# American Autobiography recomendations **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 2, 2002, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-autobiography-recomendations/140047 "2002-12-02T22:01:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![NewUser1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f1d935/32.png) [@NewUser1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NewUser1)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2002, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-autobiography-recomendations/140047/1 "2002-12-02T22:01:02Z")
I wasn’t sure if this is the right place to post, but if anyone could recommend a good Biography or autobiography of an American, it would be much appreciated. I have to read this for an American Lit class, so it must be over 200 pages long (but short enough to read in a little over a week). I tend to enjoy autobiographies more than biographies because they are more personal, but a really good biography would be alright as well. It would be better if the author (or subject) is well known, but the autobiography of Malcolm X is already taken. Any suggestions? Thanks for any help… ---
**Author:** ![Encinitas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@Encinitas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Encinitas)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2002, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-autobiography-recomendations/140047/2 "2002-12-02T23:38:36Z")
Check out our own **Eve** ’s bios on famous screen sirens. [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-url/index=books&field-author=Golden%2C%20Eve/002-4167096-8544834](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-url/index=books&field-author=Golden%2C%20Eve/002-4167096-8544834) ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2002, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-autobiography-recomendations/140047/3 "2002-12-03T01:00:29Z")
[Pulitzer Prize winning biographies](http://www.literature-awards.com/pulitzer_prize_biography.htm). ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2002, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-autobiography-recomendations/140047/4 "2002-12-03T01:12:45Z")
_The Autobiography of Malcom X_ is one of the best I’ve ever read. ---
**Author:** ![Neurotik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2002, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-autobiography-recomendations/140047/5 "2002-12-03T01:31:44Z")
Malcolm X is good, so is Ben Franklin. ---
**Author:** ![NewUser1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f1d935/32.png) [@NewUser1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NewUser1)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2002, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-autobiography-recomendations/140047/6 "2002-12-03T02:55:22Z")
Damn your malcolm X recomendations. (Its already taken) But thanks for the replies. ---
**Author:** ![plnnr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@plnnr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/plnnr)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2002, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-autobiography-recomendations/140047/7 "2002-12-03T12:53:25Z")
Ben Bradlee, executive editor of the Washingto Post for years, wrote a very readable, very interest autobiography a few years ago. He was editor during Watergate, knew (and knows) everyone who is anyone in Washington, and has lead an interesting life. ---
**Author:** ![plnnr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@plnnr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/plnnr)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2002, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-autobiography-recomendations/140047/8 "2002-12-03T12:54:34Z")
You should also read Memoirs, by Katherine Graham (publisher of the Post). That one was terrific. I wrote and told her how much I liked it and she was gracious enough to send a handwritten note back. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2002, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-autobiography-recomendations/140047/9 "2002-12-03T14:13:30Z")
Ooooh, thanks for the plug, **Encinitas**! May I also recommend Gene Smith’s [American Gothic](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0671873016/qid=1038925012/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_2/104-4523384-0303124?v=glance&s=books), a chilling, fascinating read on the Booth family (notably John Wilkes and Edwin)? ---
**Author:** ![puddleglum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puddleglum/32/137_2.png) [@puddleglum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puddleglum)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2002, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-autobiography-recomendations/140047/10 "2002-12-03T16:39:19Z")
**Witness** By Whitaker Chambers, one of the best autobiographies ever. If you want something a little lighter **I know why the cage bird sings** by Maya Angelou. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2002, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-autobiography-recomendations/140047/11 "2002-12-03T18:15:38Z")
**The Education of Henry Adams** is the classic American biography. It’s available [online](http://xroads.virginia.edu/~HYPER/hadams/ha_home.html), so you can download it and read it free. ---
**Author:** ![thermalribbon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@thermalribbon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thermalribbon)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2002, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-autobiography-recomendations/140047/12 "2002-12-03T21:52:49Z")
Double Helix isn’t exactly an auto-bio, however, it sorta reads as one. Crick and Watson’s discovery of the structure of DNA is totally engrossing. Highly recommended. Watson reveals the amount of bullshit that they had to endure to get anything done and the amount of jealousy within their field. ---
**Author:** ![NewUser1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f1d935/32.png) [@NewUser1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NewUser1)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2002, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-autobiography-recomendations/140047/13 "2002-12-03T23:15:06Z")
Thanks for all the suggestions, I think I will chose the Ben Franklin bio, as it will also work for my history AP class. (I’ll still have to write 2 essays)