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Genres › Biography

Walden
Henry David Thoreau
48 days •
ⓘ 1854 • Not just a reference for pithy thinkpieces on smartphones, Thoreau's sojourn by Walden Pond is an early social experiment seeking self-reliance, self-fulfillment, and happiness.
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
Frederick Douglass
16 days •
ⓘ 1845 • One of the most influential pieces of literature in the abolitionist movement, former slave and famous orator Frederick Douglass retells his life as a slave.
The Narrative of Sojourner Truth
Sojourner Truth
14 days •
ⓘ 1850 • The remarkable story of Sojourner Truth, from her slavery in rural New York to her work as a traveling preacher, social reformer, and counselor of former slaves.
Twelve Years a Slave
Solomon Northup
30 days •
ⓘ 1853 • The narrative of Solomon Northup, a black man born free in New York before the Civil War who was tricked, kidnapped, and sold into slavery in the south.
The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin
24 days •
ⓘ 1791 • Politician, philosopher, printer, scientist, international celebrity, and one of the most colorful of the founding fathers. Franklin tells of his life in his own words.
The Road
Jack London
18 days •
ⓘ 1907 • London's autobiography of his time trying to survive as a hobo in one of the worst economic slumps in U.S. history: from hopping freight trains to joining Kelly's Army.
Confessions of an English Opium-Eater
Thomas De Quincey
12 days •
ⓘ 1821 • A captivating account of addiction - describing both the pleasures and pains of opium - in which dreams, visions, memory, and pain are all interwoven.
Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant
89 days •
ⓘ 1885 • An autobiography focusing on Grant's military career during the Mexican-American War and the American Civil War. Published posthumously by Mark Twain.
The Education of Henry Adams
Henry Adams
66 days •
ⓘ 1918 • Born into a family including two past Presidents, Henry Adams recounts his history - and that of the country - through success, failure, and war.
South!
Ernest Shackleton
46 days •
ⓘ 1919 • The story of Shackleton's harrowing 1915 expedition to Antarctica in which 28 men fight to survive after being marooned on an ice flow.
Roughing It
Mark Twain
57 days •
ⓘ 1872 • A semi-autobiographical account of Twain's travels and adventures through the American west during the 1860s.
The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano
Olaudah Equiano
25 days •
ⓘ 1789 • The unforgettable autobiography of Olaudah Equiano, recounting his enslavement in West Africa, forced voyage to America, and struggle for freedom.
The Life of Jesus
Ernest Renan
27 days •
ⓘ 1863 • Renan's controversial historical account of Jesus.
First Lensman
Edward E. Smith
36 days •
ⓘ 1950 • Given the powerful Lens by the mysterious Arisian aliens, Virgil Samms sets up an order of galactic defenders in this iconic space opera adventure.
Travels in West Africa
Mary Kingsley
60 days •
ⓘ 1897 • Defying Victorian norms for women, Mary Kingsley sets out alone to journey through Africa. There she befriends the local people and collects valuable plant and animal specimens for research.
The Agricola and The Germania
Tacitus
9 days •
ⓘ 98 • Roman historian Tacitus recounts the life of Gnaeus Julius Agricola, as well as an overview of Germania.
How I Found Livingstone
Henry Morton Stanley
48 days •
ⓘ 1871 • The firsthand account of the famous adventure through Africa to find one of the great explorers.
Twenty Years at Hull House
Jane Addams
35 days •
ⓘ 1910 • The memoir of social worker, sociologist, philosopher and reformer Jane Addams focusing on the settlement house she created in Chicago.
Letters Written During a Short Residence in Sweden, Norway, and Denmark
Mary Wollstonecraft
17 days •
ⓘ 1796 • A travel memoir and record of Wollstonecraft’s strained relationship with Gilbert Imlay, as well as the last publication of her life.
A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson
Mary Rowlandson
7 days •
ⓘ 1682 • In the midst of King Philip's War in colonial Massachusetts, Native Americans capture Mary Rowlandson. She experiences eleven weeks with them until being released to her family.
Commentaries on the Gallic War
Julius Caesar
23 days •
ⓘ 58 BC • An account of the conflicts between the Roman Empire and the peoples living in Gaul, Britain, and the lands east of the Rhine.
The Worst Journey in the World
Apsley Cherry-Garrard
67 days •
ⓘ 1922 • A record of the ill-fated Scott expedition to the South Pole from 1910-1913.
Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl
Harriet Jacobs
29 days •
ⓘ 1861 • Jacobs shares her experiences as a slave, describing the particular horrors of being an enslaved woman, in an appeal to abolish slavery.
Across Mongolian Plains
Roy Chapman Andrews
24 days •
ⓘ 1921 • An account by the original Indiana Jones - Roy Chapman Andrews - as he travels through Mongolia and China gathering specimens and research.
The Life of a Fossil Hunter
Charles Hazelius Sternberg
22 days •
ⓘ 1909 • A firsthand account of the Bone Wars, a fierce competition for dinosaur fossils between Edward Drinker Cope and Othniel Charles Marsh in the 19th century American west.
Hawaii's Story
Queen Liliʻuokalani
34 days •
ⓘ 1898 • Five years after Hawaii's sovereignty was violated by the United States, the last monarch describes her ascent to the throne and the destruction of her country.
A Negro Explorer at the North Pole
Matthew Henson
11 days •
ⓘ 1912 • The thrilling memoir of Matthew Henson who traveled with Robert Peary on seven Arctic expeditions.
Geronimo's Story of His Life
Geronimo
12 days •
ⓘ 1906 • Prominent leader and medicine man from the Bedonkohe band of the Apache tribe, Geronimo describes his life and the story of his people.
The Story of My Life
Helen Keller
12 days •
ⓘ 1903 • Helen Keller, who lost her sight and hearing at a young age, recounts her life and in particular her experiences being taught by Anne Sullivan.
Twenty-Two Years a Slave
Austin Steward
26 days •
ⓘ 1857 • An autobiography of Steward's enslavement, escape, and life as a free man before the Civil War.
My Inventions
Nikola Tesla
8 days •
ⓘ 1919 • An autobiography of the famous inventor, engineer, and futurist Nikola Tesla, assembled from a series of articles Tesla wrote for "Electrical Experimenter."
Seven Pillars of Wisdom
T.E. Lawrence
85 days •
ⓘ 1926 • A dramatic memoir from "Lawrence of Arabia" including the Arab Revolt during the First World War.
A Voice from Harper's Ferry
Osborne Perry Anderson
7 days •
ⓘ 1859 • A firsthand account of John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry - a turning point in the fight against slavery - by the only surviving black combatant.
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