20 Best Biographies Books (2023 Update)

One of the most captivating and influential actors in hollywood writes not just about his life, but about life itself. in this beautifully written, candid memoir, legendary actor sidney poitier reveals the spiritual depth, passion and intellectual fervour that has driven his remarkable life. poitier credits his childhood of poverty on idyllic cat island in the bahamas for equipping him with the unflinching sense of self-worth, family values and simple ethics that he has never since surrendered and that have dramatically shaped his world. just a few years after his introduction to indoor plumbing and the automobile, poitier broke countless barriers to launch a pioneering career portraying important, dignified characters in some of the most morally significant films of the late 20th century. his engaging memoir spans a time in american history from segregation, through the early civil rights conflicts, to present-day cultural struggles. poitier shares his provocative thoughts on racism in hollywood, consumerism and the media, illness and mortality, honouring a higher consciousness and paying the price for artistic integrity. this book is a powerful testament to the rewards of being t

Spanning her 25-year career, grammy award-winner natalie cole tells all in this autobiography that is unforgettable . . . in every way. born to legendary singer nat "king" cole in the halcyon days of the 1950s, natalie grew up to become a versatile and soulful singer whose talents catapulted to her the top. but success came with a price, and this is the riveting and inspirational story of her comeback. two 8-page photo inserts.

Before he ever made a movie or spoke a word onstage, w. c. fields was one of the greatest pantomimists and comedians in the world. his career spanned the whole of the twentieth century—in burlesque, vaudeville, the legitimate stage, silent pictures, talkies, radio, books, and recordings. only death prevented him from working in television. he shared the vaudeville stage with sarah bernhardt and houdi∋ he made a command performance before edward vii; he was compared to chaplin and keaton and became one of the great comedians in radio. he wrote, directed, and performed (mae west and fields were among the first writer/actor/directors) in some of the most enduring and brilliant comedies of all time, including it’s a gift, my little chickadee, and the bank dick. he appeared in fifty pictures and wrote fifteen of them. his understanding of the need to lie and swindle, and his ability to make the most innocent phrase sound lewd, made him a star. now james curtis tells the story of fields’ life and work. drawing on fields’ papers and manuscripts, he shows us the passion and intellect that fueled fields’ talent and the background that gave such bite and edge to his comedy. curtis shows us, in illuminating detail, just how fields’ extraordinary art evolved on the stage in the early part of the twentieth century and how he not only incorporated it into his films, but how it came to define his persona decades later. he writes of fields’ hardscrabble philadelphia childhood; of his father, a drunken breaker of horses who beat his son; of fields’ clever hands that were quick to master stealing and juggling (he took up the latter—it allowed him to sleep late); of his years in burlesque and minstrelsy; of his seventeen years in vaudeville, hopping trains early on, living a life half in the theater, half on the lam, making his way into the big time, never satisfied with his “act,” always working on something newer and more striking. curtis writes of fields’ starring years with the ziegfeld follies, finding his voice and his character amid one of the greatest assemblages of comic talent on a single stage (will rogers, eddie cantor, fanny brice, among others); appearing in every ziegfeld show from 1915 through 1921; of his marriage to a fellow performer, the birth of their son, and their travels together on the circuit, until mrs. fields decided she’d had enough and left—the theater and her marriage. fields never again loved so deeply. w. griffith in the starring role in sally of the sawdust, which fields created on broadway in poppy) and in the talkies from 1927 to 1945. curtis’ biography narrates the life and the art of the actor james agee called “the toughest and most warmly human of all screen comedians.”

Lenin is a colossal figure whose influence on twentieth-century history cannot be underestimated. robert service has written a calmly authoritative biography on this seemingly unknowable figure. making use of recently opened archives, he has been able to piece together the private as well as the public life, giving the first complete picture of lenin. this biography simultaneously provides an account of one of the greatest turning points in modern history. through the prism of lenin's career, service examines events such as the october revolution and the ideas of marxism-leninism, the one-party state, economic modernisation, dictatorship, and the politics of inter-war europe. in discovering the origins of the ussr, he casts light on the nature of the state and society which lenin left behind and which have not entirely disappeared after the collapse of the soviet regime in 1991. 'immensely scholarly but also vivid and readable. this is a splendid book, much the best that i have ever read about lenin … i was overwhelmed by the power and vividness of this portrait.' dominic lieven, sunday telegraph 'he has managed skilfully to depict the surreal life of an obsessive, brilliant and stubborn individual' guardian 'lenin's life was politics, but service has succeeded in keeping lenin the man in focus throughout … this book deserves a place among the best studies of one of the most fascinating figures in modern history' harold shukman, the times

This rarity of rarities — a celebrity autobiography produced without a ghostwriter — details the author's rise from impoverished london boyhood to international stardom. born in 1933 and named maurice joseph micklewhite after his father, who was a fish-market porter in london, mr. caine knew as early as the age of 4 that he wanted to be an actor. but there were few in the profession with whom he could identify. he is part of an entire generation of british working-class artists who came to prominence in the 1960's and, in his opinion, even accounted for the decade's extraordinary vitality in england. they arrived with a chip on the shoulder, and by his account, it was their anger that made england swing. as he details his climb up the ladder of fame, mr. caine voice is engagingly confiding. has the appeal of the archetypal show-business memoir in which the poor boy fights his way into the spotlight.

Robert taylor was one of hollywood's biggest stars for over thirty-years and starred in such classic films as magnificent obsession, camille, a yank at oxford, waterloo bridge, johnny eager, quo vadis, ivanhoe and the last hunt. he worked with the cream of hollywood leading ladies: irene dunne, joan crawford, greta garbo, vivien leigh, lana turner, katharine hepburn and barbara stanwyck, who he later married, just to name a few. an open and friendly man who usually tried to avoid controversy, taylor stepped into it when he became a so-called friendly witness appearing before the house un-american activities committee during the height of the washington investigations into alleged communism in hollywood. it has haunted his reputation to this day. a happy second marriage to actress ursula thiess produced two children and gave taylor a contentment he lacked in his earlier marriage. author charles tranberg takes a fresh look at the actor who was once called, "the man with the perfect profile." this book also takes a fascinating look at the hollywood studio system which existed during taylor's hey-day.

Everyone knows tom cruise—or at least what he wants us to know. after that, the picture becomes a little less clear.

Ariana grande captured the hearts of a nation with her one love manchester concert. less than a fortnight after a terrorist killed twenty-two people at her manchester show, the petite princess stood tall at her tribute concert that united and healed a shaken nation. she was the emotional core of a powerful evening that reminded us all of music's redemptive power.but who is ariana grande? this candid book traces the us pop star's story from her childhood in florida, through her teenage years on broadway and nickelodeon, and on to her gleaming pop career which has seen her described as 'the new mariah carey'. this unauthorized biography tells the songbird's eventful and inspirational story in full for the first time, and shows how she became an award-winning, chart-topping pop idol, as well as an empowering inspiration for a generation of girls. a must read for all her fans, this is a full, unflinching portrait of a pop sensation and inspiring, uncompromising woman – the small, sassy girl with the ponytail who conquered the world.

A riveting new biography of america’s greatest all-around athlete by the bestselling author of the classic biography when pride still mattered.jim thorpe rose to world fame as a mythic talent who excelled at every sport. he won gold medals in the decathlon and pentathlon at the 1912 stockholm olympics, was an all-american football player at the carlisle indian school, the star of the first class of the pro football hall of fame, and played major league baseball for john mcgraw’s new york giants. even in a golden age of sports celebrities, he was one of a kind. but despite his colossal skills, thorpe’s life was a struggle against the odds. as a member of the sac and fox nation, he encountered duplicitous authorities who turned away from him when their reputations were at risk. at carlisle, he dealt with the racist assimilationist philosophy “kill the indian, save the man.” his gold medals were unfairly rescinded because he had played minor league baseball. his later life was troubled by alcohol, broken marriages, and financial distress. he roamed from state to state and took bit parts in hollywood, but even the film of his own life failed to improve his fortunes. but for all his travails, thorpe did not succumb. the man survived, complications and all, and so did the myth. path lit by lightning is a great american story from a master biographer.

From the new york times bestselling author of amazing grace, a ground breaking biography of dietrich bonhoeffer, one of the greatest heroes of the twentieth century, the man who stood up to hitler. a definitive, deeply moving narrative, bonhoeffer is a story of moral courage in the face of the monstrous evil that was nazism. after discovering the fire of true faith in a harlem church, bonhoeffer returned to germany and became one of the first to speak out against hitler. as a double-agent, he joined the plot to assassinate the fuhrer, and was hanged in flossenberg concentration camp at age 39. since his death, bonhoeffer has grown to be one of the most fascinating, complex figures of the 20th century. bonhoeffer presents a profoundly orthodox christian theologian whose faith led him to boldly confront the greatest evil of the 20th century, and uncovers never-before-revealed facts, including the story of his passionate romance.

Successful investor warren buffett sits down with author schroeder to give readers deep and erudite insights into his work and personal life. detailing his views on current trends in the economy and society, buffet speaks with tremendous wisdom about everything from his family to his business ethics. richard mcgonagle gives an eloquent, straightforward reading. he has a knack for delivering words with a profound importance in his voice, drawing in listeners and holding their interest for hours. schroeder reads her introduction and sets the tone for this revealing biography.a bantam hardcover (reviewed online). (oct.) copyright reed business information, a division of reed elsevier inc. all rights reserved.–this text refers to theaudio cdedition.

The new york times bestseller! after decades of silence, robyn crawford, close friend, collaborator, and confidante of whitney houston, shares her story. whitney houston is as big a superstar as the music business has ever known. she exploded on the scene in 1985 with her debut album and spent the next two decades dominating the charts and capturing the hearts of fans around the world. one person was there by her side through it all—her best friend, robyn crawford. since whitney’s death in 2012, robyn has stayed out of the limelight and held the great joys, wild adventures, and hard truths of her life with whitney close to her heart. now, for the first time ever, crawford opens up in her memoir, a song for you. with warmth, candor, and an impressive recall of detail, robyn describes the two meeting as teenagers in the 1980s, and how their lives and friendship evolved as whitney recorded her first album and robyn pursued her promising division i basketball career. together during countless sold-out world tours, behind the scenes as hit after hit was recorded, through whitney’s marriage and the birth of her daughter, the two navigated often challenging families, great loves, and painful losses, always supporting each other with laughter and friendship. deeply personal and heartfelt, a song for you is the vital, honest, and previously untold story that provides an understanding of the complex life of whitney houston. finally, the person who knew her best sets the record straight.

Graves' classic 1929 autobiography with its searing account of life in the trenches of the first world war has been re-published with the original 1929 text on the occasion of graves' 100th anniversary. in this autobiography, first published in 1929, poet robert graves traces the monumental and universal loss of innocence that occurred as a result of the first world war. written after the war and as he was leaving his birthplace, he thought, forever, good-bye to all that bids farewell not only to england and his english family and friends, but also to a way of life. tracing his upbringing from his solidly middle-class victorian childhood through his entry into the war at age twenty-one as a patriotic captain in the royal welsh fusiliers, this dramatic, poignant, often wry autobiography goes on to depict the horrors and disillusionment of the great war, from life in the trenches and the loss of dear friends, to the stupidity of government bureaucracy and the absurdity of english class stratification. paul fussell has hailed it as ""the best memoir of the first world war"" and has written the introduction to this new edition that marks the eightieth anniversary of the end of the war. an enormous success when it was first issued, it continues to find new readers in the thousands each year and has earned its designation as a true classic.

A heartbreakingly honest, endearing memoir of incredible weight loss by a young food blogger who battles body image issues and overcomes food addiction to find self-acceptance. all her life, andie mitchell had eaten lustily and mindlessly. food was her babysitter, her best friend, her confidant, and it provided a refuge from her fractured family. but when she stepped on the scale on her twentieth birthday and it registered a shocking 268 pounds, she knew she had to change the way she thought about food and herself; that her life was at stake. it was me all along takes andie from working class boston to the romantic streets of rome, from morbidly obese to half her size, from seeking comfort in anything that came cream-filled and two-to-a-pack to finding balance in exquisite (but modest) bowls of handmade pasta. this story is about much more than a woman who loves food and abhors her body. it is about someone who made changes when her situation seemed too far gone and how she discovered balance in an off-kilter world. more than anything, though, it is the story of her finding beauty in acceptance and learning to love all parts of herself.

National bestseller – "a model presidential biography… in this superlative volume, jean edward smith combines contemporary scholarship and a broad range of primary source material to provide an engrossing narrative of one of america’s greatest presidents. this is a portrait painted in broad strokes and fine details. smith recounts fdr’s battles with polio and physical disability, and how these experiences helped forge the resolve that fdr used to surmount the economic turmoil of the great depression and the wartime threat of totalitarianism. here also is fdr’s private life depicted with unprecedented candor and nuance, with close attention paid to the four women who molded his personality and helped to inform his worldview: his mother, sara delano roosevelt, formidable yet ever supportive and tender; his wife, eleanor, whose counsel and affection were instrumental to fdr’s public and individual achievements; lucy mercer, the great romantic love of fdr’s life; and missy lehand, fdr’s longtime secretary, companion, and confidante, whose adoration of her boss was practically limitless. smith also tackles head-on and in-depth the numerous failures and miscues of roosevelt’ s public career, including his disastrous attempt to reconstruct the judiciary; the shameful internment of japanese-americans; and roosevelt’s occasionally self-defeating executive overreach. additionally, smith offers a sensitive and balanced assessment of roosevelt’s response to the holocaust, noting its breakthroughs and shortcomings. summing up roosevelt’s legacy, jean smith declares that fdr, more than any other individual, changed the relationship between the american people and their government. it was roosevelt who revolutionized the art of campaigning and used the burgeoning mass media to garner public support and allay fears. but more important, smith gives us the clearest picture yet of how this quintessential knickerbocker aristocrat, a man who never had to depend on a paycheck, became the common man’s president. the result is a powerful account that adds fresh perspectives and draws profound conclusions about a man whose story is widely known but far less well understood. written for the general reader and scholars alike, fdr is a stunning biography in every way worthy of its subject.

When his life came to a sudden and tragic end on october 25, 1999, payne stewart was at the top of his game on every level. in june of 1999, he enjoyed the signature triumph of his career and solidified himself as one of the exemplary personalities in his profession with a victory at the u.s. open and a place on the coveted winning u.s. ryder cup team. however satisfying his professional accomplishments were, it was his personal triumphs that made him stand out. those closest to stewart said his family and faith were what mattered most to him. at his funeral, his wife tracey described him as a devoted husband and father and a devout christian. she said, "after 18 years of marriage, he was still the most beautiful man i had ever seen, because of what he was on the inside." the only authorized biography of payne stewart, this book was a 'new york times' bestseller for 13 consecutive weeks.

Lemmon’s scenes are alternately funny, sad, wild, tender, adding up to the rollicking story of the boy with the face that any mother could love who became the man who had the “grace to make a fool of himself” and the talent to pull it off. packed with outrageous tales that never made the pages of variety or the hollywood gossip columns, lemmon sparkles with the verve and humor characteristic of his most memorable stage and screen performances. lemmon is far more than a biography of the lovable, bumbling “loser” who “falls on a fumble into the end zone and wins the game.” it is a front-row view of the long pull towards stardom that an outstanding actor, equally skilled at comedy and serious drama, richly deserved. and maintains.

Lemmon’s scenes are alternately funny, sad, wild, tender, adding up to the rollicking story of the boy with the face that any mother could love who became the man who had the “grace to make a fool of himself” and the talent to pull it off. packed with outrageous tales that never made the pages of variety or the hollywood gossip columns, lemmon sparkles with the verve and humor characteristic of his most memorable stage and screen performances. lemmon is far more than a biography of the lovable, bumbling “loser” who “falls on a fumble into the end zone and wins the game.” it is a front-row view of the long pull towards stardom that an outstanding actor, equally skilled at comedy and serious drama, richly deserved. and maintains.

Davies throws a new and surprising light on a previously shadowy and misunderstood person. this biography, written with full access to his private letters, reveals a far more complex and passionate character than anyone could imagine.

At the age of twenty-six, vivien leigh crossed the atlantic and walked off with the coveted role of gone with the wind's scarlett o'hara under the noses of some of hollywood's most famous stars… arrestingly beautiful, quick-witted, and ultimately vulnerable, leigh has drawn the attention of many biographers. yet with the veil of rumors and complex mythology that has grown around her name, most biographies, invariably hollywood filmographies, have been inaccurate and incomplete. author higo vickers approaches the actress as a human being–not as an entertainment property–and accords her the same detailed research that earned him high critical praise for his biography of cecil beaton.