An autobiography is an account of a person’s life that is written by that person himself/herself. Anyone can write a biography based on interviews, writings, papers, etc. That is the fundamental difference between the two. Autobiographies are believed to be more accurate because of an obvious reason. A person cannot make errors while narrating the story of his/her own life. Let us make a list of the Best Autobiography Books.
Must Read Biographical Books
1. The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin by Benjamin Franklin
This one narrates the life story of the famous American scientist, inventor, writer, diplomat, and political philosopher Benjamin Franklin. Published in early 1900.
One of the book’s most prominent segments describes Franklin’s attempts to attain “moral perfection” through accomplishing 13 virtues, including temperance, silence, and order. Though it was written more than 200 years ago, his philosophy and life teachings are still valuable.
2. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass by Frederick Douglass
This historic autobiography is considered to be one of the Must Read Biographical Books. This is the life story of a slave Frederick Douglass.
It’s a vibrant narration of Douglass’s childhood, the tortures he suffered at the hands of many slave owners, and his traumatic escape to freedom, after which he became a respected orator and famous abolitionist. We find verbatim details of slavery in America & the pains they had to endure. We stand in front of a mirror of the past of the country & begin to understand how it shaped the present.
3. The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
This autobiography of Anne Frank presents us with the true face of the holocaust by Nazis. This one is considered to be one of the Best Autobiography Books. The events narrated in this book are encountered by a teenage girl. It was written as a form of diary during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands.
In her writings, Anne shared the details about her family, the effects of war, and the hardships faced by her & her family. Because she died at 15 in a Nazi Concentration camp, readers wonder how Anne could stay so positive about humanity.
4. Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela
In 1962, anti-apartheid activist Nelson Mandela was arrested for conspiring to provoke a strike and overthrow South Africa’s government and sentenced to life in prison. He served 28 years in prison. After his release in the year 1990, he won the election to be the country’s first black President.
This autobiography narrates events from his childhood to his formal education as a lawyer. This book also contains events from his time in prison & the ideologies he kept on believing.
5. An Autobiography by Agatha Christie
If you are a mystery lover, you simply cannot avoid this. Even if you are not a mystery fan or have never read her work, you will still enjoy this.
Published posthumously, this book is a narration of her life story & works till the age of 75. Each time you read it, you’ll feel like you had a discussion with the author and learned how she thought of life and writing.
6. Childhood Days (AKA Jokhon Choto Chilam) by Satyajit Ray
This one narrates the story of Oscar-winner master filmmaker Satyajit Ray till the last days of his school.
Colourful writings and unique events narrated by the author make us understand how his potential grew under the influence of scholars & members of his family. We get to know about his first encounter with many things. We also come to know about the rich heritage he belongs to.
7. Chronicles Volume 1 by Bob Dylan
Are you a fan of this multiple Grammy winner? Do you often hum blowin in the Wind or Mr. Tambourine Man? Tune yourself up to this book. Not only a singer, but Dylan is also a talented storyteller, and that talent doesn’t fade in the way he tells his life story.
This book is not without controversy, though. Over the years, some phrases were discovered in the words of other artists, including Ernest Hemingway, Mezz Mezzrow, and Marcel Proust. He was accused of plagiarism too.
8. Autobiography of Mark Twain, Volume 1 Mark Twain
Samuel Langhorne Clemens, better known as Mark Twain, was a master of storytelling. The world knows him for his works like The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
His autobiography is his last work. Which was not published till after 100 years of his death. Like conventional autobiographies, it doesn’t follow a certain pattern, it is more like a cogitation of his exceptional life experiences.
9. The Story of My Experiments with Truth by Mahatma Gandhi
Undoubtedly Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi is one of the most influential, prominent leaders of India & well known throughout the world. In his autobiography, he covered his life from childhood to 1921.
He depicted his memories of child marriages and his relationship with his parents. A most pivotal part of the memoir was part of his journey to South Africa, where he faced colour prejudice & decided to fight against every injustice faced by common people in a non-violent way.
10. Wings of Fire by Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam
This is the autobiography of a Missile man of India & former President of India, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam. In this book, he narrated his journey from a poor fisherman’s son in Madras to ISRO.
He has described how he & his family faced hardships and struggled to establish himself. If someone with a humble family & poor background trying to get some inspiration, this is one of the Must Read Biographical Books.
Conclusion
Thousands of successful people are around us. Some are scholars, some are politicians, some are sports persons, and some are entertainers.
There are hundreds of Inspiring autobiographies. The above books are on the ultimate list of Best Autobiography Books read. They are merely recommendations for readers who are looking for hard-hitting experiences & inspirational lives to read about.