Biography Books > A Biography Books > S

Advantages: Rather blunt and honest in emotion
Disadvantages: The line between truth and exaggeration is a bit blurry...

'Jarhead' by Anthony Swofford is bound to make some people angry. A Marine sniper (STA) during Desert Storm I in the early 1990s, he recounts his experiences there with vivid emotion, weaving in his experiences of boot camp, adolescence, and civilian life after the Corps in the process. Swofford has a chip on his shoulder - something he'll most likely readily admit. He has a 'bad attitude', and in fact revels in it. One wonders if this is a product ...
...upbringing. At one point his mother, who never really liked the idea of her son being in the Marines, but who wouldn't stand in her son's way, said 'I lost my baby boy when you went to war.' She described Swofford as being sweet and gentle prior to that, and angry and unhappy afterwards. One wonders how much of a change is there - if one can take the stories at face value, this is the same boy who had a fist-fight with his father over going in the ... Read review

Advantages: A personal sketch of a vigorous woman filled with plenty of insight and information
Disadvantages: It may not have quite the objectivity some might want from a biography and glosses over her later television films

...career, Berg talks about the Kate he knew. Although this may have been the older woman, he still manages to sketch the younger Hepburn in a way that doesn't way her down with the older woman's baggage. Although, many of the descriptions of her early years seem to weave in and out of stories about the aging yet vigorous character he knew. This somehow manages to make you feel closer to the real Kate as she is also allowed to comment on her younger ...
...times Berg's intimate portrayal of Kate does also prevent it from having the objectivity that you might want from a traditional biography. I did feel that occasionally it lacked a little detail in her early years. Despite covering a good number of her films in good detail, including descriptions that suggested which were the stronger and which were the weaker of her films, I also wanted to know a little more about the "weaker" television films that ... 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