Best Biographies

What are the best in-depth biographies?

(Please exclude Memoirs/Autobiographies. You can find many lists for those books, including this one.)

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1	Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson (Goodreads Author) 4.15 avg rating — 1,123,415 ratings score: 54,980, and 552 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
2	Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand 4.36 avg rating — 865,655 ratings score: 40,135, and 404 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
3	Einstein: His Life and Universe by Walter Isaacson (Goodreads Author) 4.14 avg rating — 162,749 ratings score: 24,500, and 248 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
4	Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer (Goodreads Author) really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 989,765 ratings score: 21,578, and 218 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
5	John Adams by David McCullough 4.06 avg rating — 345,018 ratings score: 19,882, and 202 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
6	Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin 4.25 avg rating — 176,004 ratings score: 13,795, and 141 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
7	Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman by Robert K. Massie 3.92 avg rating — 102,202 ratings score: 11,807, and 120 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
8	The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot (Goodreads Author) 4.09 avg rating — 664,616 ratings score: 11,745, and 122 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
9	Truman by David McCullough 4.12 avg rating — 83,683 ratings score: 11,097, and 114 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
10	Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow 4.20 avg rating — 162,101 ratings score: 10,499, and 108 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
11	Mary Edwards Walker: America's Only Female Medal of Honor Recipient by Ammar Habib (Goodreads Author) 4.33 avg rating — 8,094 ratings score: 8,800, and 88 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
12	Muhammad, the World-Changer: An Intimate Portrait by Mohamad Jebara 4.70 avg rating — 519 ratings score: 8,598, and 86 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
13	Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future by Ashlee Vance (Goodreads Author) 4.21 avg rating — 327,202 ratings score: 8,317, and 84 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
14	Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China by Jung Chang 4.26 avg rating — 104,555 ratings score: 8,124, and 83 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
15	Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff (Goodreads Author) 3.71 avg rating — 111,451 ratings score: 7,717, and 79 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
16	The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt by Edmund Morris 4.20 avg rating — 51,629 ratings score: 7,631, and 78 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
17	Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy by Eric Metaxas (Goodreads Author) 4.20 avg rating — 67,824 ratings score: 7,337, and 75 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
18	No Ordinary Time: Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt: The Home Front in World War II by Doris Kearns Goodwin 4.17 avg rating — 43,984 ratings score: 7,246, and 75 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
19	The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey by Candice Millard 4.14 avg rating — 60,001 ratings score: 6,905, and 72 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
20	Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President by Candice Millard 4.16 avg rating — 67,916 ratings score: 6,581, and 69 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
21	Nicholas and Alexandra by Robert K. Massie 4.19 avg rating — 28,316 ratings score: 5,775, and 60 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
22	In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin by Erik Larson (Goodreads Author) 3.85 avg rating — 186,122 ratings score: 5,731, and 60 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
23	Benjamin Franklin: An American Life by Walter Isaacson (Goodreads Author) 4.02 avg rating — 129,868 ratings score: 5,479, and 58 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
24	The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York by Robert A. Caro 4.40 avg rating — 18,291 ratings score: 5,239, and 54 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
25	The Six Wives of Henry VIII by Alison Weir 4.09 avg rating — 67,365 ratings score: 4,921, and 52 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
26	Marie Antoinette: The Journey by Antonia Fraser 3.91 avg rating — 36,389 ratings score: 4,807, and 50 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
27	Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power by Jon Meacham really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 37,461 ratings score: 4,755, and 50 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
28	Tesla: Inventor of the Modern by Richard Munson (Goodreads Author) 3.69 avg rating — 2,024 ratings score: 4,678, and 47 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
29	Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr. by Ron Chernow 4.13 avg rating — 27,384 ratings score: 4,609, and 49 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
30	Theodore Rex by Edmund Morris 4.16 avg rating — 48,086 ratings score: 4,528, and 50 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
31	Peter the Great: His Life and World by Robert K. Massie 4.10 avg rating — 20,537 ratings score: 4,489, and 47 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
32	The Wives of Henry VIII by Antonia Fraser 4.08 avg rating — 18,475 ratings score: 4,444, and 46 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
33	Undaunted Courage: The Pioneering First Mission to Explore America's Wild Frontier by Stephen E. Ambrose 4.19 avg rating — 58,061 ratings score: 4,436, and 48 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
34	Oscar Wilde by Richard Ellmann 3.94 avg rating — 5,335 ratings score: 4,354, and 46 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
35	The Path to Power by Robert A. Caro 4.33 avg rating — 22,460 ratings score: 4,307, and 46 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
36	The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary by Simon Winchester 3.83 avg rating — 111,293 ratings score: 4,296, and 46 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
37	The Last Lion: Winston Spencer Churchill: Visions of Glory, 1874-1932 by William Manchester 4.28 avg rating — 14,862 ratings score: 4,289, and 46 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
38	Elizabeth the Queen: The Life of a Modern Monarch by Sally Bedell Smith (Goodreads Author) 3.86 avg rating — 27,926 ratings score: 3,836, and 41 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
39	The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life by Alice Schroeder 4.12 avg rating — 47,090 ratings score: 3,695, and 39 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
40	Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, a Man Who Would Cure the World by Tracy Kidder 4.17 avg rating — 81,579 ratings score: 3,694, and 38 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
41	Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time by Dava Sobel 3.96 avg rating — 66,790 ratings score: 3,603, and 39 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
42	Frida: A Biography of Frida Kahlo by Hayden Herrera 3.98 avg rating — 57,449 ratings score: 3,504, and 37 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
43	Washington: A Life by Ron Chernow 4.11 avg rating — 66,022 ratings score: 3,423, and 37 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
44	The Life of Elizabeth I by Alison Weir 4.01 avg rating — 32,244 ratings score: 3,229, and 36 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
45	Master of the Senate by Robert A. Caro 4.35 avg rating — 21,366 ratings score: 3,121, and 34 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
46	The Passage of Power by Robert A. Caro 4.32 avg rating — 17,415 ratings score: 3,081, and 33 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
47	Helen Keller: A Life by Dorothy Herrmann 4.18 avg rating — 839 ratings score: 3,006, and 32 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
48	The Last Lion: Winston Spencer Churchill: Alone, 1932-40 by William Manchester 4.32 avg rating — 11,477 ratings score: 2,951, and 32 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
49	Mornings on Horseback: The Story of an Extraordinary Family, a Vanished Way of Life, and the Unique Child Who Became Theodore Roosevelt by David McCullough 4.06 avg rating — 31,211 ratings score: 2,931, and 33 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
50	Churchill: A Life by Martin Gilbert 4.03 avg rating — 7,064 ratings score: 2,912, and 30 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
51	Virginia Woolf: A Biography by Quentin Bell 4.17 avg rating — 2,852 ratings score: 2,793, and 30 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
52	Means of Ascent by Robert A. Caro 4.21 avg rating — 24,723 ratings score: 2,548, and 27 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
53	Tolstoy by Henri Troyat 4.32 avg rating — 674 ratings score: 2,432, and 26 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
54	Adolf Hitler by John Toland 4.23 avg rating — 3,300 ratings score: 2,408, and 26 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
55	Lincoln by David Herbert Donald 4.16 avg rating — 44,591 ratings score: 2,389, and 26 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
56	The Mitford Girls: The Biography of an Extraordinary Family by Mary S. Lovell 3.87 avg rating — 13,005 ratings score: 2,318, and 25 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
57	No One Here Gets Out Alive by Danny Sugerman 3.92 avg rating — 42,840 ratings score: 2,305, and 24 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
58	Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World by Jack Weatherford 4.01 avg rating — 65,654 ratings score: 2,282, and 24 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
59	Martin Heidegger: Between Good and Evil by Rüdiger Safranski 3.80 avg rating — 1,965 ratings score: 2,146, and 22 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
60	The Black Count: Glory, Revolution, Betrayal, and the Real Count of Monte Cristo by Tom Reiss 3.97 avg rating — 18,281 ratings score: 2,139, and 23 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
61	Walt Disney: The Triumph of the American Imagination by Neal Gabler (Goodreads Author) really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 10,342 ratings score: 2,066, and 21 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
62	American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House by Jon Meacham 3.83 avg rating — 50,744 ratings score: 2,001, and 23 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
63	Eleanor of Aquitaine: A Life by Alison Weir 3.91 avg rating — 16,102 ratings score: 1,981, and 22 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
64	Abraham Lincoln: The Prairie Years and the War Years by Carl Sandburg 4.28 avg rating — 4,979 ratings score: 1,912, and 20 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
65	Henry VIII: The King and His Court by Alison Weir 4.07 avg rating — 13,838 ratings score: 1,909, and 21 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
66	Seabiscuit: An American Legend by Laura Hillenbrand 4.20 avg rating — 157,666 ratings score: 1,864, and 21 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
67	The Children of Henry VIII by Alison Weir 3.97 avg rating — 14,949 ratings score: 1,843, and 21 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
68	The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother by James McBride (Goodreads Author) 4.10 avg rating — 115,143 ratings score: 1,817, and 19 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
69	The King's Speech: How One Man Saved the British Monarchy by Mark Logue 3.66 avg rating — 10,338 ratings score: 1,791, and 19 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
70	Last Train to Memphis: The Rise of Elvis Presley by Peter Guralnick 4.09 avg rating — 8,377 ratings score: 1,710, and 19 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
71	The Man Who Knew Infinity: A Life of the Genius Ramanujan by Robert Kanigel (Goodreads Author) 3.97 avg rating — 8,635 ratings score: 1,632, and 17 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
72	Parting the Waters by Taylor Branch 4.35 avg rating — 9,279 ratings score: 1,605, and 17 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
73	King Leopold's Ghost: A Story of Greed, Terror, and Heroism in Colonial Africa by Adam Hochschild 4.13 avg rating — 52,220 ratings score: 1,557, and 17 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
74	Love and Louis XIV: The Women in the Life of the Sun King by Antonia Fraser 3.85 avg rating — 7,755 ratings score: 1,518, and 17 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
75	Zelda by Nancy Milford 3.78 avg rating — 10,711 ratings score: 1,510, and 16 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
76	The Mayor of Castro Street: The Life & Times of Harvey Milk by Randy Shilts 4.07 avg rating — 4,348 ratings score: 1,458, and 16 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
77	His Excellency: George Washington by Joseph J. Ellis 3.93 avg rating — 40,165 ratings score: 1,428, and 16 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
78	The Wright Brothers by David McCullough 4.13 avg rating — 85,849 ratings score: 1,422, and 16 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
79	Becoming Queen Victoria: The Tragic Death of Princess Charlotte and the Unexpected Rise of Britain's Greatest Monarch by Kate Williams (Goodreads Author) 3.95 avg rating — 3,274 ratings score: 1,400, and 15 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
79	Rajinikanth: The Definitive Biography by Naman Ramachandran (Goodreads Author) 3.81 avg rating — 157 ratings score: 1,400, and 14 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
81	Will in the World: How Shakespeare Became Shakespeare by Stephen Greenblatt 3.83 avg rating — 10,386 ratings score: 1,360, and 13 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
82	To the Rescue: The Biography of Thomas S. Monson by Heidi S. Swinton 4.46 avg rating — 4,786 ratings score: 1,255, and 13 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
83	Go Forward with Faith: The Biography of Gordon B. Hinckley by Sheri Dew 4.56 avg rating — 7,944 ratings score: 1,251, and 13 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
84	Secrets of the Flesh: A Life of Colette by Judith Thurman 3.88 avg rating — 1,510 ratings score: 1,244, and 13 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
85	Room Full of Mirrors: A Biography of Jimi Hendrix by Charles R. Cross 4.16 avg rating — 8,743 ratings score: 1,226, and 13 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
86	Ronald Reagan: How an Ordinary Man Became an Extraordinary Leader by Dinesh D'Souza (Goodreads Author) 4.12 avg rating — 1,196 ratings score: 1,181, and 12 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
87	The Confessions of St. Augustine by Augustine of Hippo 3.92 avg rating — 56,963 ratings score: 1,172, and 12 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
88	iCon: Steve Jobs, the Greatest Second Act in the History of Business by Jeffrey S. Young 4.03 avg rating — 9,564 ratings score: 1,117, and 12 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
89	The Real James Herriot: A Memoir of My Father by Jim Wight 4.24 avg rating — 5,573 ratings score: 1,115, and 12 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
90	A Beautiful Mind by Sylvia Nasar 4.13 avg rating — 129,526 ratings score: 1,114, and 13 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
91	Hitler: A Study in Tyranny by Alan Bullock 4.12 avg rating — 1,511 ratings score: 1,107, and 12 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
92	The Strangest Man: The Hidden Life of Paul Dirac, Mystic of the Atom by Graham Farmelo 3.94 avg rating — 7,297 ratings score: 1,058, and 11 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
93	Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention by Manning Marable 4.15 avg rating — 19,301 ratings score: 1,054, and 11 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
94	Leonardo da Vinci by Walter Isaacson (Goodreads Author) 4.17 avg rating — 87,551 ratings score: 1,048, and 11 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
95	American Caesar: Douglas MacArthur 1880-1964 by William Manchester 4.04 avg rating — 13,469 ratings score: 1,041, and 11 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
96	The Twelve Caesars by Suetonius 3.99 avg rating — 19,265 ratings score: 1,020, and 11 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
97	When Character Was King: A Story of Ronald Reagan by Peggy Noonan 4.24 avg rating — 3,001 ratings score: 1,019, and 12 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
98	Pillar of Fire: America in the King Years 1963-65 by Taylor Branch 4.34 avg rating — 2,790 ratings score: 1,013, and 11 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
99	Frida Kahlo: 1907-1954 Pain and Passion by Andrea Kettenmann 4.20 avg rating — 12,127 ratings score: 997, and 11 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
100	Steve Jobs: The Unauthorized Autobiography by J.T. Owens (Goodreads Author) 3.70 avg rating — 1,333 ratings score: 990, and 10 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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1,327 books · 2,780 voters · list created December 20th, 2012 by Jessica (votes) .

Tags: autobiography, biography, conquerors, heroes, history, memoir, memoirs, politics, womens-history, womens-studies

712 likes · Like

Lists are re-scored approximately every 5 minutes.

People Who Voted On This List (2780)

Jessica 1332 books
356 friends

Margo 1721 books
328 friends

William 717 books
442 friends

Patrick 748 books
642 friends

Ira 1 book
0 friends

Colene 1321 books
46 friends

Katrina 1944 books
22 friends

William 4209 books
102 friends

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message 1: by Shashi (new)

Dec 25, 2012 10:50PM

really wanna read some of dem...

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message 2: by Bk (new)

Dec 26, 2012 03:08AM

good faveur

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message 3: by Katrina (last edited Jan 02, 2013 02:41PM) (new)

Jan 02, 2013 02:40PM

By my quick count up, about 30-odd of these are autobiographies or memoirs, even though the list description notes somewhere else to vote for these. Is there any desire to keep this just for pure biographies, or to leave it as is?

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message 4: by Jessica (new)

Jan 02, 2013 02:48PM

Katrina, thanks for checking. I've removed some autobiographies and memoirs. Feel free to remove more that are not of the correct category.

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message 5: by Mj (last edited Jan 04, 2013 05:18PM) (new)

Jan 04, 2013 05:17PM

For what it's worth, I wouldn't mind see a list of Best Biographies, Autobiographies and Memoirs and have more books to choose from that are sort of same or at least a similar type i.e. change the title of the category rather than eliminate books.

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message 6: by Jessica (new)

Jan 04, 2013 05:20PM

Mj, there is already a combo list:
http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/28...

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message 7: by Mj (new)

Jan 04, 2013 05:24PM

Jessica wrote: "Mj, there is already a combo list:
http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/28..."

Thanks for the info.

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message 8: by Robert (new)

Jan 06, 2013 09:54AM

The book on Jobs and Einstein were great reads.

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message 9: by Antonia (new)

Jan 06, 2013 10:49AM

Lots of good books to read! Would love to read Einstein.

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message 10: by Stephanie (last edited Jan 06, 2013 11:55AM) (new)

Jan 06, 2013 11:50AM

Hi, Great list! :D
The Help (#38) isn't non-fiction...actually there are several after #100 that aren't non-fiction

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message 11: by Nicki (new)

Jan 06, 2013 11:51AM

Rule of the Bone by Russell Banks is a great book! 5 Stars.

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message 12: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (last edited Jan 06, 2013 12:45PM) (new)

Jan 06, 2013 12:44PM

Removed The Help. Because it's a novel.

ETA: Also removed Life of Pi. Because it, too, is a novel.

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message 13: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (last edited Jan 06, 2013 01:13PM) (new)

Jan 06, 2013 01:03PM

Removed, for not being biographies:

Batman: Haunted Knight, by Jeph Loeb
The Shack, by William Paul Young
The Pillars of the Earth, by Ken Follett
To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
The Color Purple, by Alice Walker
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain
One Good Dog, by Susan Wilson
Beloved, by Toni Morrison
Moby-Dick, by Herman Melville
Someone Knows My Name: A Novel, by Lawrence Hill
One Thousand White Women: The Journals of May Dodd, by Jim Fergus
Breakfast at Tiffany's, by Truman Capote
The Red Tent: A Novel, by Anita Diamant
Atlas Shrugged, by Ayn Rand
The Fountainhead, by Ayn Rand
I Know This Much is True, by Wally Lamb
The Lovely Bones, by Alice Sebold
The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini
Water for Elephants, by Sara Gruen
The Secret Life of Bees, by Sue Monk Kidd
Half Broke Horses, by Jeanette Walls
Memoirs of a Geisha, by Arthur Golden
The Notebook, by Nicholas Sparks
11/22/63, by Stephen King
The Bell Jar, by Sylvia Plath

Also, there are several memoirs. You want me to remove them, Jessica?

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message 14: by Jan C (new)

Jan 06, 2013 02:18PM

I'm not sure that At Dawn We Slept: The Untold Story of Pearl Harbor or 1776 are biographies. Unless they are biographies of events?

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message 15: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (new)

Jan 06, 2013 09:24PM

Is there anything else you want removed, Jessica?

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message 16: by John (new)

Jan 06, 2013 10:55PM

iam eager to read all these book kose ilike reading so much

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message 17: by Jessica (new)

Jan 07, 2013 10:25AM

Librarians, feel free to remove non-biographies at your discretion. Thanks!

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message 18: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (new)

Jan 07, 2013 12:05PM

Removed for not being a biography:

Rush to Destiny, by L.J. Martin (historical fiction)
Failure Is Not an Option, by Gene Krantz (memoir)
The Diary of Anne Frank (memoir)
The Five People You Meet in Heaven, by Mitch Albom (novel)
Hit Man: My Real Life in the Cartoon World of Wrestling, by Bret Hart (memoir)
A Backward Glance: An Autobiography, by Edith Wharton (autobiography)
The Power of Positive Thinking, by Norman Vincent Peale (self-help)
Bigger Than Hitler - Better Than Christ, by Rik Mayall (autobiography)
Yes, Chef: A Memoir, by Marcus Samuelsson (memoir)
Eat, Pray, Love, by Elizabeth Gilbert (memoir)
Control Switch On, by Ira Teller (either fiction or memoir)
Neglected but Undefeated: "The Life of a Boy Who Never Knew a Mother's Love," by Jonathan Anthony Burkett (autobiography)
The Road Less Traveled, by M. Scott Peck (self-help)
Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang, by Chelsea Handler (comedic memoir)
Are You There Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea, by Chelsea Handler (comedic memoir)
Angela's Ashes, by Frank McCourt (memoir)

Left several on which I have mixed mind about, such as 1776, At Dawn We Slept, and Quiet.

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message 19: by LindaJ^ (new)

Jan 08, 2013 07:35AM

I'd say there are still some on the list that are not truly biographies! But, that said, there are a lot of very good books on here. Thanks for policing and removing the really non-biography ones!

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message 20: by Katrina (last edited Jan 12, 2013 02:23PM) (new)

Jan 12, 2013 02:18PM

Deleted:

Rush To Destiny by L.J. Martin (again! fiction)
Bossypants by Tina Fey (autobiography/memoir)
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey (self help)
How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie (self-help)
Life by Keith Richards (autobiography)
Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali (memoir)
The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg (self-help)
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a ... by Susan Cain (self-help)
Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman (psychology)
Let's Pretend This Never Happened: A Mostly True Memoir by Jenny Lawson (memoir)
The Tears Ive Cried: A Personal Memoir by Makaila Renee (memoir)
Boundaries: When to Say Yes, How to Say No, to Take Control of Your Life by Henry Cloud, John Sims Townsend (self-help)
The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Malcolm X (autobiography)
بيكاسو وستاربكس by ياسر حارب (shelves list as self-help/literature/philosophy)
The Price Of My Soul by Bernadette Devlin (autobiography)
All Marketers Are Liars: The Power of Telling Authentic Stories in a Low-Trust World by Seth Godin (self-help)
Chatterton by Peter Ackroyd (historical fiction)
Hey, Wait a Minute by John Madden (memoir)
Talent Is Overrated: What Really Separates World-Class Performers from Everybody Else by Geoff Colvin (self-help)
Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David Allen (self-help)
Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki (business/self-help)
The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable by Nassim Nicholas Taleb (economics)
How We Decide by Jonah Lehrer (psychology)
The Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness by Dave Ramsey (self-help)
Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill (business/self-help)
Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger's by John Elder Robison (memoir)
Wishful Drinking by Carrie Fisher (memoir)

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message 21: by Indra (new)

Jan 19, 2013 05:24AM

I do love to read the biography.

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message 22: by Katrina (new)

Jan 21, 2013 09:21PM

Deleted:

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith (fiction)
A Child Called It by David Pelzer (autobiography/memoir)
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold (fiction)
WROTE THE BOOK, MADE THE MOVIE, RAISE... by Shamim Sarif (memoir)
Rush To Destiny by L.J. Martin (yep, it's still fiction)
Virals by Kathy Reichs (fiction)
One For The Money by Janet Evanovich (fiction)
The Art Book by Phaidon Press (art)
The 20th Century Art Book by Phaidon Press (art)
Chatterton by Peter Ackroyd (fiction)
The Man in the Brown Suit by Agatha Christie (fiction)

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message 23: by Cricket (new)

Jan 25, 2013 03:34AM

In the Woods by Tana French is a novel

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message 24: by Katrina (new)

Jan 25, 2013 12:38PM

Cricket wrote: "In the Woods by Tana French is a novel"

Deleted.

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message 25: by Donna (new)

Jan 27, 2013 07:18PM

It breaks my heart to say so, but Mandela's Long Walk to Freedom is an autobiography. So is Malcolm X (as told to Alex Haley, but it says "autobiography" right on the jacket).

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message 26: by Donna (new)

Jan 27, 2013 07:18PM

BTW, for those interested, there IS a separate listopia that is ONLY for autobiographies and memoirs. I more or less hopped from there to here.

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message 27: by Donna (last edited Jan 27, 2013 07:20PM) (new)

Jan 27, 2013 07:20PM

Also David Niven's The Moon's a Balloon: autobiography. Just saw your note, so I will pull it for you. Didn't want to stick my fingers in unless welcome. : )

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message 28: by Donna (new)

Jan 27, 2013 07:43PM

Removed, per Jessica's msg. 17, for not being biographies (and it appears that non-biographies, autobiographies and memoirs are being added faster than they can be deleted) as follows:

Helter Skelter a story about several people killing several other people, but not a biography

The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts On Record, by Barrack Obama (autobiography or memoir)

Bring on the Empty Horses, by David Niven memoir

Long Walk to Freedom, by Nelson Mandela autobiography

The Story of My Experiments with Truth, by Ghandi (I think I have to assume this is either memoir or autobiography, given the word "My" in the title)

Autobiography of Eleanor Roosevelt, by Eleanor Roosevelt

Marley and Me

The Autobiography of Malcolm X

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message 29: by Katrina (last edited Feb 02, 2013 02:22PM) (new)

Feb 02, 2013 02:08PM

Deleted:
Sweet Tooth by Ian McEwan (fiction)
On Writing by Stephen King (memoir)
The Yellow Birds by Kevin Powers (fiction)
Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë (fiction)
The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson (memoir)
Decision Points by George W. Bush (memoir)
Harpo Speaks! by Harpo Marx (memoir)
Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art by Scott McCloud (art)
Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles (fiction)
Naked by David Sedaris (memoir)
The First Days by Rhiannon Frater (fiction)
Open by Andre Agassi (memoir)

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message 30: by Donna (new)

Feb 02, 2013 05:21PM

Thank you, Katrina!

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message 31: by Donna (new)

Feb 02, 2013 05:26PM

Oh, for goodness sake! #75, America in the King Years...who thought this was a biography? The subject here is America, not King! It has 6 votes, and I do not have superlibrarian status, just ordinary librarian, so I do not think I have the authority to remove it.

It may shift positions, but the title begins with "At Canaan's Edge:" and the rest is above. Can someone who is able, please zap it?

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message 32: by Katrina (new)

Feb 02, 2013 07:21PM

I'm pretty sure any librarian can delete any books from lists (I certainly don't have special status).

However, I note that book's page states it's a National Book Critics Circle Award Nominee for Biography - so I'm not confident to delete as I haven't read it myself.

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message 33: by Mj (new)

Feb 02, 2013 07:51PM

I'm a big fan of memoirs and autobiographies rather than just biographies. I thought it originally was all of the above, but Jessica who started this list or discussion group was kind enough to point out that there was already a combo list for all 3 types and that this was strictly a biography list. Fair enough. I understand and have kept following comments.

So far however all I have seen is what books that should be taken off or have been taken off.

I have also seen the vote counts mounting.

What I would love to see are comments about "why someone has chosen a specific book for the best biography." I know I could look at which bio has the most votes but when choosing a book, the reason or the why is usually what motivates me, not the numbers.

If anyone who has vote already or who will wote in the future would care to add the reason they have picked this particular biography as the best, it would be much appreciated.

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message 34: by Donna (new)

Feb 02, 2013 07:53PM

Oh...well, maybe I'd better not touch it then. Glad I didn't try; National Book Critics are better judges than I am.

I feel most capable of judging, if it is a book I have read. Here's another teaser: the book on James Herriot has the word "Memoir" in the title, but it is "a memoir of my father", so although maybe it's mistitled, one can't say it's misplaced, provided that the son did the writing. Tricky business.

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message 35: by Donna (last edited Feb 02, 2013 08:37PM) (new)

Feb 02, 2013 08:36PM

Mj wrote: "I'm a big fan of memoirs and autobiographies rather than just biographies. I thought it originally was all of the above, but Jessica who started this list or discussion group was kind enough to po..."

My own first 3 were almost a tie. I added comments to my own votes, MJ, but for you, here is a more complete accounting. You can read the first, or all three, which I consider to be a virtual tie. They are Trotsky; John Brown; WEB Du Bois,who wrote about John Brown; and General William Tecumseh Sherman all big-deal heroes of mine. Trotsky was co-leader of the Russian Revolution alongside Lenin. I don't agree with all of his ideas, but the most critical difference between him and Stalin was the importance of free and open discussion. If you don't like someone's ideas, you don't shout them down or arrest them; you out-argue them. If your own ideas are sound, there is nothing to be feared by debate. Had Lenin been younger and not died at such a critical time, the world might be a very different place.

John Brown is portrayed in the history books at public schools where I taught as a crazy guy with good intentions (but I told my students that the book is wrong there, and referred them to Lies My Teachers Told Me). WEB DuBois, a free Black man before and during the American Civil War who wrote The Souls of Black Folk, is the lone voice that speaks up in his defense, and it is an eloquent voice that will not be denied. For many, many years, where Caucasian families in the USA had a portrait of George Washington hanging over the fireplace, many Black families had a painting or drawing of John Brown,the first Caucasian to fight and die for the rights of Black folks in the U.S.

Finally, W.T. Sherman, a highly controversial general, is my favorite US general of all time. He was principled,talented, unafraid, and quite sane,despite some nervous habits during periods of inactivity and hostile press reports (he hated the press passionately, and indeed, more than once the Northern press found out what his next military move was, printed it before he did it, and thus delivered his plan to the enemy)!

Several respected sources noted that Hart's biography of Sherman was the best and least biased account of his military career, and indeed, since Hart was British, he had neither a Southern nor Northern perspective to defend. I am reading Sherman's memoir now, and the voice and courage he shows makes me want to stand up and cheer, but as biographies go, Hart's is one that I find truly remarkable, and greatly enjoyable.

While I'm being windy, I will add that I am really glad we had this list even though there was another,as has been pointed out, that included biographies, autobiographies,and memoirs all together. Before voting on this list, I was unaware to what extent I read memoirs and autobiographies rather than biographies, so this gave me some insight into my own habits, for what that's worth. I am glad it's here.

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message 36: by Mj (last edited Feb 03, 2013 05:17AM) (new)

Feb 03, 2013 05:16AM

Donna wrote: "Mj wrote: "I'm a big fan of memoirs and autobiographies rather than just biographies. I thought it originally was all of the above, but Jessica who started this list or discussion group was kind e..."

Thanks Donna for taking time to do this. A big help was also letting me know that if I clicked on the people voted part, that the voters who added comments about their votes would also be displayed. Thanks again.

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message 37: by Katrina (new)

Feb 16, 2013 04:34PM

Deleted

The Price of Deception by Simangele Kekana (erotica / fiction)
Through a Dog's Eyes: by Jennifer Arnold (dog research)
Anything Goes: My Autobiography by John Barrowman (autobiography)
Growing Up Amish: A Memoir by Ira Wagler (memoir)

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message 38: by Donna (last edited Aug 31, 2013 12:38PM) (new)

Aug 31, 2013 11:55AM

Some of these are books about multiple people...this has seemed to be a list with so much promise, but people are dropping the most unlikely things into it. Usually people complain about what isn't in a list and need to be coaxed to add. In this case, people have added things willy nilly without really checking the title and subscript.

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message 39: by Donna (last edited Aug 31, 2013 12:56PM) (new)

Aug 31, 2013 12:09PM

Checked and deleted: The Story of Mamie (memoir)
Diary of Anne Frank (diary)
The Story of My Experiments With Truth
by Mahatma Gandhi (memoir or autobio)
the autobiography of Ida B Wells
Mrs. Kennedy and Me--A Memoir
Andy Roo--a children's book about a long legged puppy.Whimsy has its place, but this isn't a biography.
Thunder Dog--it's a memoir written by the dog's owner, who is blind.
Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman! by Feynman. Memoir.
The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin
Yes, Mr. Bronson: Memoirs of a Bum Actor

I had the strange experience of adding the following to my to-read list before deleting it, because it's a memoir:

They Poured Fire On Us from the Sky

I had wondered about 1776, but checked and it is regarded by many as a biography of Washington, so fine.

Did not remove (doubts) but question:

Is any book about numerous people really a biography?

Also these:

Three Cups of Tea (sure looks like a memoir)
Imperfect, Improbable Life

To other librarians: I don't have the page #s for those I question above, and with the list being relatively short, they keep changing anyway...hope someone can suss these out.

Thanks to all who added some really strong biographies; gave me more for my to-read list.

PS Primal scream. "Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water". Removed The Making of the Panama Canal etc. Just because McCullough writes it, does not make it a biography! And it wasn't. DONE.

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message 40: by Donna (new)

Sep 07, 2013 11:30AM

One of these books is not like the others: removed Sunshine and Her Blarney Smile, a 26 pp. children's book that the writer herself describes as "symbolic", so not a biography in any sense of the word.

Question and will leave to the list-maker or perhaps a super-librarian: #146, which appears to be a college football story of 3 athletes during a finite time, but so little other data was available that I didn't touch it lest I be wrong;
and #160 Lives of the Artists: again, can a biography be about a series of subjects? If each chapter is about a different person, do we regard it as a series of small biographies, or does it belong in a listopia of collected works? Again, someone higher up the food chain (or braver) than I must decide.

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message 41: by [deleted user] (new)

Oct 20, 2013 05:44PM

Vote John Adams!

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message 42: by LindaJ^ (new)

Oct 21, 2013 11:31AM

I am having trouble considering A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson to be a biography! It is a very funny, entertaining travel book, telling the story of Bryson's and his friend's hike on a portion of the Appalacian Trail but it is not a biography.

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message 43: by Donna (new)

Feb 01, 2014 11:44AM

Crankyhouse wrote: "One of these books is not like the others: removed Sunshine and Her Blarney Smile, a 26 pp. children's book that the writer herself describes as "symbolic", so not a biography in any sense of the w..."
Thank you!!!

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message 44: by Mark (last edited Jul 05, 2014 12:54AM) (new)

Jul 05, 2014 12:53AM

I'm a big fan of people who have more to do in life. Of course, there is a " calling" for such things, and they are both appreciated, and undervalued, however, the self appointed legion of " I have an empty shell of a life, so let me correct you" can, in my humble opinion find another place to play. So bring on the affirmations of self righteousness, I frankly just do not care. I am just pleased to provide you with something new to air out those panties in their perpetual state of wad! Have a nice day.

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message 45: by Cartier (new)

Aug 18, 2015 12:12AM

In the Woods by Tana French is a novel

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message 46: by Majestic (new)

Sep 10, 2015 02:39AM

Thanks for the info.

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message 47: by Delita (new)

Nov 10, 2015 11:47PM

Glad to see my longest running “got to” …
Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption
by Laura Hillenbrand

Sad to see entertainment listed as a biography (you are kidding, right?)…
A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail
by Bill Bryson

Looking forward to my own most recent “want to” and addition here…
Bully!: The Life and Times of Theodore Roosevelt: Illustrated with More Than 250 Vintage Political Cartoons
By Rick Marschall

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message 48: by Yris (new)

Nov 18, 2015 04:44PM

Me gusta la lectura biografías, novelas de tramas interesantes, poemas, finanzas, en fin todo aquello donde pueda aprender nuevas vivencias en el género literario como las realidades crudas del mundo que nos rodea.

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message 49: by Bevvyingexplore (new)

Dec 30, 2015 02:18AM

Its tremendous :)

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message 50: by Hutch (new)

Jul 10, 2016 11:41PM