Autobiographical works can take many forms, from the intimate writings made during life that were not necessarily intended for publication (including letters, diaries, journals, memoirs, and reminiscences) to a formal book-length autobiography. Reading an autobiography can offer a unique insight into a world and experience very different from your own — and these real-life stories are even more entertaining, and stranger, than fiction. Take a glimpse into the lives of some of the world's most inspiring and successful celebrities from ancient times to the present day. 1. The Life of Flavius Josephus 2. “De Bello Gallico” and Other Commentaries by Julius Caesar 3. The Confessions of St. Augustine by Bishop of Hippo Saint Augustine 4. The Autobiography of St. Ignatius by Saint of Loyola Ignatius 5. Letters to His Son, Complete by Earl of Philip Dormer Stanhope Chesterfield 6. Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin 7. Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant 8. An Autobiography by Theodore Roosevelt 9. Autobiography of Andrew Carnegie 10. My Inventions: The Autobiography of Nikola Tesla 11. Henry Ford: Highlights of His Life 12. The Autobiography of Goethe by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe 13. The Memoirs of Victor Hugo 14. Mohandas K. Gandhi, Autobiography The Story of My Experiments with Truth

The true diversity of the American experience comes to life in this superlative collection of autobiographies—including those of Benjamin Franklin, Frederick Douglas, Mark Twain, and more... A True History of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson (1682), perhaps the first American bestseller, recounts this thirty-nine-year-old woman’s harrowing months as the captive of Narragansett Indians. The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin (1771–1789), the most famous of all American autobiographies, gives a lively portrait of a chandler’s son who became a scientist, inventor, educator, diplomat, humorist—and a Founding Father of this land. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass (1845), the gripping slave narrative that helped change the course of American history, reveals the true nature of the black experience in slavery. Old Times on the Mississippi (1875), Mark Twain’s unforgettable account of a riverboat pilot’s life, established his signature style and shows us the metamorphosis of a man into a writer. Four Autobiographical Narratives (1900–1902), published in the Atlantic Monthly by Zitkala-Sa (Red Bird), also known as Gertrude Bonnin, provide us with a voice too seldom heard: a Native American woman fighting for her culture in the white man’s world. Edited and with an Introduction by William L. Andrews and an Afterword by Paul John Eakin

A lifelong scholar of Benjamin Franklin's life completes the unfinished "Autobiography" with information on Franklin's attitudes about such topics as the Constitutional Convention, slavery, and Thomas Jefferson.

A comprehensive and insightful compilation of Benjamin Franklin’s The Autobiography and other essays which offers an in-depth look into the life of America’s most fascinating Founding Father. Benjamin Franklin was a true Renaissance man: writer, publisher, scientist, inventor, diplomat, and politician. During his long life, he offered advice on attaining wealth, organized public institutions, contributed to the birth of a nation, and negotiated with foreign powers to ensure his country’s survival. Through the words of the elder statesman himself, The Autobiography and Other Writings presents a remarkable insight into the man and his accomplishments. Additional writings from Benjamin Franklin’s wife and son provide a more intimate portrait of the husband and father who became a legend in his own time. Edited by L. Jesse Lemich With an Introduction by Walter Isaacson and an Afterword by Carla Mulford

Gandhi's simply narrated account of his boyhood, legal studies, purification, and the growth of the Satyagraha — nonviolent protest — movement. Critical, inspiring work of the man responsible for the freedom of India.

The true diversity of the American experience comes to life in this superlative collection of autobiographies—including those of Benjamin Franklin, Frederick Douglas, Mark Twain, and more... A True History of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson (1682), perhaps the first American bestseller, recounts this thirty-nine-year-old woman’s harrowing months as the captive of Narragansett Indians. The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin (1771–1789), the most famous of all American autobiographies, gives a lively portrait of a chandler’s son who became a scientist, inventor, educator, diplomat, humorist—and a Founding Father of this land. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass (1845), the gripping slave narrative that helped change the course of American history, reveals the true nature of the black experience in slavery. Old Times on the Mississippi (1875), Mark Twain’s unforgettable account of a riverboat pilot’s life, established his signature style and shows us the metamorphosis of a man into a writer. Four Autobiographical Narratives (1900–1902), published in the Atlantic Monthly by Zitkala-Sa (Red Bird), also known as Gertrude Bonnin, provide us with a voice too seldom heard: a Native American woman fighting for her culture in the white man’s world. Edited and with an Introduction by William L. Andrews and an Afterword by Paul John Eakin

Fascinating behind-the-scenes look at one of the most powerful and revolutionary ideas in the history of mankind, the theory of evolution. It traces the development of this momentous idea in an autobiographical essay, letters, and notebook excerpts by the theory's originator.