Autobiography best sellers
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15 Autobiography Examples to Inspire Your Own
So you’re ready to write an autobiography! Congratulations; this can be a gratifying personal project. And just like any creative endeavor, it’s a great idea to start by getting inspired.
In this article, we’re sharing 15 stellar autobiography examples to get your wheels turning. We’ll also share some need-to-know info on the different types of autobiographies and autobiography layouts, and we’ll leave you with a list of catchy ways to start your book. Let’s get going!
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What are the different types of autobiographies?
As it turns out, there are many different ways to write a book about yourself. You can go the traditional autobiography route, which is a chronological account of your entire life. Or you can write a memoir, which zeroes in on specific themes or time periods in your life.
If you’d like, your autobiography can be composed of individual personal essays, or you can blend your a
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The best memoirs of all time, as chosen by our readers
A memoir can be a lot of things: a journey through someone's life, an insight into their mindset at a particular time, a comfort to someone experiencing similar things, an inspiration for those seeking something more.
Memoirs are both intimate and all-encompassing; in telling their own story, the author is often speaking to a vast audience.
We asked Penguin readers on Twitter to tell us about their favourite memoir, and let's just say that our to-read piles have grown exponentially in a short period of time. We were inundated with recommendations, encompassing everything from reflections on war, grief, sexuality and religion, to insider accounts of Hollywood life, political conspiracy, even philosophical sporting legends.
Here, we’ve rounded up the most popular picks. Whether you’re looking for light hearted escapism or hard-hitting journalism, there’s something to suit every taste.
We say: A luminous and compassionate look at the universal experience of loneliness, detailing Olivia Laing's e
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Have you ever wondered what it’s like to win Wimbledon, run The Washington Post, or get drunk with Jimmy Buffett? Through the best autobiographies and celebrity memoirs, we can access gripping true stories told in the words of the people who lived through them.
Translating experience into language is a creative act. Autobiography can be earnest or irreverent, playful or profound. Often, real life can be stranger than fiction. The best autobiographies bring us closer to remarkable people and circumstances—and they’re well-written, to boot.
But that’s not all. The best examples from the genre can provide insights that help us improve our own lives. After all, there’s nothing like a story of perseverance against all odds to prove anything is possible.
These tales of endurance, transformation, and unlikely triumph are sure to command your attention––and dare we say, inspire your own main character energy.
Open by Andre Agassi
You don’t need to love tennis to find yourself totally engrossed by the story of Agassi’s legendary career. Once the number-one player in the world, Aga
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