thread: Autobiography Recommendations

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  1. #1
    Registered User

    Aug 2006
    On the other side of this screen!!!
    11,129

    It's not about the bike by Lance Armstrong ...fantastic read and I"m not even remotely interested in cycling LOL.

    Mao's last dancer - Li Cunxin

  2. #2
    Registered User

    May 2006
    Igglepiggle Land
    2,742

    thanks MD - I was thinking about reading that :-)

    I've read:
    Lindy Chamberlains (800 pages, but I loved it)
    Marilyn Monroe
    Michael Hutchence
    Victoria Beckham
    Richard Branson
    and I'm sure there are others but I can't think of them...

    Oh, Nelson Mandela's too.

    Lindy gets my top pick though!

  3. #3
    Registered User

    Jul 2007
    melb
    8,498

    The White Masai
    Back from Africa
    Reunion in Barasloi (all by Corrine Hofmann) awesome reads

    Hospital by the river

    Dr Chris O'briens is ment to be great

  4. #4
    Registered User

    Nov 2007
    Off with the fairies.
    4,370

    I agree the Lance Armstrong one is really good. I wanna read the Dr Chris O'Brien one too.

    Sorry I don't have any to add. I'm getting ideas from this thread too.

  5. #5
    Registered User

    Jan 2007
    where cosmopolitans and margaritas flow all night
    2,794


    Mao's last dancer - Li Cunxin
    I loved this book and highly recommend it. I was really disappointed in the movie version though.

  6. #6
    Registered User

    Oct 2006
    Perth
    3,299

    It's not about the bike by Lance Armstrong ...fantastic read and I"m not even remotely interested in cycling LOL.
    I'm currently reading this one and it's awesome!

  7. #7
    Registered User

    Jan 2007
    848

    Wonderful! Thanks for the recommendations. I am ordering from a second hand bookstore and they don't have all the above but I have the Lance Armstrong book on order and Never Say Die by Chris O'Brien. I think the Lindy Chamberlain book might tip my shipping costs over

    I will definitely keep this thread handy for future reference.

  8. #8
    Registered User

    Mar 2007
    Melbourne
    4,031

    Nelson Mandela - Long Walk to Freedom

    A Woman of Independance - Kirsty Sword Gusmao

    Various versions of Marilyn Monroe
    Vivien Leigh

    I am a big autobiographer reader..love them!

  9. #9
    Registered User

    Jan 2006
    Melbourne
    2,732

    "A Fortunate Life" by AB Facey is an Australian classic. Are you particularly after autobiographies, or do you life biographies as well? If you don't mind biographies, there is one about Germaine Greer which is a ripper!

  10. #10
    Registered User

    Jun 2005
    USA
    3,991

    I love autobios too! Some great recs in here that I haven't read- thanks!

    I love some of the ones mentioned and some others to add:

    Wild Swans -3 gens of women in china
    The Glass Castle- a woman in the US about her family life growing up in poverty
    A Child Called It- distressing story of extreme child abuse
    I, Phoolan Devi - indian woman of low caste (not many books from this class of society- she dictated the story as she is illiterate)
    Cave In The Snow- UK woman who becomes a buddist nun
    When World's Collide - australian woman who survives a violent rape
    Sunshine on my Shoulders - australian woman dealing with agrophobia

  11. #11
    Registered User

    Dec 2007
    Melbourne
    1,628

    Man in Black - Johnny Cash
    There were a couple about Princess Grace that I found interesting
    Prairie Tale - Melissa Gilbert
    True Colors - Adam Gilchrist (I am a cricket nut)
    If you like older actors Cary Grant had an interesting life.

  12. #12
    Registered User

    Aug 2006
    On the other side of this screen!!!
    11,129

    Wild Swans -3 gens of women in china
    ...
    I, Phoolan Devi - indian woman of low caste (not many books from this class of society- she dictated the story as she is illiterate)
    Cave In The Snow- UK woman who becomes a buddist nun
    Oh we must have such similar tastes!!! I was going to write about Wild Swans - fantastic fantastic read. Although I'm not sure it's strictly a biography?
    I've also read Cave in the snow, so interesting!! Love when the snow leapord visits!
    Also, if you enjoyed the Phoolan Devi story, you might be interested to know they did a movie about her about 15 years ago called "Bandit Queen" -- highly highly recommend it.

    There's another that I'd like to read, something like Paper Cranes? Has anyone read that one?