• Welcome to BookAndReader!

    We LOVE books and hope you'll join us in sharing your favorites and experiences along with your love of reading with our community. Registering for our site is free and easy, just CLICK HERE!

    Already a member and forgot your password? Click here.

Favourite Biographies

francesca

francesca

New Member
If you were recommending some favourite biographies, what would they be and why?

Among my much loved are

Fanny Burney by Claire Harman

Daphne Du Maurier by Margaret Forster

Jane Austen A Life by Claire Tomalin

Georgia O'Keeffe by Roxana Robinson

All fascinating reads, although the reproductions of O'Keeffe's work are very disappointing, but that could be because I have the paperback cheapo version.
I'd like to hear what other people recommend, as I'm always on the look-out for new ideas...........
 
I thought Alexander The Great by Robin Lane Fox was terrific. It was the main source Oliver Stone advertised when making his Alexander movie.
 
Melville, by Laurie Robertson-Lorant, is a good example of how to weave together an author's life and writings. Her summaries of his works are excellent in themselves.
 
I enjoyed Marilyn Manson's 'The Long Hard Road Out of Hell'. It has plenty of "chock material" that feels like it's there just for the sake of it but that's still entertainment. Otherwise it's also a decent band biography from the perspective of the person that carries the same alias as the band name, I don't think that any other band member remained from the beginning.

I'm interested in Jenna Jameson's 'How To Make Love Like a Pornstar'. Despite the title it's an autobiography. I requested a library to purchase it and made sure to request it at one of the few libraries that I know of that don't have a section for kids, thinking that it would increase the odds of a library purchase. A couple of weeks ago it was listed in the catalogue at another library without being in stock and it had a reservation. It's not listed at the moment and I suspect that it was removed.
 
Libra6Poe Quote:
I enjoyed Marilyn Manson's 'The Long Hard Road Out of Hell'.


I liked that book too. I enjoyed some of those short stories that were included as well.
Click to expand...

I may read this now but I was wondering is it true that he was Paul on the Wonder Years? I've heard that before and can't put the 2 images together in my head.
 
hehe, I remember hearing that as well. But no, he wasn't ;) Josh Saviano played Paul Pfeiffer. (I also heard a rumor that he was Kevin on Mr. Belvedere). Anyway, I barely remember the autobiography, the short stories had the most effect on me (I think I was 14 when I read them though, so my memory's kind of fuzzy). ;)
 
I think Marilyn Manson may cover a dozen or so rumours in the book, among them the Wonder Paul myth which may be one of the most bizarre.

I remember that I thought that his short stories written at a young age would have been included for humorous reasons. The book is like that in the way that he shares a lot of embarassing stories of himself. But I thought that it was surprisingly good.

'The Long Hard Road Out of Hell' was first published 1998 by the way.
 
I'm intrigued by all of these books, tsk, more to add to the evergrowing list. I'm particularly interested in the Alexander book, as the film was...er..not that enlightening but did whet my appetite to know the facts.
 
francesca said:
I'm intrigued by all of these books, tsk, more to add to the evergrowing list. I'm particularly interested in the Alexander book, as the film was...er..not that enlightening but did whet my appetite to know the facts.
Click to expand...

It's very good if you don't mind reading a book that very heavily devles into historical fact. I haven't seen the movie but Oliver Stone mentioned that this book was the prime source of information for him when developing the movie and it is also considered the best biographical book on Alexander hands down. At times it does come off like a history textbook but my enthrallment when reading about Alexander's life overcame this minor issue easily. There are also a smattering of pictures about halfway through that are curious enough on their own when viewed.
 
Jazzman said:
It's very good if you don't mind reading a book that very heavily devles into historical fact. I haven't seen the movie but Oliver Stone mentioned that this book was the prime source of information for him when developing the movie and it is also considered the best biographical book on Alexander hands down. At times it does come off like a history textbook but my enthrallment when reading about Alexander's life overcame this minor issue easily. There are also a smattering of pictures about halfway through that are curious enough on their own when viewed.
Click to expand...


It's on my list for today's order, thanks! This forum is costing me a bloody fortune.
 
Billy by Pamela Stephenson about her husband Billy Connolly is very good.

I'd also have to recommend If Chins Could Kill by Bruce Campbell which is hilarious and if you're one of the weird people who worship him you'll love it. :p
 
Libra6Poe said:
I liked that book too. I enjoyed some of those short stories that were included as well.
Click to expand...

Oh yes, this is a great book, I occassionally skim through it from time to time.
 
Lady sings the blues-autobio by Bilie Holiday
Nobody's perfect-a bio of Billy Wilder with interviews and writing by helmut karasek
 
A couple of my favorite biographies are autobiographies, actually. Jimmy Carter's An Hour Before Daylight details his early life in the rural segregated south. Also, Queen Noor's Leap of Faith was excellent. She is the only American woman to become a queen(of Jordan). It gave me some real insight into the Middle East conflict, another point of view besides the one we get here in the States.
 
I recently read Lance Armstrong's autobiography, and really enjoyed it. I've heard conflicting views of what his actual personality is like, but whichever way you look at it, his story is inspiring.

I've also read a few wrestling biographies, including Mick Foley's, which many of you know spent a bit of time at the top of the NY Times best seller list. Always a bit of a giggle!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top