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Who wrote the best autobiography?

chrisqqgx4

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C
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Jul 30, 2003
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It's another totally subjective choice, but I say David Niven's The Moon's a Balloon. The combination of humour (the daffodil!) and emotion (the death of his first wife) make me feel emotional. And there are precious few books that do that to me.

Second place to Stephen Fry's Moab is My Washpot. Can't name a third as it's not a genre I read much of. Recommendations gratefully received.

(edited for typo)
 
I was also going to mention Raymond Chandler Speaking (OK, not strictly an autobiog.) and Jung Chang's Wild Swans but the literary might, wit and sheer genius of Stern must prevail. This thread is dead.:o
 
"If Chins Could Kill: Confessions of a B Movie Actor" by Bruce Campbell

"Seven Pillars of Wisdom" by T.E. Lawrence
 
well, Winston Churchill, especially "My Early Life". It's funny and he comes across as so human and likable.


If you like David Niven, you'll LOVE Douglas Fairbanks, jr.

He's VERY funny,

"The Salad Days" contains information about his early years acting and his famous father

"A Hell of a War" has to be the funniest book by a war hero ever. You would hardly know he was highly decorated and put himself again and again in danger. He acts like he just sort of "fell" into these adventures and was scared out of his mind, but really, it would be too hard to tell everyone that he really DIDN'T want to go on that secret mission. He claimed people were constantly confusing his screen personality with his real personality and saying, "Boy, Doug, are you lucky! I was able to swing a spot for you on this secret landing in Italy. I knew you would just love to be in on it!" It's especially funny when he once was hiding out in Italy when he was recognized by an Italian civilian who owned a movie theatre and had lost money on one of his pictures.


Monica Dickens, "One Pair of Hands"
the granddaughter of Chareles Dickens decides to take jobs as a cook. Hilarity ensues, and it's true. Laugh out loud funny.
 
Spike Milligan's war memoirs. Apparently full of inaccuracies but who cares - hilarious stuff.
 
Ray Davies: X-Ray.

Simply because he managed to successfully pull off the notion of an "Unauthorized Autobiography." Brilliant.
 
The following are not strictly autobiographies but are stories of personal experiences spanning several years, and are excellent reading:

"All My Best Friends" by George Burns. Enjoyable as hell, full of insights, and surprisingly educational about the history of popular entertainment. I especially enjoyed reading this book aloud, and imitating all of the voices, including the slightly gravel-ly voice of George Burns. Unfortunately, I could never read the part about the death of Jack Benny aloud, because I would always get too choked up.

"Black Boy" by Richard Wright. One of my favorite books of all time. Few writers have the skill of expression that Richard Wright had, and Wright actually makes you see the events through his own eyes.
 
JAR said:

I haven't read the book, but I really liked the movie.
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It was good, wasn't it? It's really hard to play oneself in a drama Although it seems like it should be easy, it is incredibly difficult. But Stern did it brilliantly. And it couldn't have just been "being himself" because he had to play as he had been and how that changed.
 
epepke said:
It was good, wasn't it? It's really hard to play oneself in a drama Although it seems like it should be easy, it is incredibly difficult. But Stern did it brilliantly. And it couldn't have just been "being himself" because he had to play as he had been and how that changed.
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It was very good. I saw it when I was still a teenager and I remember that my mother rented it after I confessed that I had a feeling that it was good and that I was curious about it and my mother than confessed that she thought the same about it and she rented it and me, my parents and my two brothers all really liked it.
 
Heddy Lamar-Ecstasy and me

Just because she invented the Cell phone (Kinda)

Klaus Kinski- All I need is Love.

Not totaly autobiographical but close, Jean Shepard- In God we trust, All others pay cash.
 
chrisqqgx4 said:
[B

Second place to Stephen Fry's Moab is My Washpot. Can't name a third as it's not a genre I read much of. Recommendations gratefully received.

(edited for typo) [/B]
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I agree on this one. Stephen Fry is (among other things) a great writer and also a great sceptic. Read his novel "The Hippopotomus" to see what I mean. He has also frequently mentioned that he is an huge admirer of Randi.

If you are looking for someone good for the next TAM (hopefully in Europe somewhere) then book Stephen Fry.


Otherwise I would recommend "The Informer" by IRA informer Sean O'Callaghan. Whatever your politics, and however truthful it may or may not be, it is a very well written good read.
 
For a great and fascinating life turned into a turgid and egotistical autobiography, I can't recommend Richard Wagner's 'My Life' highly enough.

Cheers,
Rat.
 
Armi Shanks said:
Spike Milligan's war memoirs. Apparently full of inaccuracies but who cares - hilarious stuff.
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I agree with you. I bought one of his war memoars almost by accident (actually, because it was on sale), and ended up reading all of them. He was very witty, and wrote in a way that was at the same time absurd, heartwarming and hillarious.

When I heard that he died (about two years ago I think), I cried. I never cried after any other public figure.

edited for silly spelling
 
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