Biography Books > D Biography Books > A

Advantages: Compelling, real, amusing
Disadvantages: none

...escapes the craziness at 18. Dry takes Augusten's life story up from his early 20's. After making his own way to New York at 19, learning to read and write he blagged his way into an advertising job and is now on an award winning creative team. As well as his memoir's Burroughs has also written a novel, Sellivision (I have not yet read this) and Running With Scissors has been made into a film which was released earlier this year. Plot So here ...
...he's now got a highly paid job as one half of a creative team in the fast paced world of advertising. The other half of the creative team, Greer, is getting mighty annoyed with Augusten constantly turning up for work smelly of drink, unwashed and in unclean clothes. Augusten doesn't see the problem, so what if he drinks? He's young, he's single. when he starts turning up in clothes he's slept in and being late to meetings, Greer has had enough and ... Read review

Advantages: It's all true
Disadvantages: Might damage your opinions of the royals

This book could be called many things. Traitorous. Scandalous. Sensationalistic. Ruinous. Unfair. After having read the book when it first came out, I would like to add another. Necessary. This is the undeniably true account of Diana's life up until 1992 when the book was published. History now tells us that the vast majority of information came from the Princess herself, and that express permission had been granted for her friends to also verify ...
...it's all true regardless of the lack of quoted sources. Her life is laid out from her birth into an aristocratic family with a priveleged background; through her early years as a child damaged by her parent's divorce; on to her teens that sees her working as a char woman to pay her own way; the shy and vulnerable young woman who marries a prince; a physically and emotionally wrecked mother-to-be; a stoic actress in her later years, and because she ... Read review

Advantages: Gripping, informative
Disadvantages: May be found quite hard going

Carla Van Raay's autobiography "Gods Callgirl" details the life of a naive, immature girl, then woman who is devoted to God but goes from obedient convent girl to sexual prostitute over the course of her life, but remains as naive as ever. This life story is divided into three parts and develops the tale of this Dutch girl's life over the course of the book. Part one examines the life of a child abused by her father, yet finding she felt abandoned ...
...God from a very young age. As a school girl she idolising the convent and her sole ambition in life is to serve God as a nun in one of Australia's many convents. As an early teenager feeling unloved at home by her family yet supporting her mother in everyday chores and childcare of her brothers and sister she found herself believing she was a product of the devil. A problem no confession could speak of, and no action could heal. Part two follows ... Read review

Advantages: Neil Warnock
Disadvantages: Neil Warnock

There are individuals in sports that only come around so often. People that get everyone talking whether it be how much they admire them or how much they dislike them; Neil Warnock fits this category perfectly. Controversy follows him everywhere, so it is fitting that he should produce an autobiography that i'm sure even those that hate him so much would be just a little intrigued to read. This is the story of one of english domestic football's ...
...humble beginnings in Sheffield through an unglamorous but respectable playing career to a managerial career littered with controversy, success and disappointment. The dream of the Sheffield born man and Blades fan was always to manage his beloved Sheffield United and this dream was realised. He was hated by sections of his own teams support often but his team battled adversity to reach the promised land of the premiership - only to be denied by ... Read review

Advantages: Expertly written
Disadvantages: No chapters/sections to 'break up' the reading

I'm a student and had to read this book for an exam. I read it in 2 days and felt quite tired by the end of it. The main reason being that there are no chapters or sections, so it is basically one long detailed insight into what life was like during the Plague. However, it is very well written and there are times where the reader's emotions are 'pulled at'. The detailed descriptions of both people and places allow the reader to feel part of the drama. ...
...would not recommend this book to anyone who does not appreciate good literature as you will get easily bored and find it difficult to continue reading. However, if you like pre-18th Century Literature and enjoy a good piece of writing, i would highly recommend this old yet insightful masterpiece. ... Read review