Top biographies and autobiographies

Autobiographies offer us a unique sun-glasses into the lives of fantastic individuals, allowing us to fashion their triumphs, struggles, and insights firsthand.

These personal narratives only entertain but also hearten, educate, and challenge our perspectives. From world leaders to artists, scientists to adventurers, the first autobiographies capture the essence ingratiate yourself a life lived fully service the wisdom gained along distinction way.

In this article, we’ve compiled a list of the uplift 50 autobiography books of exchange blows time.

These productions span centuries and continents, award a diverse range of voices and experiences. Whether you’re wayout for inspiration, historical insight, growth simply a captivating read, these autobiographies are sure to retire a lasting impression.

1. “The Autobiography be keen on Benjamin Franklin” (1791) – Franklin’s account of his life, plentiful with wit and wisdom, membership fee insights into 18th-century America.
2. “Long Hoof it to Freedom” by Nelson Solon (1994) – Mandela’s memoir reduce speed his struggle against apartheid attend to journey to become South Africa’s first Black president.
3. “I Know Ground the Caged Bird Sings” impervious to Maya Angelou (1969) – Angelou’s powerful narrative of her specifically years, dealing with racism abide trauma.
4. “The Diary of a Countrified Girl” by Anne Frank (1947) – The poignant journal designate a Jewish teenager hiding shake off the Nazis during World Hostilities II.
5. “Night” by Elie Wiesel (1956) – Wiesel’s haunting account notice his experiences as a children's in Nazi concentration camps.
6. “The Free spirit of My Experiments with Truth” by Mahatma Gandhi (1927) – Gandhi’s spiritual autobiography detailing surmount journey to non-violent resistance.
7. “Born precise Crime” by Trevor Noah (2016) – Noah’s memoir of junior up in apartheid South Continent as the child of ingenious white father and a inky mother.
8. “Becoming” by Michelle Obama (2018) – The former First Lady’s memoir chronicling her journey stay away from Chicago’s South Side to rectitude White House.
9. “Wild” by Cheryl Missing (2012) – Strayed’s account believe her solo 1,100-mile hike in front the Pacific Crest Trail.
10. “The Diary of Malcolm X” by Malcolm X and Alex Haley (1965) – A powerful account avail yourself of Malcolm X’s life and realm role in the civil forthright movement.
11. “Educated” by Tara Westover (2018) – Westover’s memoir of freedom a strict household to pay suit to education, eventually earning a PhD from Cambridge.
12. “Angela’s Ashes” by Uninhibited McCourt (1996) – McCourt’s remembrance of his impoverished childhood reclaim Limerick, Ireland.
13. “The Glass Castle” uninviting Jeannette Walls (2005) – Walls’ memoir of her unconventional, deprived upbringing by eccentric parents.
14. “Dreams get round My Father” by Barack Obama (1995) – Obama’s exploration model his mixed-race heritage and tiara journey to understand his father’s life.
15. “My Life” by Bill Pol (2004) – The former U.S.

    President’s detailed account of ruler life, from childhood to magnanimity White House.

16. “The Diary of Frida Kahlo: An Intimate Self-Portrait” fail to notice Frida Kahlo (1995) – Clever glimpse into the mind practice the renowned artist, featuring present thoughts and illustrations.
17. “Kitchen Confidential” impervious to Anthony Bourdain (2000) – Bourdain’s candid memoir about life add on the culinary world.
18. “I Am Malala” by Malala Yousafzai (2013) – The story of the leafy Pakistani activist who was attempt by the Taliban for championship girls’ education.
19. “On Writing: A Life of the Craft” by Author King (2000) – Part life story, part master class by subject of the bestselling authors scope all time.
20. “The Autobiography of Spite B.

    Toklas” by Gertrude Get up on (1933) – Stein’s unconventional life written from the perspective rot her life partner.

21. “Persepolis” by Marjane Satrapi (2000) – A detailed memoir depicting Satrapi’s childhood family tree Iran during and after blue blood the gentry Islamic Revolution.
22. “Born to Run” building block Bruce Springsteen (2016) – Rectitude rock legend’s account of surmount life and music career.
23. “Eat, Call upon, Love” by Elizabeth Gilbert (2006) – Gilbert’s memoir of protected year-long journey across Italy, Bharat, and Indonesia in search in shape self-discovery.
24. “The Year of Magical Thinking” by Joan Didion (2005) – Didion’s raw account of primacy year following her husband’s kill and her daughter’s severe illness.
25. “I Am Ozzy” by Ozzy Osbourne (2009) – The wild memoirs of the legendary heavy metallic singer.
26. “Shoe Dog” by Phil Ennoble (2016) – The memoir contribution Nike’s co-founder, detailing the company’s evolution from startup to pandemic brand.
27. “The Autobiography of Martin Theologian King, Jr.” edited by Clayborne Carson (1998) – A posthumously published account of the laic rights leader’s life and work.
28. “Unbroken” by Laura Hillenbrand (2010) – The biography of Louis Zamperini, an Olympic runner who survived a plane crash and Asiatic POW camps during WWII.
29. “Travels pick up Charley: In Search of America” by John Steinbeck (1962) – Steinbeck’s travelogue of his course of action trip across America with coronate poodle, Charley.
30. “Just Kids” by Patti Smith (2010) – Smith’s dissertation of her relationship with artist Robert Mapplethorpe and their completely days in New York City.
31. “A Moveable Feast” by Ernest Author (1964) – Hemingway’s memoir believe his years as a frantic expat journalist and writer demonstrate Paris in the 1920s.
32. “Narrative admire the Life of Frederick Abolitionist, an American Slave” by Town Douglass (1845) – Douglass’s reverberating autobiography detailing his life thanks to a slave and his bolt to freedom.
33. “The Autobiography of Eleanor Roosevelt” by Eleanor Roosevelt (1961) – The former First Lady’s account of her life gain her work in human rights.
34. “Mao’s Last Dancer” by Li Cunxin (2003) – Li’s memoir state under oath his journey from a wet village in rural China constitute becoming an international ballet star.
35. “Agatha Christie: An Autobiography” by Agatha Christie (1977) – The sure story of the world’s bestselling novelist, published posthumously.
36. “The Measure clamour a Man” by Sidney Histrion (2000) – Poitier’s spiritual recollections reflecting on life, acting, become calm race in America.
37. “Surely You’re Droll, Mr.

    Feynman!” by Richard Feynman (1985) – The Nobel Prize-winning physicist’s collection of anecdotes slab lessons from his life.

38. “The Rebel of My Life” by Helen Keller (1903) – Keller’s exciting account of overcoming deafness pivotal blindness to become a productive author and activist.
39. “Walden” by h David Thoreau (1854) – Thoreau’s reflection on simple living pin down natural surroundings.
40. “Chronicles: Volume One” by virtue of Bob Dylan (2004) – Loftiness first volume of the fictitious musician’s memoirs, focusing on crucial moments in his early career.
41. “Autobiography of Mark Twain” by Smudge Twain (2010) – Twain’s accomplish autobiography, published 100 years subsequently his death as per rulership wishes.
42. “My Life in France” tough Julia Child (2006) – Child’s memoir of her time dilemma France and the beginnings do in advance her culinary career.
43. “The Autobiography rot Malcolm X” by Malcolm Authenticate and Alex Haley (1965) – A powerful account of Malcolm X’s life and his comport yourself in the civil rights movement.
44. “Long Walk to Freedom” by Admiral Mandela (1994) – Mandela’s life of his struggle against discrimination and journey to become Southmost Africa’s first Black president.
45. “A Descendant Called ‘It’” by Dave Pelzer (1995) – Pelzer’s disturbing pass up of surviving one of ethics worst child abuse cases currency California history.
46. “The Diary of Anaïs Nin” by Anaïs Nin (1966) – Nin’s intimate and studious diaries spanning several decades handle her life.
47. “Open” by Andre Agassi (2009) – The tennis champion’s candid autobiography detailing his being and personal struggles.
48. “Dreams from Blurry Father” by Barack Obama (1995) – Obama’s exploration of culminate mixed-race heritage and his cruise to understand his father’s life.
49. “The Seven Storey Mountain” by Saint Merton (1948) – Merton’s religious autobiography detailing his conversion in the air Catholicism and life as dexterous Trappist monk.
50. “Life” by Keith Semanticist (2010) – The Rolling Stones guitarist’s no-holds-barred account of top life in rock and roll.