Autobiographies, Whose Have You Read?

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Kurben

The Fool on the Hill
Apr 12, 2014
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I have read a couple on the Beatles based on their friends memories and interwiew with them. I have also read one on Bob Dylan. One autobiography by one of the Marx-brothers. I think it was Harpo (might have been Groucho). Anne Franks Diaries. Min Barndom (in english that would be My Youth) by author Jan Myrdal. I, Zlatan ibrahimovic by Zlatan and his ghostwriter D. Lagerkrantz. The art of Darkness by Douglas winter on King. That is the ones i remember right now, probably have read many more. I remember a good one about the Brontë sisters but don't remember the title now.
 

booklover72

very strange person
Jan 12, 2014
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ive only read footballers autobiographies, Alan Shearer, Bobby Robson, Gazza, Kevin Keegan (yes im a Newcastle fan haha). I have read a book about Stephen King written by someone else so it wasnt an official one (does he have an official autobiography?) , and i would love to read Eminems if he done one.
I would like to read The busby babes - yes I am a utd fan since i was a nipper. go on slag me 7th this year. we'll be back. Maybe peter Schimicheal, of course what self respecting utd fan hasn't read Alex Fergusons biography. Also, I would like to read, Brian O'Driscoll's biography and Leinster biography of winning the heinkein cup two years in a read. Christ, i will have no time to program. i have read 'No one gets out of here alive' about Jim Morrison. still can't make up my mind about him seeking his father's approval or was he just insecure.

So many books, so little time
 
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Bryan James

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Apr 3, 2009
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I don't care for autobios, and I've given up on them. I'm sure I've missed some good stuff, though.

I have a strong BS detector, and almost all "true stories about me by me" deserve a filter.

Most of them were just ghosted and approved anyway.
 
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booklover72

very strange person
Jan 12, 2014
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I have read 'Bravo Two Zero' by Andy Mcnab and then there was a documentary by another former SAS man. who derided Andy's claim all about the operation. Thinking about his books, i think they are ghost written. maybe i am wrong. But if I was a Member of 22 regiment, I don't think I would be too happy given out operation details. These books were Written Before the offical secrets act came to power because lots of former members were writing about it. Apparently, abot 300 former members went into the Iraqi embassy when it was taken over??????????????????????
 
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Lord Tyrion

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Oct 24, 2013
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I got Timothy Geitner's Stress Test that just came out. I did not know it was an autobiography until I started reading it, I thought it was just about the financial crisis. I've always been fascinated about what caused the Great Recession and how close we came to having a another Great Depression and having our ATM machines shut down.
 
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Neesy

#1 fan (Annie Wilkes cousin) 1st cousin Mom's side
May 24, 2012
61,289
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I got Timothy Geitner's Stress Test that just came out. I did not know it was an autobiography until I started reading it, I thought it was just about the financial crisis. I've always been fascinated about what caused the Great Recession and how close we came to having a another Great Depression and having our ATM machines shut down.
This is kind of off topic, but are you old enough to recall when they first starting bringing ATMs out? (Say early 80s, I think?) I recall a woman I worked with who said she would not ever need to go to one of those, and a guy in our office agreed with her (she was almost 65 at that time). I guess the idea being that you could go to the bank once a week, budget what you needed and make it last the whole week?
 
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Kurben

The Fool on the Hill
Apr 12, 2014
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This is kind of off topic, but are you old enough to recall when they first starting bringing ATMs out? (Say early 80s, I think?) I recall a woman I worked with who said she would not ever need to go to one of those, and a guy in our office agreed with her (she was almost 65 at that time). I guess the idea being that you could go to the bank once a week, budget what you needed and make it last the whole week?
I do remember that time. It was awfully complicated in the beginning here for each bank had an own ATM so if you had a bankaccount with one bank you couldnt go to the other banks ATM. You had to learn were your banks ATM,s were. Nowadays you can use anyone anywhere but they had their limitations in the beginning. Was it the same elsewhere?
 
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Neesy

#1 fan (Annie Wilkes cousin) 1st cousin Mom's side
May 24, 2012
61,289
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Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
I do remember that time. It was awfully complicated in the beginning here for each bank had an own ATM so if you had a bankaccount with one bank you couldnt go to the other banks ATM. You had to learn were your banks ATM,s were. Nowadays you can use anyone anywhere but they had their limitations in the beginning. Was it the same elsewhere?
Well I am in Canada. I did not see a problem with them and I normally only use my own bank's bank machines, otherwise they ding you with a $1.50 fee on top of what your own bank charges, so it's not worth it.

To get back on track with the autobiography topic, I read "The Moon's a Balloon" by David Niven but that is the only one I recall at the moment.

Oh yes - and Tina Turner's autobiography called "I, Tina"

Tina-Turner-Newly-Swissed.jpg


She lives in Switzerland and just recently got married - she is in her 70s now!
 

Lord Tyrion

Well-Known Member
Oct 24, 2013
1,582
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This is kind of off topic, but are you old enough to recall when they first starting bringing ATMs out? (Say early 80s, I think?) I recall a woman I worked with who said she would not ever need to go to one of those, and a guy in our office agreed with her (she was almost 65 at that time). I guess the idea being that you could go to the bank once a week, budget what you needed and make it last the whole week?

I was too young for that. I don't recall that at all.
 
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AnnaMarie

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Feb 16, 2012
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i have a couple of autobiographies from the library - Richard Burton and Gene Wilder. I am gonna search the Library for The autobiography of Groucho Marx.

This reminded me, and I 'm not sure I mentioned it earlier. I read "It's Always Something" by Gilda Radner. I almost felt guilty laughing.

I don't care for autobios, and I've given up on them. I'm sure I've missed some good stuff, though.

I have a strong BS detector, and almost all "true stories about me by me" deserve a filter.

Most of them were just ghosted and approved anyway.

Biographies written by other people are just as high a risk of that. If you are writing a book about another person it means you either love that person or hate them. You don't write a book about someone you feel I different about. So, chances are, your feelings will affect what and how you write.
 
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champ1966

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Dec 3, 2011
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I've read Robert DeNiro's, Steve McQueen's, Boy George's,Gazza's (English footballer), Charles Bronson's (English jailbird) .A couple about Billy Connolly by his wife. Rosanne Barr's,Arnold whatever her name is now. About 6 of Tony Hawks' English comedian. Loads on Jim Morrison. A couple by Dave Courtney, English gangster. Got loads on my "to read" pile.
 

Dana Jean

Dirty Pirate Hooker, The Return
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Apr 11, 2006
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I've read Robert DeNiro's, Steve McQueen's, Boy George's,Gazza's (English footballer), Charles Bronson's (English jailbird) .A couple about Billy Connolly by his wife. Rosanne Barr's,Arnold whatever her name is now. About 6 of Tony Hawks' English comedian. Loads on Jim Morrison. A couple by Dave Courtney, English gangster. Got loads on my "to read" pile.
I just started watching a Netflix on this Bronson guy last night. Sort of a documentary/fictional movie called Bronson. Didn't get far enough into it, but I'm thinking he was a very cruel and vicious man.
 

champ1966

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Dec 3, 2011
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He is.He's in the high security prison in my city. He was put away for an armed robbery and has basically managed to make himself unreleaseable by kidnapping prison guards,starting riots and generally being an unruly prisoner. Total sociopath. Is it the Tom Hardy film you're watching? If so it should show you at the end how he beefed up for the part. Very DeNiroesque (oooh I invented a word) . Unbelievable the body mass he put on for it. Whoever filmed it must have seen A Clockwork Orange imo.
 

Dana Jean

Dirty Pirate Hooker, The Return
Moderator
Apr 11, 2006
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The High Seas
He is.He's in the high security prison in my city. He was put away for an armed robbery and has basically managed to make himself unreleaseable by kidnapping prison guards,starting riots and generally being an unruly prisoner. Total sociopath. Is it the Tom Hardy film you're watching? If so it should show you at the end how he beefed up for the part. Very DeNiroesque (oooh I invented a word) . Unbelievable the body mass he put on for it. Whoever filmed it must have seen A Clockwork Orange imo.
Yes, that's the one.
 

Blake

Deleted User
Feb 18, 2013
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17,479
I read one on the Australian tennis player, John Newcombe, about two years ago. I've got Jimmy Connor's one waiting too be read. I read half of Robert Louis Stevenson's biography by Ian Bell. I've read the one on Stephen King about two years ago written by some lady. I read Jack Nicholson's about three years ago. Half the books when I was attending University were biographies. I want to read one on 'Spring-heeled Jack.'