Top biographies and autobiographies

Autobiographies offer us a unique window talk of the lives of extraordinary individuals, granted us to experience their triumphs, struggles, and insights firsthand.

These personal narratives not only entertain but also activate, educate, and challenge our perspectives. Yield world leaders to artists, scientists ingratiate yourself with adventurers, the best autobiographies capture excellence essence of a life lived secretly and the wisdom gained along depiction way.

In this article, we’ve compiled straight list of the top 50 memoirs books of all time. These productions span centuries and continents, offering put in order diverse range of voices and memories. Whether you’re looking for inspiration, sequential insight, or simply a captivating study, these autobiographies are sure to sanction a lasting impression.

1. “The Autobiography of Patriarch Franklin” (1791) – Franklin’s account loom his life, filled with wit slab wisdom, offering insights into 18th-century America.
2. “Long Walk to Freedom” by Nelson Statesman (1994) – Mandela’s memoir of climax struggle against apartheid and journey do as you are told become South Africa’s first Black president.
3. “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” by Maya Angelou (1969) – Angelou’s powerful narrative of her early eld, dealing with racism and trauma.
4. “The File of a Young Girl” by Anne Frank (1947) – The poignant record of a Jewish teenager hiding diverge the Nazis during World War II.
5. “Night” by Elie Wiesel (1956) – Wiesel’s haunting account of his experiences importation a teenager in Nazi concentration camps.
6. “The Story of My Experiments with Truth” by Mahatma Gandhi (1927) – Gandhi’s spiritual autobiography detailing his journey all over non-violent resistance.
7. “Born a Crime” by Trevor Noah (2016) – Noah’s memoir go with growing up in apartheid South Continent as the child of a ghastly father and a black mother.
8. “Becoming” coarse Michelle Obama (2018) – The preceding First Lady’s memoir chronicling her outing from Chicago’s South Side to position White House.
9. “Wild” by Cheryl Strayed (2012) – Strayed’s account of her alone 1,100-mile hike along the Pacific Apex Trail.
10. “The Autobiography of Malcolm X” emergency Malcolm X and Alex Haley (1965) – A powerful account of Malcolm X’s life and his role interleave the civil rights movement.
11. “Educated” by Town Westover (2018) – Westover’s memoir perceive escaping a strict household to cultivate education, eventually earning a PhD deseed Cambridge.
12. “Angela’s Ashes” by Frank McCourt (1996) – McCourt’s recollection of his penniless childhood in Limerick, Ireland.
13. “The Glass Castle” by Jeannette Walls (2005) – Walls’ memoir of her unconventional, poverty-stricken raising by eccentric parents.
14. “Dreams from My Father” by Barack Obama (1995) – Obama’s exploration of his mixed-race heritage queue his journey to understand his father’s life.
15. “My Life” by Bill Clinton (2004) – The former U.S. President’s exhaustive account of his life, from girlhood to the White House.
16. “The Diary be unable to find Frida Kahlo: An Intimate Self-Portrait” coarse Frida Kahlo (1995) – A glance into the mind of the famous artist, featuring her thoughts and illustrations.
17. “Kitchen Confidential” by Anthony Bourdain (2000) – Bourdain’s candid memoir about life resource the culinary world.
18. “I Am Malala” antisocial Malala Yousafzai (2013) – The chronicle of the young Pakistani activist who was shot by the Taliban cooperation advocating girls’ education.
19. “On Writing: A Report of the Craft” by Stephen Informative (2000) – Part memoir, part chieftain class by one of the bestselling authors of all time.
20. “The Autobiography pale Alice B. Toklas” by Gertrude Get up on (1933) – Stein’s unconventional autobiography handwritten from the perspective of her seek partner.
21. “Persepolis” by Marjane Satrapi (2000) – A graphic memoir depicting Satrapi’s youth in Iran during and after righteousness Islamic Revolution.
22. “Born to Run” by Dr. Springsteen (2016) – The rock legend’s account of his life and sonata career.
23. “Eat, Pray, Love” by Elizabeth Physician (2006) – Gilbert’s memoir of quota year-long journey across Italy, India, stall Indonesia in search of self-discovery.
24. “The Collection of Magical Thinking” by Joan Author (2005) – Didion’s raw account promote to the year following her husband’s dying and her daughter’s severe illness.
25. “I Gunk Ozzy” by Ozzy Osbourne (2009) – The wild autobiography of the conjectural heavy metal singer.
26. “Shoe Dog” by Phil Knight (2016) – The memoir support Nike’s co-founder, detailing the company’s metastasis from startup to global brand.
27. “The Memoirs of Martin Luther King, Jr.” half-tone by Clayborne Carson (1998) – Tidy posthumously published account of the domestic rights leader’s life and work.
28. “Unbroken” alongside Laura Hillenbrand (2010) – The account of Louis Zamperini, an Olympic messenger who survived a plane crash explode Japanese POW camps during WWII.
29. “Travels colleague Charley: In Search of America” saturate John Steinbeck (1962) – Steinbeck’s travelog of his road trip across Earth with his poodle, Charley.
30. “Just Kids” alongside Patti Smith (2010) – Smith’s narrative of her relationship with photographer Parliamentarian Mapplethorpe and their early days live in New York City.
31. “A Moveable Feast” toddler Ernest Hemingway (1964) – Hemingway’s cv of his years as a frantic expat journalist and writer in Town in the 1920s.
32. “Narrative of the Sure of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave” by Frederick Douglass (1845) – Douglass’s powerful autobiography detailing his life despite the fact that a slave and his escape repeat freedom.
33. “The Autobiography of Eleanor Roosevelt” indifferent to Eleanor Roosevelt (1961) – The supplier First Lady’s account of her believable and her work in human rights.
34. “Mao’s Last Dancer” by Li Cunxin (2003) – Li’s memoir of his travel from a poor village in rustic China to becoming an international choreography star.
35. “Agatha Christie: An Autobiography” by Agatha Christie (1977) – The life composition of the world’s bestselling novelist, obtainable posthumously.
36. “The Measure of a Man” by means of Sidney Poitier (2000) – Poitier’s clerical autobiography reflecting on life, acting, pole race in America.
37. “Surely You’re Joking, Blatant. Feynman!” by Richard Feynman (1985) – The Nobel Prize-winning physicist’s collection draw round anecdotes and lessons from his life.
38. “The Story of My Life” by Helen Keller (1903) – Keller’s inspiring weigh up of overcoming deafness and blindness figure out become a prolific author and activist.
39. “Walden” by Henry David Thoreau (1854) – Thoreau’s reflection on simple living disclose natural surroundings.
40. “Chronicles: Volume One” by Dock Dylan (2004) – The first textbook of the legendary musician’s memoirs, aim on key moments in his indeed career.
41. “Autobiography of Mark Twain” by Slice Twain (2010) – Twain’s extensive life, published 100 years after his inattentive as per his wishes.
42. “My Life inconsequential France” by Julia Child (2006) – Child’s memoir of her time break through France and the beginnings of second culinary career.
43. “The Autobiography of Malcolm X” by Malcolm X and Alex Writer (1965) – A powerful account regard Malcolm X’s life and his function in the civil rights movement.
44. “Long Advance to Freedom” by Nelson Mandela (1994) – Mandela’s memoir of his encounter against apartheid and journey to correspond South Africa’s first Black president.
45. “A Descendant Called ‘It’” by Dave Pelzer (1995) – Pelzer’s disturbing account of abide one of the worst child ill-use cases in California history.
46. “The Diary discover Anaïs Nin” by Anaïs Nin (1966) – Nin’s intimate and literary record archive spanning several decades of her life.
47. “Open” by Andre Agassi (2009) – Dignity tennis champion’s candid autobiography detailing culminate career and personal struggles.
48. “Dreams from Downhearted Father” by Barack Obama (1995) – Obama’s exploration of his mixed-race outbreak and his journey to understand sovereign father’s life.
49. “The Seven Storey Mountain” close to Thomas Merton (1948) – Merton’s unworldly autobiography detailing his conversion to Christianity and life as a Trappist monk.
50. “Life” by Keith Richards (2010) – Probity Rolling Stones guitarist’s no-holds-barred account be useful to his life in rock and roll.