Can anyone recommend a good autobiography?

gazhinio said:
LongsightM13 said:
One of the very best autobiographies I have read was The Grass Arena by John Healy.
He was a talented young amateur boxer who joined the army, then got kicked out and hit the skids.
He became an alcoholic and a vagrant in 60s and 70s London, boozing, thieving and brawling his life away in the streets and parks of the capital.
The tales of the weird camaraderie and code of honour among the winos and the violence, brutality and contempt he experiences at the hands of his fellow hobos, police, doctors and prison guards are at times genuinely shocking.
Somewhere along the line, a kindly soul teaches him to play chess. And he is a natural. So good that he is soon entering top level competitions, and winning them. But this damaged soul knows he will never be truly accepted in that world either.
The BBC made a film of this brilliant book in the late 80s and Healy was also the subject of a feature length documentary last year.
We'll worth a read.

Just ordered that online mucca....good shout L13
It's a stunning book gaz. He's a very interesting fella. Here's s couple of fascinating articles about him <a class="postlink" href="http://thequietus.com/articles/08889-john-healy-interview-barbaric-genius-documentary" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://thequietus.com/articles/08889-jo ... ocumentary</a>
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.sabotagetimes.com/reportage/barbaric-genius-the-strange-story-of-john-healy-and-the-grass-arena/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.sabotagetimes.com/reportage/ ... ass-arena/</a>
<a class="postlink" href="http://m.guardian.co.uk/books/2008/aug/05/biography" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://m.guardian.co.uk/books/2008/aug/05/biography</a>
 
LongsightM13 said:
gazhinio said:
LongsightM13 said:
One of the very best autobiographies I have read was The Grass Arena by John Healy.
He was a talented young amateur boxer who joined the army, then got kicked out and hit the skids.
He became an alcoholic and a vagrant in 60s and 70s London, boozing, thieving and brawling his life away in the streets and parks of the capital.
The tales of the weird camaraderie and code of honour among the winos and the violence, brutality and contempt he experiences at the hands of his fellow hobos, police, doctors and prison guards are at times genuinely shocking.
Somewhere along the line, a kindly soul teaches him to play chess. And he is a natural. So good that he is soon entering top level competitions, and winning them. But this damaged soul knows he will never be truly accepted in that world either.
The BBC made a film of this brilliant book in the late 80s and Healy was also the subject of a feature length documentary last year.
We'll worth a read.

Just ordered that online mucca....good shout L13
It's a stunning book gaz. He's a very interesting fella. Here's s couple of fascinating articles about him <a class="postlink" href="http://thequietus.com/articles/08889-john-healy-interview-barbaric-genius-documentary" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://thequietus.com/articles/08889-jo ... ocumentary</a>
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.sabotagetimes.com/reportage/barbaric-genius-the-strange-story-of-john-healy-and-the-grass-arena/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.sabotagetimes.com/reportage/ ... ass-arena/</a>
<a class="postlink" href="http://m.guardian.co.uk/books/2008/aug/05/biography" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://m.guardian.co.uk/books/2008/aug/05/biography</a>
You bagged another Longsight,Ordered on Ebay only 6.86,looking forward to it,cheers .
 
Lavinda Past said:
All of the David Niven autobiographies - Look them up on Amazon... i can't be arsed. They're full of great tales of Hollywood etc.

'The kid stays in the picture' - Robert Evans. Brilliant book with the best closing line ever. Yes; EVER.

I wont spoil it, but does it begin with "resolve...."?
Sure ive read it
 
Borstal Boy . Brendan Behan
Seven Pillars of Wisdom. T.E. Lawrence
A Life Of My Choice. Wilfred Thesiger

Or for musical taste.
Andy Kershaw. No off Switch
John Peel. Margrave of the Marshes
Keith Richard. Life (Best Rock book written IMO)

For Football.
I Am The Secret Footballer. ??????????????????
 
"Scott" by David Crane.

Which I have just realised is clearly not an autobiagraphy but is still a great read.

For a personal diary - "Seasonal Suicide Notes" - Roger Lewis.

Funniest book I have ever read.
 
Noddy Holder (Slade)
Ian Botham
Phil Tufnell
Slash (Guns & Roses)
Richard Branson
 
paul merson, willie thorne, stuey ungar, amarillo slim, alex higgins, jimmy white all priddy decent
 
currently got lee macks but cant get into it............may just move on to schwareneggers , anyone read it?
 

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