Picking a biography worth reading

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Rose65

Well-known Member
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United Kingdom
I am very choosy whose biography I will spend time reading. So called 'celebrity' and the self-obsessed do not interest me. For me it must be about someone who really has contributed to humanity, made a lasting difference.

I am reading 'The secret lives of Somerset Maugham', a firmly favourite author. It is written by Selina Hastings. It is so moving that when Maugham was asked at age 81 if he would consider writing his biography he simply said no, that he considered himself far too dull! I see that as greatly understated humility.

In fact he lived an extraordinary life of greatest literary achievements and left us with so many books of excellence in observing human character. I love his writings. A biography worth spending my time upon.

Who do you deeply respect and admire, and reckon their life story worth reading?
 

The people in history whom I admire seems unending!
Plato, Carl Jung, Jesus Christ, (though I feel he is a god, not a man,) Black Elk, Ralph Emerson, Johann Von Goethe, Henry Thoreau,
Mark Twain, Jack London, Teddy Roosevelt, Jack Dempsey, Evelyn Underhill, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, Guru Dev, Shankara, Ulysses Grant,
That's only a few. There are so many more! I'm going to be mad at myself for not thinking of their names right now!
and artists:
Jessie M King, Edward Burnes Jones, Rembrandt, Remington, N C Wyeth, James Bama Evelyn De Morgan. (on and on)
So many souls of greatness have walked the earth. I hope they know we still revere them!
 
Gaer said:
The people in history whom I admire seems unending!
Plato, Carl Jung, Jesus Christ, (though I feel he is a god, not a man,) Black Elk, Ralph Emerson, Johann Von Goethe, Henry Thoreau,
Mark Twain, Jack London, Teddy Roosevelt, Jack Dempsey, Evelyn Underhill, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, Guru Dev, Shankara, Ulysses Grant,
That's only a few. There are so many more! I'm going to be mad at myself for not thinking of their names right now!
and artists:
Jessie M King, Edward Burnes Jones, Rembrandt, Remington, N C Wyeth, James Bama Evelyn De Morgan. (on and on)
So many souls of greatness have walked the earth. I hope they know we still revere them!
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Jack London and Ulysses S Grant are on my list. London lived an extraordinary life.
 

I just mentioned Thomas Sowell's biography in a post yesterday. It's titled Maverick.

I read it twice. It not only showcases Sowell’s most significant writings (to the date of publication), but also traces the events in his life that shaped his ideas and took him from being a black orphan from the Jim Crow South to a graduate of Harvard University, a PhD grad of the University of Chicago, teacher of economics at Cornell and UCLA, and one of America’s foremost intellectuals, lecturers, and speakers.
 
Rose65 said:
Jack London and Ulysses S Grant are on my list. London lived an extraordinary life.
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I've had to study Jack London for my American Lit. Class and his short life was fascinating. Several of his works have autobiographical elements to them. For example, "To Build a Fire" is about a man journeying the Yukon trail in -50 to -75 degree weather. London lived there and wrote about it. Here is the story: https://americanenglish.state.gov/files/ae/resource_files/to-build-a-fire.pdf
 
Rose65 said:
I am very choosy whose biography I will spend time reading. So called 'celebrity' and the self-obsessed do not interest me. For me it must be about someone who really has contributed to humanity, made a lasting difference.

I am reading 'The secret lives of Somerset Maugham', a firmly favourite author. It is written by Selina Hastings. It is so moving that when Maugham was asked at age 81 if he would consider writing his biography he simply said no, that he considered himself far too dull! I see that as greatly understated humility.

In fact he lived an extraordinary life of greatest literary achievements and left us with so many books of excellence in observing human character. I love his writings. A biography worth spending my time upon.

Who do you deeply respect and admire, and reckon their life story worth reading?
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I liked all the people listed here in the posts for biographies. I have read several, but I need to read more!
 
Love Florence Nightingale. Her writing of Egypt "A Winter on the Nile", detailed a 1849 trip on the Nile - an unheard of journey for a single young woman and brought the Egypt of that time alive for me. Of course she did so many things of her time that Victorian women didn't do and was such a wonderful nurse and benevolent person, there are simply too many to list here.
 
Gaer said:
I saw this photo of Grant at Gettysburg taken right after the war.
His eyes in this photo just HAUNT ME! You can see all the sufferings he viewed and felt!View attachment 298755
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My wife and I recently visited Grant's Cottage in upstate New York. This is where Grant finished his memoirs and passed away. I purchased a copy of his memoirs and have just begun reading it. BTW we took the living history tour, in which the guide stays in character as Grant's son Fred. For anyone in the area this was one of the best tours we've been on.
 
Gaer said:
I saw this photo of Grant at Gettysburg taken right after the war.
His eyes in this photo just HAUNT ME! You can see all the sufferings he viewed and felt!View attachment 298755
Click to expand...
Grant was supposed to be a boozer. Maybe he was just hung over.

The few biographies I have read always had a sad ending, namely their old age and death.
 
https://www.amazon.com/Boys-Boat-Americans-Berlin-Olympics/dp/0143125478

I read "The Boys in the Boat" a few years ago, about the American rowing team, literally a motley crew from various poor backgrounds who went to the Olympics and humiliated Hitler's beloved super race team. I was so impressed with all of them, such hard workers with high ethical standards. The main character had a really rough childhood but was putting himself through college doing janitorial work as well as doing the athletic training.
 
Rose65 said:
Who do you deeply respect and admire, and reckon their life story worth reading?
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Sir Ranulph Fiennes Bt OBE, Explorer, Writer, and Poet.

I believe he attempted to destroy a dam that he didn’t like the look of. As a consequence, he was dismissed from the SAS. Special Air Service (Special Forces).

An explorer and adventurer known for his remarkable feats of endurance and exploration. He served in the British Army before embarking on a series of daring expeditions. In 1982 capturing global attention as he and Charles Burton completed the first ever transcontinental journey around the world via the poles. (the "Transglobe Expedition")

After one exhibition, a friend of his explained to him how during the expedition he spent a whole day planning how he was going to shoot Ranulph Fiennes and dispose of his body. Due to how the extreme cold causes people to start hating each other.

In 2003, at the age of 59, he became the oldest Briton to reach the summit of Mount Everest. He engaged in numerous expeditions, usually in extremely challenging conditions. A man with an indomitable spirit and unwavering determination.

Commitment to pushing the limits of human capability. A motivational speaker, inspiring generations to embrace challenges and pursue their dreams with unyielding perseverance.

 
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Della said:
https://www.amazon.com/Boys-Boat-Americans-Berlin-Olympics/dp/0143125478

I read "The Boys in the Boat" a few years ago, about the American rowing team, literally a motley crew from various poor backgrounds who went to the Olympics and humiliated Hitler's beloved super race team. I was so impressed with all of them, such hard workers with high ethical standards. The main character had a really rough childhood but was putting himself through college doing janitorial work as well as doing the athletic training.
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Great book.
 
Even if you saw the movie, I recommend the book Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Who Helped Win the Space Race. It explores the biographies of three African-American women who worked as human "computers" to solve problems for engineers and others at NASA.

I consider myself a space buff and I thought I knew pretty much everything about the early space program. I was totally caught off guard that I had never heard of these women before and how crucial they were in getting the US into space.
 
I currently reading "Mad, bad and dangerous to know" , the autobiography of Sir Ranulph Fiennes. A fascinating book. I'm surprised that he's still alive!
Another really great inspiring autobiography is "The road to Nab End" and the follow up book, "Beyond Nab End". It tells the story of William Woodruff who went from the poverty stricken days in Lancashire to become a respected university professor and lecturer.
 
Tish said:
I just finished reading, A life worth living by Lady Colin Campbell
Absolutely brilliant read.
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I have all Lady C's books... I also subscribe to her youtube channel...

I love how intelligent she is, but also not afraid to throw people under the bus when necessary... however..despite knowing that all writers have poetic licence.. I do get a little annoyed with Lady C when I read something she's written which is patently not true, and written simply because she had a grudge to bear..
 

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