Autobiography Recommendations

[Laranna]

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!

[Tinsel]

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.

[~me~]

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!

[Roryrory]

"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!

[meow]

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

[indie24]

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.

[Rivlas]

I loved the Chris O'Brien story and hope someone will finish his next one.

[mummato1]

I also am a huge fan of autobiographies.. a few of my favourites

Running with Scissors - Augustine Burrows
As nature made him - John Colapinto (might be a bio actually, about a boy raised as a girl)
Will there really be a morning - Frances Farmer (actress)
Sickened - Julie Gregory (memior of a munchausen by proxy childhood)
In my Skin - Kate Holden (australian woman who was a prostitute on streets of St kilda)
Grace (bio) by Robert Lacey about Grace Kelly
A piece of cake by Cupcake Brown
God's call Girl - Carla Van Raay

hmm I have heaps more!

[AnyDream]

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?