddie Jordan - An Independent Man & Bob Mortimer - And Away is good although not laugh a minute. On the books thread someone said the Ade Edmondson - Berserker book was too focused on his abusive childhood memories & not enough on the comedy years.
how about snapshots of biography mixed with history, and a properly WTF narrative?
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/mar/04/east...
william dalrymple is an excellent writer, i find his books take in massively complex threads and puts them into prose that is akin to an adventure novel. easy to read, exciting and with a great sense of pace. unputdownable in my case.
this one is about the history of the east india company and how it came, half by design and half by accident, to be the de facto ruler of india. i find it amazing that this simply staggering episode of our history isn't widely known.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/mar/04/east...
william dalrymple is an excellent writer, i find his books take in massively complex threads and puts them into prose that is akin to an adventure novel. easy to read, exciting and with a great sense of pace. unputdownable in my case.
this one is about the history of the east india company and how it came, half by design and half by accident, to be the de facto ruler of india. i find it amazing that this simply staggering episode of our history isn't widely known.
shirt said:
how about snapshots of biography mixed with history, and a properly WTF narrative?
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/mar/04/east...
william dalrymple is an excellent writer, i find his books take in massively complex threads and puts them into prose that is akin to an adventure novel. easy to read, exciting and with a great sense of pace. unputdownable in my case.
this one is about the history of the east india company and how it came, half by design and half by accident, to be the de facto ruler of india. i find it amazing that this simply staggering episode of our history isn't widely known.
yeah, this is excellent, and I learnt so much.https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/mar/04/east...
william dalrymple is an excellent writer, i find his books take in massively complex threads and puts them into prose that is akin to an adventure novel. easy to read, exciting and with a great sense of pace. unputdownable in my case.
this one is about the history of the east india company and how it came, half by design and half by accident, to be the de facto ruler of india. i find it amazing that this simply staggering episode of our history isn't widely known.
especially the life/rule of Shah Alam II, totally crazy.
Andrew Lycett’s biography of Ian Fleming: https://amzn.eu/d/8GMGB5s
ChevronB19 said:
Motorsport: Life at the Limit by Sid Watkins was excellent and available secondhand.
Comedy: Adrian Edmondson’s autobiography ‘Beserker’ is meant to be good, but I haven’t read it (yet)
I’d skip Beserker. It was mostly self indulgent, self congratulatory humourless guff. A big disappointment. Comedy: Adrian Edmondson’s autobiography ‘Beserker’ is meant to be good, but I haven’t read it (yet)
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