Hello wise and cultured STW'ers. I'm in looking for a decent biography, maybe something inspiring and motivating. Something humbling and thought provoking.
Any suggestions? Thanks.
Auto biography - With The Jocks.
Humbling and fascinating.
Andy Kershaw - no off switch.
End of thread.
Except he's not dead. +auto
Things the Grandchildren Should Know - Mark 'E' Everett
Harry Patch's biography was all those things op.
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Ultramarathon Man - Dean Karnazes
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I'm enjoying Bear Gryll's - Mud, Sewat & Tears. I like how he's not up is own arris in it.
Michael Crawford. It's an autobiog. Very good.
[url= http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Moons-Balloon-David-Niven/dp/0140239243 ]The Moons a Balloon[/url]
It's probably about the only biography I can say I have enjoyed, but I am not sure how much is truth and how much fiction. But he was certainly an interesting character in Hollywood's heyday.
Frank Skinner's autobiography is a good contrast, and really intersting. Its absolutely laugh-out-loud hilarious, yet quite harrowing in its honesty about his descent into chronic alcoholism
I've just read 'Jerusalem, the biography' by the splendidly named Simon Sebag Montefiore. Absolutely fascinating. Not what you were looking for though, I guess.
+ 1 for racing through the dark, excellent read
About half way through the Tyler Hamilton book, excellent so far, incredibly honest (I think, who really knows ?), hilly recommend
'eddie would go'
wicked read, especially if you have any interest in surfing
If you're musically inclined, this:
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An old favourite.
Autobiogs:
The Flying Scotsman: Graeme Obree - fascinating and thought provoking on so many fronts.
Slash: for pure insanity and decadence this is brilliant.
Motley Crue: The Dirt - this is insane.
Biog:
Steve McQueen - A biography, Marc Eliot - really interesting.
Scar Tissue's pretty good Camo16 - concur.
Another blinding Music One. Motley Crue's biography. Epic, biblical scale wrongness!!!!
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and Danny Sugermans Wonderland Avenue is a must. Also very very wrong
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Everyone should read this:
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Another recommendation for Scar tissue. Great book.
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I tried reading "Scar Tissue". Gave up after a chapter and a half. Deadly dull trivia written by a boring druggy has-been with nothing to say, frankly.
failedengineer - MemberI've just read 'Jerusalem, the biography' by the splendidly named Simon Sebag Montefiore. Absolutely fascinating. Not what you were looking for though, I guess.
Mr Montefiore wrote a biography of Stalin that's also well worth a read - there's even a glowing recommendation on the cover by that nice mister Alex Ferguson (and therefore the nearest to a football biography i'm willing to go), make of that what you will.
Ronnie Barker's is excellent.
And the Milligan war memoirs are fantastic. Don't read them in public though.
I really enjoyed this one:
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David Millar book is the best cycling biography I have read and am actually reading it for the 2nd time at the momment.
Laurent Fignon's bio is also excellent.
Strange, looking at that cover, I keep hearing a voice repeating "Buy this book, buy this book, buy this book...." 😯
Non-cycling recommendation...
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Deadly dull trivia written by a boring druggy has-been with nothing to say, frankly.
You got all that from a chapter and a half, Mr. W?
+1 on Papa_Lazarou's choice.
or John Lydon's "No Irish, No Blacks, No dogs"
+1 steve jobs
Also surprisingly Bill Clinton - my life
Also, Also Mr Nice - Howard Marks
Matt Hampsons' book Engage is a really inspiring book whether youre into rugby or not.
I'm half wayb through Steve Jobs. I find it frstratingly staccato in nature and poorly written.
Unless things change later in the book, the first half is just series of para's about he's cyclical personality.
+1 for Slash though. Being a GnR fan I knew a fair bit already but this highlight the decandance of it all....
If you are of a certain age.
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Julian Cope - head on/repossessed
absolutely, completely and totally looney tunes
power walking at midnight? oh yes.
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+1 for motley crue's Dirt - - made me literally laugh out loud, cry, then laugh again and I seriously couldnt put it down. its full of sex drugs and rock and roll but also some really great heartfelt stuff. I dont think you need to like the music to enjoy the book.
+1 on the Miller book, and Scar Tissue is a great read - I'm amazed he's still alive. Frank Skinner's is also good as is Peter Kay's.
Wiggins one, although written before his decent result in the 2009 is dull as. I personally wouldn't bother.
Wild Swans by Jung Chang. 3 generations of Chinese women growing up under the Kuomintang and then Mao. Riveting.
"Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know" +1
Matt Seaton's 'The Escape Artist' is nominally about his career as an amateur road racer. Wry, sad and uplifting, and hugely enjoyable overall. He was the Guardian's cycling correpspondent for a long while, and is a quintessentially metropolitan type, so those of you with certain dispositions should keep well clear.
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Really. It's tremendous.
