Looking for the best biography/autobiography books for vacation (1 Viewer)

[Binky The Doormat]

Going to be a lot of beach lounging and plane travel - and I love autobiographies/biographies ...and/or "behind the scenes stuff". 

Primarily interested in sports, tv/movie industry, rock music topics. 

I currently have "You'll Never Eat Lunch In This Town Again", a behind the scenes of the movie deal making business and "Woke Up This Morning" - another behind the scenes on the making of the Sopranos show. 

Got any recommendations for me?  I am looking for at 4 or 5 more.

TIA

 

[simey]

I haven't read it yet, but I recently bought a book called  Dixie Lullaby: A Story of Music, Race, and New Beginnings in a New South.

 

[rockaction]

Cobb by Al Stump. Supposedly a great new journalism book about Ty Cobb during his career and after. 

Lots of people calling it fiction in the reviews. 

The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe is an excellent piece along similar lines. It's book-length, and it captures the space race when it first started by providing extensive background on the guys who made up the program. I read it drunk in D.C. in my twenties. I loved it then, so you might appreciate it more than I do, even. 

 

[The General]

Can’t Hurt Me by ex-Marine David Goggins was an excellent read. This dude is an absolute maniac. 

Heard about him in another book that was also a funny read that I would recommend - Living With a Seal about a rich guy who paid a maniac Navy Seal to live with him and train him for a couple months. That Seal was the aforementioned David Goggins. 

Anthony Bourdain’s Kitchen Confidential was a good read (I read this one on vacay).

This sounds nuts but the last autobiography I read was Seth Rogan’s Yearbook was very funny and a good read. I read this book in just a couple days and usually take much longer to get through things. 

 

[MindCrime]

Loved this book, mostly interviews intertwined to tell the story pf the decade of 80s rock. 
 

Nothin but a Good Time

 

[Atomic Punk]

Ace Frehley bio was a great read for a KISS fan and a good read for a non fan.

 

[NutterButter]

2nd kitchen confidential although preferred the audio book.  Shoe dog about phil knight.    Greenlights audio book.    Elon musk biography.   Andre agassi auto called open.   

 

[The Dreaded Marco]

Up Till Now: The Autobiography by William Shatner. 

This is an extremely entertaining read. 
 

Scoreboard, Baby: A Story of College Football, Crime, and Complicity by Ken Armstrong and Nick Perry. 
 

A fascinating read about how big time college football functions within a community.  

The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics by Daniel James Brown

You’re probably familiar with this one. This is inspiring. 

 

[Mister CIA]

Going to be a lot of beach lounging and plane travel - and I love autobiographies/biographies ...and/or "behind the scenes stuff". 

Primarily interested in sports, tv/movie industry, rock music topics. 

I currently have "You'll Never Eat Lunch In This Town Again", a behind the scenes of the movie deal making business and "Woke Up This Morning" - another behind the scenes on the making of the Sopranos show. 

Got any recommendations for me?  I am looking for at 4 or 5 more.

TIA

You may have already read this one, but the autobiography The Real Frank Zappa is a great, easy read.

 

[Binky The Doormat]

You may have already read this one, but the autobiography The Real Frank Zappa is a great, easy read.

Thanks! Yep read it on last year on vacation!    

 

[Binky The Doormat]

Up Till Now: The Autobiography by William Shatner. 

This is an extremely entertaining read. 
 

Scoreboard, Baby: A Story of College Football, Crime, and Complicity by Ken Armstrong and Nick Perry. 
 

A fascinating read about how big time college football functions within a community.  

The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics by Daniel James Brown

You’re probably familiar with this one. This is inspiring. 

awesome! these look great!  

thanks!

 

[Binky The Doormat]

I haven't read it yet, but I recently bought a book called  Dixie Lullaby: A Story of Music, Race, and New Beginnings in a New South.

looks great!

thanks!

 

[Binky The Doormat]

Cobb by Al Stump. Supposedly a great new journalism book about Ty Cobb during his career and after. 

Lots of people calling it fiction in the reviews. 

The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe is an excellent piece along similar lines. It's book-length, and it captures the space race when it first started by providing extensive background on the guys who made up the program. I read it drunk in D.C. in my twenties. I loved it then, so you might appreciate it more than I do, even. 

thanks man!

 

[Binky The Doormat]

2nd kitchen confidential although preferred the audio book.  Shoe dog about phil knight.    Greenlights audio book.    Elon musk biography.   Andre agassi auto called open.   

 you guys are nailing this!

I have the Agassi and both Confidential books - I loved them.  Been looking at the Phil Knight book as well.  

 

[Eephus]

Peter Guralnick's Last Train to Memphis: The Rise of Elvis Presley is the best book I've ever read about popular music.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

Peter Guralnick's Last Train to Memphis: The Rise of Elvis Presley is the best book I've ever read about popular music.

I'll second this, Binky. The 2nd in the duology - Careless Love - is also great.

 

[STEADYMOBBIN 22]

Both audio books are in my top 5 best Ive heard.

The Wright Brothers by David MuCollough.

Washington by Ron Chernow - Warning- Washington makes all other presidents boring. 

 

[supermike80]

Andre Aggasi's book 'Open' was really good.  I liked it a lot.  

Oops..Looks like it was mentioned

 

[zamboni]

The Wright Brothers by David MuCollough.

I found that to be a bit up and down.

 

[zamboni]

Not a biography per se, but music history. I just finished a book about the Altamont Festival and all the events surrounding the concert death. Very captivating and learned a lot that I hadn't known.

 

[FairWarning]

Up Till Now: The Autobiography by William Shatner. 

This is an extremely entertaining read. 
 

Scoreboard, Baby: A Story of College Football, Crime, and Complicity by Ken Armstrong and Nick Perry. 
 

A fascinating read about how big time college football functions within a community.  

The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics by Daniel James Brown

You’re probably familiar with this one. This is inspiring. 

I’ll check out Scoreboard, thanks.

 

[scorchy]

Love Is A Mixtape by Rob Sheffield.  A little old now but it still hits me.

Although Of Course You End Up Becoming Yourself by David Lipsky if you've ever loved David Foster Wallace

Twilight of the Gods: A Journey to the End of Classic Rock by Steve Hyden if you believe Rock is Dead

 

[Keith R]

Not quite a biography, as it deals with the buildup to a single event, but I found this one fascinating

Ali vs. Inoki: The Forgotten Fight That Inspired Mixed Martial Arts and Launched Sports Entertainment

 

[Brony]

The Dirt - the Motley Crue one.  just great from the first chapter til the end and I'm not even a huge Crue fan. Ozzy one is also pretty good. 

I'll second that Wright Brothers one.  Not exactly in the fields you asked for, but just an interesting and well told story. 

 

[rockaction]

Peter Guralnick's Last Train to Memphis: The Rise of Elvis Presley is the best book I've ever read about popular music.

High praise. That's probably your winner right there.