What is lit's opinion of autobiographies/memoirs? I just

>>8895916
Most of them can be rather annoying, especially if the writer just wallows in misery and self-pity.
That said, I did like Salvador Dali's "Diary of a Genius" which, while it's not an autobiography in itself, comes pretty close and it's also a welcome change from the usual memoir style.

>>8895916
I don't know, but I've heard lots of good things about "My Diary Desu" by Anonymous.

Recently I read "Chickenhawk", by a Huey pilot in Nam. It was good.
Alexander Lebed's "My country and my life" is also an interesting read. I mean, he's a VDV general and later minister of defence, but not exactly a great writer.
Pokrishkin's memoir is also great if you can find it in English.
Panzer battles by Friedrich von Mellenthin is interesting too.

The First-World War autobiography "Goodbye to All That" by Robert Graves was wonderful, very literary, and humorous (in a very sly, dark way.) Though it's not wholly about the war, it also goes into his upbringing and life at an all male boarding school (replete with the boipussi provided by said boarding school.)

>>8896017
Yea, I can see what you mean. The theme of regret and missed opportunities gets old quick.

Cellini's biography is fucking wonderful, you will enjoy it a lot. I would even recommend skimming enough history that you understand the context - I encountered his bio during a course on Cinquecento Florence and Duke Cosimo I, for a paper I wrote on his bronze Perseus with the Head of Medusa. Knowing all the little details of that made it very rewarding to read his batshit story of casting the thing.

I once read a really nice little book, some dated history book from the 50s that I can't remember, that briefly skimmed over the most significant historical autobiographies. I can't find it. If you have JSTOR access, search for Karl Weintraub's 1975 article on the subject of historical autobiography, which should have some good stuff.

Off the top of my head, I can say obviously Augustine's Confessions and Rousseau's Confessions, major major founders of the genre.

I'd also recommend Otto Skorzeny's memoirs if you're into that kind of thing.

>>8896217
Oh and also, >>8896162 mentioning Robert Graves made me think of his I, Claudius, and also Memoirs of Hadrian by Yourcenar.

Oh, and check out Collingwood's Autobiography, if you're at all interested in hermeneutics or historical theory, or the intellectual milieu of early 20th century England.

>>8896121
>>8896162
I plan on, at some undefined point in the future, reading Goodbye to All That. I actually saw that one after starting Storm of Steel; Jünger gets across the sense of honor and duty very well so I feel like Graves' will be opposite of Jünger's.

Any good non war stuff? I don't want to dwell on war too much

>>8896224
I, Claudius looks pretty good just from the description. One thing though, it says "from the autobiography..." Is it not the whole thing or does that just mean translated from the autobiography?

As for Collingwoods, i funny know much about hermeneutics but it looks like a relatively short read so I'll probably give it a try

>>8895916
Despite the finite assertion that memoirs and autobiographies are the same, they're actually quite different.

I enjoy bios in general but autobiographies are really hit and miss.

Seven Pillars of Wisdom is fucking great. Miles Davis' autobiography is also really good, prob the most brutally honest and articulate autobiography I have ever read. I couldn't give a shit about jazz but the book had me gripped all the way through.

>>8897196
You're correct that I did make that assumption and after looking into it, i have to agree with you. If i understand correctly, autobiography is a sort of record while memoir is more of a literary telling of one's life. A small but important difference. I learned something today. Thanks, anon