Biographies

I love reading biographies and enjoy movies and documentaries based around people's lives. It doesn't matter to me whether they are 'famous' or not, or have changed the world. Sometimes it's the 'little' people whose stories touch you most. However, being trapped in a corner in a party while some drunken sod regales their life story is another matter entirely. ;-)

Biography.com is an interesting site, which I came across while I was looking for some information on Lena Horne. It has lots of search functions and you can also find out about people born on this day, see whose deathiversary it is, and see who is featured each day.

I got thinking about whose biographies (or autobiographies) have been most memorable for me, and these are the ones who first come to mind.

Books:

• Nelson Mandela - Long Walk to Freedom
• Jung Chang - Wild Swans
• Frank McCourt - Angela's Ashes
• E R Braithwaite - To Sir, With Love
• Henri Charrière - Papillon
• Adeline Yen Mah - Falling Leaves
• Li Cunxin - Mao's Last Dancer
• Helga Tiscenko - Strawberries With the Fuhrer

Movies:

• To Sir, With Love
• Ray
• Walk the Line
• La Bamba
• The Aviator
• A Beautiful Mind