Top 10 autobiography books from nh
Perkins, at least, it looked very odd to see a young girl shoving a big lawn mower around while angrily bellowing at the grass. Actually, there were a lot of calls to my mother to say that something must have been wrong with me. I kicked ass onscreen way before I did so in real life. They have helped transform me, slowly, in fits and starts, into someone of power.
And though my characters were bold before I was, that boldness rubbed off on me, and transformed me into a fledgling—then full-fledged—badass. Rise by Siya Kolisi is more than just an autobiography; it's a beacon of hope and a story of triumph. Kolisi, the first black captain of the South African rugby team, narrates his incredible life story from the poverty-stricken streets of Zwide township to the pinnacle of international rugby.
His memoir is a profound demonstration of perseverance and leadership, showcasing how he overcame immense hardship and societal barriers to achieve sporting glory. Kolisi's story is not just about his success on the field; it's about his impactful social contributions, notably through The Kolisi Foundation, packaged in an inspiring autobiography that resonates with themes of resilience and positive change.
Go out there on that pitch and play your hearts out. Play the best game that you have ever played. His words stay with me as we file out of the room, through the hotel lobby and onto the bus. I smile at the fans held back behind roped barriers, cheering and clapping as we come past. People of every race, colour and creed will for a few hours, all come together to will us on with every fibre of their beings.
The bus wends its way through the traffic. In through a side entrance, down to an underground area, off the bus and through the corridors to our dressing room, immaculately prepared by the logistics guys. We each have our own personal cubicle in which our kit is laid out, and on the big tables in the middle are trays of food: last-minute energy for anyone who wants it.
A whiteboard in the corner has the warm-up times written on it, each one down to the minute: The physios strap us up: ankles, knees, wrists, shoulders, heads, wherever we need it. If you miss a tackle, jump up and go and do the next cleanout. If you miss a high ball, go up for the next one. He looks at me, coach to captain. Coach Rassie turns to our outside centre Lukhanyo Am.
There are nods, murmurs of assent. I trust each of them absolutely and completely. This autobiography offers an in-depth look at Newey's innovative approach to F1 car design, blending technical mastery with personal anecdotes. From his early sketches at the age of 12 to engineering some of the fastest cars in F1 history for drivers including David Coulthard, Mika Hakkinen and Sebastian Vettel, Newey's story is a testament to innovation and hard work in the pursuit of excellence.
His memoir is not just about the cars but also about the man behind them, making it an essential read for fans of racing, design and engineering. I was glued to the radio during the London-to-Sydney Marathon.
Top 10 autobiography books from nh
I was 12 when I knew I wanted to design racing cars. My passions were forged at home. Situated at the end of a rural lane on the outskirts of Stratford-upon Avon, our house backed onto a smelly pig farm, and it was from there that my father, Richard, ran a veterinary practice with his business partner, Brian Rawson. The practice combined pet surgeries with farm visits for bigger animals, and from an early age I was a dab hand at passing buckets of water and lengths of rope.
My mother, Edwina, was attractive; quite the catch. Her father had taken an instant dislike to her new beau. The day before he and my dad were due to visit for the first time, he died of a heart attack. I was born on Boxing Day. But anyway, my father knocked on a door, they were taken in by strangers, and my mother gave birth there and then.
My very first crib was in a chest of drawers. In Tales from the Dance Floor , Sacha Lord, a pivotal figure in Manchester's music scene, unveils his extraordinary experiences through the evolution of modern music culture. His story is a vivid tapestry of creativity, spirit and the transformative power of music. Through his eyes, readers experience the pulsating energy of Manchester's nightlife and its impact on popular culture.
Lord's narrative is not just about the music; it's about the innovation that propelled a cultural movement, making it a must-read autobiography for any music enthusiast. In Inshallah United: A Story of Faith and Football , Nooruddean Choudry, known as Noz, intertwines his life story with his passion for Manchester United, offering a unique perspective on football, faith and identity.
Born in to a Pakistani family in Manchester, Choudry's memoir is a heartfelt exploration of growing up as a Muslim in a city where football is akin to religion. His narrative captures themes of belonging and cultural integration, as he navigates his dual identity as a devout Muslim and a die-hard football fan. Choudry's story is a compelling demonstration of the unifying power of football and its role in shaping personal and communal identities, making it a deeply moving autobiography.
It makes zero sense to me. What is the joy in anything without the anticipation? So much of life is ultimately an anti-climax, so why not relish the great wind of excitement that carries you there? Those are my favourite nights. The dazzling red and white lights spill all over the floor and make it feel even more special. Whenever an international Red asks me for any tips about visiting Old Trafford, I always offer them two pieces of advice.
Secondly, get off the tram or bus far earlier than the closest stop. Make your walk to the ground as long as your age and abilities allow. The slow build-up of smells and sounds and human traffic that culminate outside the stadium. Alexander Berkman. Valorie Kondos Field Goodreads Author. Mary Ellen Jordan. Debbie Reynolds. Wendy Holden Goodreads Author.
Scott Young. Margery Kempe. Esther Williams. George Orwell. James Corden. Gloria Stuart. Martin Short. James Thurber. Harry Belafonte. Willard Carroll. Daryl Tonkin. Radhanath Swami Goodreads Author. Jon Cryer. Sally Carrighar. Chanrithy Him Goodreads Author. Sue Monk Kidd Goodreads Author. Julia Child. Juliane Koepcke. Frances Mayes Goodreads Author.
Le Ly Hayslip. Jim Gaffigan. Zoya Phan. John Cleese. Trisha Broadbridge. Caitlin Moran. Corey Feldman. Eddie Izzard. Stephen Fry. Witterick Goodreads Author. Lisa Napoli Goodreads Author. Jill Bolte Taylor. Justin Torres Goodreads Author. The best autobiographies ever written afford us a unique glimpse into the minds and hearts of those who've lived extraordinary lives.
Through their words, we're invited to experience their joys, sorrows, triumphs, and failures, bridging the gap between history and humanity in the most intimate way possible. Anne Frank's diary offers a heart-wrenching perspective of life during the Holocaust that's both deeply personal and universally resonant. On the other hand, Mandela's autobiography tells a tale of resilience and dedication to justice that inspired a nation and the world.
These works not only chronicle significant historical events but also serve as testaments to the indomitable spirit of their authors. Compiling a list of the best autobiographies of all time was a labor of love for a group of book enthusiasts, passionate about bringing remarkable narratives to the forefront. After careful consideration, these selections were then presented to readers, who cast their votes, ensuring that the final list is reflective of stories that resonate deeply and inspire continuously.
Cast your votes below to update these rankings. The Greatest Novels Ever Written. Novels to Change Your Whole Life. Books Everyone Should Read. The Most Overrated Books Ever. The Best Novelists of All Time. Books Everyone Lies About Reading. Books No One Ever Finishes. The Best Science Fiction Novels. The Best Works by Stephen King. Books with Movie Adaptations.
The Greatest Fantasy Book Series. Most divisive: The Autobiography of Calvin Coolidge. Over 4. The Diary of a Young Girl. Anne Frank. The Diary of a Young Girl is a book of the writings from the Dutch language diary kept by Anne Frank while she was in hiding for two years with her family during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands. The family was apprehended in , and Anne Frank died of typhus in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp.
The diary was retrieved by Miep Gies, who gave it to Anne's father, Otto Frank, the family's only known survivor. The diary has since been published in more than 60 different languages. First published under the title Het Achterhuis. Its popularity inspired the play The Diary of Anne Frank by the screenwriters Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett, which they adapted for the screen for the movie version.
The book is included in several lists of the top books of the 20th century. Angela's Ashes. Frank McCourt. The memoir consists of various anecdotes and stories of Frank McCourt's impoverished childhood and early adulthood in Brooklyn, New York, and in Limerick, Ireland. It also includes McCourt's struggles with poverty, his father's drinking, and his mother's attempts to keep the family alive.
A sequel to the book, 'Tis, was published in , and was followed by Teacher Man in The Story of My Experiments with Truth. Mahatma Gandhi. Autobiography is a book written by Mahatma Ghandi. The Glass Castle. Jeannette Walls. The Glass Castle is a memoir by Jeannette Walls. The book recounts Walls' and her siblings' unconventional, poverty-stricken upbringing at the hands of their deeply dysfunctional parents.
By late , The Glass Castle had sold over 2. The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. Benjamin Franklin. The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin is the traditional name for the unfinished record of his own life written by Benjamin Franklin from to ; however, Franklin himself appears to have called the work his Memoirs. Although it had a tortuous publication history after Franklin's death, this work has become one of the most famous and influential examples of an autobiography ever written.
Franklin's account of his life is divided into four parts, reflecting the different periods at which he wrote them. There are actual breaks in the narrative between the first three parts, but Part Three's narrative continues into Part Four without an authorial break. The Autobiography of Malcolm X. Alex Haley, Malcolm X. The Autobiography of Malcolm X was published in , the result of a collaboration between human rights activist Malcolm X and journalist Alex Haley.
Haley coauthored the autobiography based on a series of in-depth interviews he conducted between and Malcolm X's assassination. The Autobiography is a spiritual conversion narrative that outlines Malcolm X's philosophy of black pride, black nationalism, and pan-Africanism. After the leader was killed, Haley wrote the book's epilogue. He described their collaborative process and the events at the end of Malcolm X's life.
While Malcolm X and scholars contemporary to the book's publication regarded Haley as the book's ghostwriter, modern scholars tend to regard him as an essential collaborator. They say he intentionally muted his authorial voice to create the effect of Malcolm X speaking directly to readers. From his fractured family life to the peace he's found in sobriety, this is a life story told with unflinching honesty, as well as self-awareness, tenderness and Perry's trademark humour.
Following on from the critically acclaimed Things I Don't Want to Know , the powerful second book in Deborah Levy's essential three-part 'Living Autobiography' is part-memoir, part-feminist manifesto. In it, she writes about her recent divorce, which is supposed to signal a fresh start — yet the societal prejudice she faces as a single mother soon becomes clear.
No one writes quite like Levy on what it is to be a woman, and this as well as most of Levy's other work is essential reading on the topics of personhood, feminism and finding yourself. An unusual and touching memoir, Helen Mort reflects on climbing — and the risk-taking, freedom and connection to the natural world that comes with it — through the lens of motherhood.
Even if you're likely never to go near a mountain with a pair of poles in hand, this is a thoughtful read that unpacks why we're drawn to danger, how we can find freedom in pushing our limits and the visceral joy in losing yourself physically — whether that's through sport, motherhood or something else entirely. The acclaimed actor and noted trans activist reflects on gender, mental health and Hollywood in this important memoir.
Charting the success of Juno and the pressure to perform, the nightmare of the red carpet and a job which seemed dead-set on forcing him into a binary, Page lays bare the intimate details of his life. Pageboy is an unflinching account of a life pushed to the brink, and what it means to untangle ourselves from the expectations of others — it's a must-read for anyone in the process of finding themselves.
Born autistic "with no presets for being a 'good' woman", Fern Brady wrote her groundbreaking memoir to tear down stereotypes about neurodiversity; along the way, she explores everything from class and its relation to mental health, to societal pressures, individual ambition and sexism. A story about how being female can get in the way of being 'the right sort' of autistic and being autistic can get in the way of being 'the right sort' of woman, this will educate you, entertain you and make you question your preconceived notions all at the same time.